08/28/23
Bob Pohlad Photograph.
FERRUM, VA, August 28, 2023 – The Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre (BRDT) and Ferrum College Theatre Arts season opened this past weekend with a heartfelt production of Steel Magnolias.
The cast featured BRDT veteran performers Emily Blankenship-Tucker, Rebecca Crocker, Kristina Stump, and Lana Whited. Newcomer Heather Jefferson enacted the delightful role of Annelle, and Ferrum College student TJ Baker performed as Shelby.
Director and faculty emeritus Rex Stephenson was excited to be part of this show. “I love this play, and this is the fourth time I’ve done it,” Stephenson said. He also had a personal reason why he wanted to tell this story again. “I lost my best friend to kidney failure, and Willette Thompson, who played Clairee in the BRDT’s 2010 performance of the play, succumbed to this aliment,” he shared.
English professor Lana Whited, who played Clairee Belcher, said she decided to be part of this production because director Rex Stephenson invited her. “Even though rehearsal began the week before the fall semester started, I could not turn down the opportunity to work with this talented cast – many of whom have been friends for over 20 years,” Whited said. Her favorite part of being a part of the project was the rehearsal process. “I love actually doing the work to create the characterizations and the scenes.”
Whited related to her character because she has had the same hairdresser for over 25 years. “I really enjoyed the first scene of Act II, when Clairee converses in the beauty shop with Truvy and Shelby. It’s clear that they are close despite their age differences, and it really captures the intimacy of beauty salon conversations,” she said.
The performance also drew Ferrum Theatre alumni back to campus. Jayme Helms ’02 and Joanna Chopski Schilling ’00, both former Ferrum theatre students, were among those who attended the performance. “It is always to good to return to campus. We loved being a part of the Theatre as students, and we are glad the BRDT is back,” shared Helms.
The Ferrum College Theatre Arts Department and Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre have a busy season ahead. Click here for more information about their upcoming season.
