HUNTSVILLE – At Truvy’s Beauty Shop, lifelong friends Shelby, M’Lynn, Ouiser, Clairee and others will gather for Theatre Huntsville’s production of “Steel Magnolias.”

Shawn Fahy is directing the play that Robert Harling authored. “’Steel Magnolias’ reminds us that each of us has not only our own inner steel to make it through these uncertain times, but we have each other’s to lean on as well.”

Covering a three-year period in northwest Louisiana, the play shows Shelby’s defiant approach to her illness, as her mother M’Lynn takes a practical outlook. Clairee, an icon of Southern values, spars in good-natured banter with Ouiser, a rebel-without-a-cause misfit with an acidic tongue and outlook but pure at heart.

Truvy offers sincere, kitchen-table advice to the circle. Her benevolence peaks with hiring Annelle, an unhappy, new-in-town loner who eventually opens her attitude to a brighter, hopeful lifestyle.

The cast includes Molly Knickerbocker (Shelby), Erin Barrow (Annelle), Valerie Clemons (M’Lynn), Joy Whitti (Truvy), Elaine Hubbard (Ouiser) and Sherry Ryan Mulholland (Clairee).

Other staff members are Josh Phillips, scenic and set design; Melissa ‘Birdie’ Jones, lighting design; Gina Mallonee, costume design; Charlie Rogers, sound design; Troy Nixon, hair design; and Sky Smith, makeup.

The show will run two weekends: Jan. 14-16 and 20-22 at the Von Braun Center Playhouse, 700 Monroe St. SW in Huntsville. Evening shows on Jan. 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22 open at 7:30 p.m. Matinees at 2 p.m. are scheduled on Jan. 15, 16 and 22.

Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for seniors (65-plus years), students and active-duty military. Group discounts are available.

To buy tickets online, visit THtix.com. In-advance tickets are available at Theatre Huntsville box office at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment or call 256-536-0807. If seats are available, guests can buy tickets at Von Braun Center Playhouse one hour before showtime.

Theatre Huntsville, a nonprofit community theatre organization, is dedicated to presenting a diverse slate of high-quality, volunteer-driven theatrical experiences that educate and enrich North Alabama. Casts and crews present a robust season that now includes two venues: Main Stage at Von Braun Center Playhouse and Studio Theatre at Lowe Mill ARTS & Entertainment.

For more information, visit theatrehsv.org.