'Steel Magnolias' blooms in LPO production

SANDPOINT — At its heart, "Steel Magnolias" is about friendship and love.

Inspired by real-life women in a small Louisiana town and their bonds, it seemed natural for Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre to take on the classic play following its successful production of "Legally Blonde." After all, both shows are about female bonds and community and are among LPO Rep founder Keely Gray's favorite plays.

"For some reason, this 2024 season ended up being the season of female empowerment and community and 'Legally Blonde' was one of those," Gray said. "That was a story of just accepting who you are, and then 'Steel Magnolias' is about the power of the female community and how women are so resilient and that, when they come together, they can get through anything."

And while both plays have female-centric casts, Gray said they also share a common line of dialogue: "Pink is my signature color."

For Nikki Luttmann and Karynn Thompson, who share the role of M'Lynn Eatenton with Luttmann as the lead and Thompson as the understudy, the role is one both are excited to perform, each putting their own spin on the character.

"M'Lynn is so relatable in so many ways," Luttmann said. "She's a career woman; she's got this family that she cares very much about, and what she struggles with, like so many of us do, is being all the things for all the people all the time."

There are scenes where the character is trying hard to maintain control as events spin out of her hands, something that is relatable to anyone.

"What is Truvy's line? Laughter through tears is one of my favorite emotions," Thompson said. "I think that about sums up the show."

The play marks the first time that LPO Rep has understudies, and it is not the traditional take that many productions take. Instead of waiting for a night off or if there is a problem, LPO is having the leads perform in the Friday and Saturday shows and the two understudies in the Sunday shows. With several dozen women auditioning for the play's six roles, Gray came up with the concept to showcase a few more of the community's amazing actors.

It is more a case, she said, of sharing the role, where the understudies are not second but are a matter of "and" where they also get to perform. The cast has taken the concept and run with it, hanging out, getting to know each other, and creating the bonds necessary for what is an intimate show about relationships and friendships.

"We really wanted to spend time with each other, to get to know one another because it is such an intimate show, and so, at least for me, I thought we should get together so we really know each other, and then that way, it will come through on stage," Thompson said.

Everyone is involved, agreed Luttmann.

"It just feels like we're all just part of the cast," Luttmann said. "It doesn't matter who's doing what."

Gray had originally toyed with the idea of casting two entirely different shows before landing on the plan for understudies that are "ands" instead of "ifs."

What is great about having the understudies also perform is that the audiences get two different interpretations of the two roles with understudies. Gray gave them the creative freedom to interpret the role however they saw fit, both Luttmann and Thompson said.

While worried how the rest of the cast would react, everyone has leaned into the concept, giving the play a fresh flavor each night.

"Keely right out of the gate told us, 'This is your M'Lynn; this is your character,' and the other cast members have been really great," Thompson said, adding as Luttmann twins in as they finish the sentence together, "because Shelby has two moms."

Each actor has taken a different spin on the character, from how they interpret her actions and character to how they talk.

"The cadence and everything is different; how we talk is different," Luttmann said. "So for them to be able to react is very interesting because their reactions are different to us individually. When I'm up there, it's very different than when she's up there. It's really fun."

Both said they fully support the other, saying they love watching each other rehearse and enjoy how the other approaches the role.

Both, Luttmann and Thompson said, are having a blast connecting with the cast and their character, reveling in what the play says.

Luttmann, who has turned down a chance to audition for the role in high school, was inspired — rather told — by her daughter, Hana. The teen, an actor herself, knew about her mom's regret over the missed opportunity.

She even knew about her mom meeting Sally Field, who played M'Lynn in the A-list cast movie, when she would come into the L.A. knitting store where she worked. She finally worked up the nerve to tell Field that it was one of her favorite movies and that she regretted passing up the chance to audition because she had to work. Field consoled her and told her that maybe one day she'd have another chance.

"Hana was all, 'Mom, here it is. You have to audition," Luttmann said. "Finally I said, 'All right, what do I have to lose?'"

Both are parents — Luttmann has two daughters and Thompson has "bonus kids" as a stepmom — and said those relationships bring depth to their portrayals of M'Lynn. Luttmann, who lost a child, auditioned for the role because of that loss.

"I specifically wanted to play M'Lynn because I lost a child and I thought, well, who better to play that than somebody who legitimately knows what that sorrow is like?" Luttmann added. 

Thompson, who auditioned with her "bonus daughter," said she has "theater in her soul" but had not performed since moving to Sandpoint eight years ago, thinking there weren't any opportunities for community theater. It was after seeing "Legally Blonde" that she started paying attention to when LPO Rep would hold auditions for its next production.

"I'm at home when I'm on stage and when I'm doing theater," Thompson said. "I mean it when I say it's a part of my soul."

The director and actors said the play celebrates life in a small town, about the bonds of the women and how they support — and love — each other during their lives' ups and downs. They are looking forward to sharing the play with the community in its upcoming two-week run at the Panida Theater.

The cast is dedicating the Oct. 18 performance to breast cancer awareness and is encouraging its audiences to wear pink. Also during that show, donations will be collected for Community Cancer Services.

Performing in "Steel Magnolias" are Aviana Elizabeth Garcia (Truvy Jones), Holly Sharp (Annelle Dupuy-Desoto), Jessie McKechnie (Annelle Dupuy-Desoto understudy), Kate McAlister (Clairee Belcher), Holly Beaman (Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie), Nikki Luttmann (M'Lynn Eatenton), Karynn Thompson (M'Lynn Eatenton understudy), and Shelly Johnson (Ouiser Boudreaux).

The production is LPO Rep's sixth mainstage show at the Panida, following such shows as "Young Frankenstein," "Into the Woods," "Legally Blonde," "Murder on the Orient Express" and "The Importance of Being "Ernest."

Steel Magnolias runs Oct. 11-13 and Oct. 18-20 at the Panida Theater, 300 N. First Ave. Tickets to all of the shows can be purchased at the door or online at lporep.com or panida.org.

Information: lporep.com

    Nikki Luttmann, left, and Karynn Thompson are among the cast of "Steel Magnolias", the latest production of Lake Pend Oreille Repertory Theatre. Opening night is Oct. 11.
  

    Performing in "Steel Magnolias" are Aviana Elizabeth Garcia (Truvy Jones), Holly Sharp (Annelle Dupuy-Desoto), Jessie McKechnie (Annelle Dupuy-Desoto understudy), Kate McAlister (Clairee Belcher), Holly Beaman (Shelby Eatenton-Latcherie), Nikki Luttmann (M'Lynn Eatenton), Karynn Thompson (M'Lynn Eatenton understudy), and Shelly Johnson (Ouiser Boudreaux).