Stage Production Directed by Kendall Park Resident Shines a Light on Diabetes

Diabetes affects an estimated 26 million Americans, yet the plight of those who battle the disease often exists outside the spotlight.  An upcoming stage production of the popular 1989 movie Steel Magnolias seeks to provide a heartfelt look at the disease and the impact it has on those who live with it.

Directed by Kendall Park resident Ana Kalet, the stage version of Steel Magnolias zeroes in more intently on the life of the character Shelby, played in the movie version by Julia Roberts, and the perspective she offers while living with diabetes.

"The play focuses more on Shelby and how she affects the lives of the people around her," Kalet said.  "She was a person whose health was always dangling in the balance, because she wasn't a normal diabetic since her circulatory system was far more impaired.   Yet she still pushed to live a normal life with such a severe disease.  The play has more of a focus on how much it touched her life and the lives of those around her.  She encourages them all to live a better life, while the whole time she's the one living on borrowed time."

According to estimates by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), since 2007 there has been an 8.3 percent increase in the number of people living with diabetes, a jump from 23.6 million people to the estimated 26 million people in 2011.  If the current trend continues, CDC analysis estimates that as many as one in three Americans could have diabetes by the year 2050.

For the stage version of Steel Magnolias, to be performed at the Villagers Theatre in Somerset, Kalet was able to lean on lighting designer Patrick McGlone, who was diagnosed with  Type I diabetes in 1981.  His experiences allowed McGlone to lend some authenticity to the diabetic episode Shelby experiences on stage.

"We asked for his help in the play for Shelby's insulin attack to guide the actor through what it felt like for someone who has diabetes," Kalet said.  "It enables us to accurately portray what she would be experiencing, through the tingling numbness and violent reaction.  He talked about his own experiences where he bloodied the nose of EMTs working on him, and felt so bad afterwards, but he didn't know what he was doing until he came out of it.

"We were able to take that into consideration to help the actor through the attack, where she's fighting people off because she doesn't want to be touched and people are shoving things in her face."

Kalet said the production also provides an opportunity to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  Between acts in in the lobby of Villagers Theatre, bracelets will be sold for $1 to benefit the JDRF.

"The great thing is that all the money spent goes right to the JDRF," Kalet said.  "Normally when you buy something to support a cause like cancer research, that money gets divided up and a small fraction goes to actual research, but with this 80 percent of the funds go to research to help find a cure for the disease."

Steel Magnolias was written by Robert Harling, who was inspired by the death of his sister from diabetes, and produced for an off-Broadway production in 1987.  The play differs from the movie as it's set solely in a beauty parlor and the six women are the only characters, which excludes the fiancees, husbands and friends from the movie.  

"The play takes you through the entire lives of these women," Kalet said.  "It really focuses on their friendships and how they're always there for each other through the good times and bad.  Anyone in their lives who creates stress is outside the shop, so they're talked about and discussed but never come in.  It really boils down the friendships and how close they are."

However, the audience for the play will not be spending the whole time sobbing into tissues, as the message doesn't overwhelm the entertainment.

"One of the great things about the play is that a lot of the classic lines from the movie originated from the stage production and those lines are all still here," Kalet said.  "The audience won't be seeing a drawn out movie, it's all condensed into four scenes that are really intense and funny all at once.  It never lets you be upset for too long since Shelby would never have something like that, because her philosophy is that life is too short.  As soon as the play gets weepy, they break out the funny."

Kalet's pursuit for authenticity went further than depicting diabetic issues.  Since the setting for the play is a beauty parlor, Kalet arranged for her actors to work with real hair stylists at Salon NV in Franklin Park. The salon employees gave the actors lessons in doing hair and also taught them how to stand to take pressure off their backs.   

Kalet also had a vocal coach work with the actors to depict authentic accents from Louisiana, the differences between a Cajun accent and a northern Louisiana accent, and a Texan twang.  

"This play really taught all of us a lot about the JDRF and what diabetics go through," Kalet said.  "But it was fun learning about the different accents and also learning more about what hairstylists deal with from standing on their feet all day.  The whole thing has been a great learning experience."

Steel Magnolias will be performed at the Villagers Theatre at 475 DeMott Lane in Somerset from April 1-17. For tickets and additional information, visit www.villagerstheatre.com or call 732-873-2710.