From left, Wendi Jellsey, Tanda Phelps, Janine Clements, Crystal DeMeritt, and Lydia Crist share a heartfelt group embrace in a scene from “Steel Magnolias”, now playing at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts in Yuba City. Photo by Shamaya Sutton

YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - For local mother-daughter duo Janine and Paige Clements, “Steel Magnolias” isn’t just a show, it’s a rare and heartfelt milestone. The pair share the stage in Convergence Theatre Company’s latest production at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts in Yuba City, marking their first time performing together in over five years, and their first time doing so in such emotionally demanding roles.

Paige Clements, a recent graduate of Wheatland Union High School, stars as the vibrant and headstrong Shelby Eatenton. Her mother, Janine Clements, plays M’Lynn, Shelby’s fiercely devoted and emotionally complex mother.

“I felt like we had big shoes to fill,” said Janine Clements. “I can almost quote the entire movie, and these characters are so iconic that I had to do them right, I had to give them the respect they deserve.”

Despite being seasoned performers, the Clements said the emotional layers of the play felt different this time around.

“It’s weird because I just graduated high school like a week ago and will be going to college soon,” said Paige Clements. “There’s been a lot of big feelings of ‘growing up,’ and this just kind of cemented all of that. We’re not going to get an opportunity like this again.”

Janine Clements added that the poignancy of an empty nest has influenced her performance each night.

“The tears just flow,” she said. “It hits close to home.”

“Steel Magnolias,” written by Robert Harling in 1987, is a character-driven drama set in a small Louisiana town. The story unfolds entirely within a beauty salon where six women gather regularly to share stories, gossip, laughter and grief. At its heart is the bond between Shelby and M’Lynn, anchoring the narrative in themes of maternal love, angst and the quiet strength of women supporting one another.

“I sat down and looked at the script and I was like, ‘Oh, this is different from the movie,’” said Janine Clements. “We’ve taken out the element of men, they’re no longer involved. So, all those funny lines that the character Drum had in the movie are now dispersed among all of us. It’s just such a cool female empowerment story.”

Paige Clements, left, as Shelby, shares a tender moment with her real-life mother Janine Clements, playing M’Lynn, during a scene set in Truvy’s beauty salon in Convergence Theatre Company’s production of “Steel Magnolias”, now playing at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts in Yuba City. Photo Courtesy of Convergence Theater Company

Harling’s original stage script, unlike the film adaptation, features no male characters onstage. Instead, male presence is reduced to off-stage sounds, gunshots, phone calls and explosions, that jar the women’s world without ever fully entering it. It’s a deliberate and, perhaps, tongue-in-cheek inversion of the old adage that women and children should be “seen and not heard.” Here, the “man child” is heard but never seen, present in sound but absent in substance.

This choice strips male characters of visual power, forcing the audience to sit solely with the complex emotional lives of the women. This narrative reclamation quietly comments on both traditional Southern gender roles and the emotional absenteeism often expected of men.

In many ways Harling’s work is reminiscent of his esteemed predecessor Tennessee Williams. Both playwrights, openly gay Southern men, demonstrated extraordinary sensitivity in writing female characters. Their works are rooted in regionalism, family dynamics, grief and resilience, but where Williams often used lyrical metaphor and psychological tension, Harling finds his power in intimate realism and quiet sisterhood.

“We always try to think about what our plays are saying,” said Matt DeMeritt, one of Convergence Theater Company’s founders. “What I love about these women as I’ve been watching this is that they do not at all have the same belief systems and yet they’re all able to coexist peacefully and not hate each other.”

For director Cassie Fifield, this production marked her directorial debut with an adult cast and her first non-musical project. More recently Fifield has worked as a musical director for Center Stage Productions “Frozen Jr.” and as Lucy in “Jekyll & Hyde” for Convergence Theater Company. 

“When there’s a musical, I usually want to be in it,” said Fifield with a laugh. “So, I told myself if I’m going to direct, it should be a straight show. When we were pitching ideas last year, ‘Steel Magnolias’ just felt like a good fit. It’s a small cast, and it has that CTC vibe where we want to make people feel something.”

That “vibe” shines through thanks to a talented ensemble of veteran performers and drama educators, including Crystal DeMeritt, Lydia Crist, and Janine Clements.

Another standout is Tanda Phelps, who plays salon owner Truvy. In real life, Phelps is a hairdresser herself at Primped & Polished in Linda, adding a layer of authenticity to the role.

“I do feel sometimes things are exaggerated for entertainment,” said Phelps. "But the truth is we do have our clients that become friends and chosen family.  The gossip, the laughs, the tears, the frustration are all real. I have the absolute best people in my life, and they started as a client first.”

While the show runs long, nearly three hours, Fifield keeps the pace brisk, perhaps due to her musical background and choreographic instincts. The emotional arc flows naturally, broken up with humor thanks to Crist and local crowd-favorite Wendi Jellsey in the role of Ouiser, the cantankerous but lovable curmudgeon.

The only critique lies in the regional accents. While the southern drawls are effective, some veer into nasally or exaggerated tones. A deeper exploration of vocal resonance might have elevated the performances further. That said, the Clements’ accent work stood out for its subtlety and support.

Those brave enough to face a good cry can catch a performance of “Steel Magnolias” at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts, located at 754 Plumas Street in Yuba City. Shows will run through June 29 with evening performances taking place Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online at yubasutterarts.org, by phone at 530-742-2787 or in person at the theater box office.