playbill vip

Hello to my dear Steel Magnolias and to those who know them,

Welcome to Chinquapin, Louisiana in the 1980s.  You are about to meet a close-knit group of ladies who have been friends their entire lives. So many of us long to have these types of relationships with our friends and families.  We all know the story; it’s a classic.  But did you know that the playwright wrote this just after his own sister lost her life due to complications from juvenile diabetes?  This story is especially poignant for me because I had two uncles who were diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the ages of eleven and five back in the day when their injections were given with reusable syringes. I thank God that the treatment for diabetes has come a long way since then, but we still have so far to go.  It is my wish that this show will bring a deeper awareness to this disease which at present affects more than half a billion people worldwide.

I would like to thank Players Guild for the honor of choosing me to direct for them.  I want to thank the cast for your commitment to making this a truly amazing show.  Thank you to the creative team for your tireless effort to make us all look good and to keep things running smoothly. A special shout out to Tanya who in spite of her desire to take the summer off, as a true act of friendship joined me on this PG maiden voyage. Thank you to Holly!  What would I have done without you? Thank you to my amazing support group, Jackson, Bridger, and Kristen. You bring me joy! Finally, to my dear husband, without you this would not be possible.

Thank you, audience, for attending this performance. I hope that you will be able to laugh in the midst of the tears. Just like Truvy says, “Laughter through tears in my favorite emotion.”

Soli Deo Gloria!

Christine Anderson Trent