(BEACH HAVEN, NJ) -- Surflight Theatre presents Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling from October 2-6, 2024. In the play, Truvy Jones runs a successful beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies in the neighborhood have a standing Saturday appointment.

Along with her anxious and eager assistant, Annelle, Truvy styles the hair of many of the women about town: wealthy widow and former first lady of Chinquapin, Clairee Belcher, local curmudgeon Ouiser Boudreaux, intelligent and compassionate career woman M’Lynn, and her daughter Shelby, the prettiest girl in town.

As the women of Chinquapin make their way over life’s many hurdles together, they find comfort (and a fair amount of verbal ribbing) in one another.

Performances take place Wednesday, October 2 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Thursday, October 3 at 2:00pm & 7:30pm; Friday, October 4 at 7:30pm; Saturday, October 5 at 7:30pm; and October 6 at 2:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase online. Surflight Theatre is located at 201 Engleside Avenue in Beach Haven, New Jersey.

Steel Magnolias stars Sandra Bargman (previous Surflight credits include Mamma Mia! and ‘Tis the Season), Dawn Hayes (recent credits include Mame, Saturday Night Fever, Jesus Christ Superstar, and A Raisin in the Sun), Anita Hollander (recent credits include Still Standing, Spectacular Falls, Ragtime, and Cats), Jenna Kuerzi (recent credits include Camp Siegfried, Steel Magnolias, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Rent, The Snow Queen, and Xanadu), Alison Nusbaum (previous Surflight credits include Annie, Xanadu, I Love You, You’re Perfect..., The Addams Family, and Legally Blonde), and Jordan Polefka (previous Surflight credits include Something Rotten! and Escape to Margaritaville).

Jonathan Van Dyke (Director) is thrilled to be back in Beach Haven! Previous Surflight credits include: Disaster,  The Savannah Sipping Society and ShBoom! Life Could Be a Dream. As a director and choreographer his work includes productions of A Funny Thing /Forum, Grease, Guys and Dolls, Putnam County Spelling Bee, Closer Than Ever, The Wiz, Boeing, Boeing, West Side Story, Jerry’s Girls, I Love a Piano, Beehive, Breaking Up is Hard To Do: The Music of Neil Sedaka, Cinderella, Pippin, The Hot Shoe Shuffle and currently the national tour of Disenchanted! Heading out on the road this fall. A member of the Dramatists Guild, he has written the plays Totally Electric, the award winning Spring at the Willowbrook Inn starring Greg Louganis and Wesley Eure and Holiday Incorporated, a seasonal show presented annually which has recently been adapted into a storybook.

The show will also feature Scenic Design by Christopher Strangfeld, Costume Design by Mandy Chiario, Sound Design by Emily Parker, and Lighting Design by Anthony Marinaro.

Steel Magnolias is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC.

The mission of Ocean Professional Theatre Company, Inc. (dba Surflight Theatre) is to provide high quality professional live theatre to the vacationers of Long Beach Island and the residents of Southern New Jersey, while providing training to young theatre performers and technicians. Their goal is to engage, entertain and foster appreciation of live theatre for adults, teens and children and serve as a community resource.

Their Mainstage employs professionals and early career artists for Broadway style productions 7 months of the year. Their Musicals for Children provides entertainment for ages 2-10 to promote a lifelong interest in the performing arts. Their Musical Theatre Summer Programs allow students to explore the craft of acting, singing, dance and learn the discipline of performing as they develop their own unique creative voices.