The Rancho Cucamonga Community Theatre has cast the upcoming Steel Magnolias with gifted local actresses. On Monday, April 6th over 40 women turned out to read for six roles. Call backs were arranged for the days following and after a difficult elimination process, the chosen six were named.

Amy Rutledge, Kirstie Burke, Lisa Lanier, Kelli Casas, Pamela Stith and Arlene Lea have been selected by Inland Empire Stage Director Frank Minano to perform in the upcoming May show.

Steel Magnolias, written by Robert Harling, centers around six southern women who congregate in the local beauty salon to share their wisdom, humor and gossip and to support each other. Although the play is filled with humor, the play also offers profound drama in the form of a debilitating illness of one of the younger women and how the ladies cope with a traumatic event. The play was made into a successful 1989 motion picture starring Dolly Parton, Julia Roberts, Sally Field, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine and Daryl Hannah.

Steel Magnolias will be featured at the Lewis Family Playhouse from May 22-31, 2009. Tickets are $16 for adults and $14 for youth/seniors and are available at the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center Box Office located at 12505 Cultural Center Drive or online at www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com