Director’s Note
Hello! And welcome to Steel Magnolias. If this is your first time here, take a moment to appreciate the still life before you. Our set acts as a preview for the show, with elements pointing to a simple, Southern charm decked in unmistakable traces of a bygone era. For those of you who have visited Truvy's before, welcome back! We hope to leave you with the same feelings of warmth and comfort that are sure to bring you back here again.
This show is a classic because it shares in our desires. It shares in our desire to laugh, to cry, to lead our own lives and keep those close who are most important to us. Allow this show, and the six women leading it, to immerse you in all that Chinquapin has to offer. We'll see you again soon!
Haley Clegg, Director
CAST
Truvy - Melody Valen Quinn
Melody Valen Quinn is as happy as a pig in mud to be joining Bread and Wine Theatre Company as Truvy in Steel Magnolias. It's been as month of Sundays, but she got to do this show in 2016 as Anelle - and seeing as this is Melody's favorite show, if she had her druthers she'd do this show again and again until she had an opportunity to be each time! Melody has been gussied up as The Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Gladys Hotchkiss in Pajama Game, and Maggie in Lend Me A Tenor—just a few of her favorites, I reckon. She's probably preaching to the choir, but she hopes you'll laugh, cry and enjoy the emotional rollercoaster that is this Southern classic! Y'all come on back, now... Ya hear??
Annelle - Tia René Williams
St. Louis newcomer, Tia, is so excited to be making her debut with Bread and Wine. Her favorite credits include Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Chorus of Fools), Jo in The Last Nickel (Milwaukee Rep), and Flora in The Felt Menagerie (Tennessee Williams Theater Company of New Orleans). Tia completed her BA in Franklin, Indiana and received her MA in Theatre from Louisiana Tech University. She spent a year at Milwaukee Repertory Theater as an Emerging Professional Resident and is currently an Acting Fellow at The Black Rep where she was seen in the ensemble of Raisin. Find her on instagram @tiarenewill
Clairee - Laura Lee Kyro
Laura Lee Kyro returns to Bread and Wine Theatre Company for her second production during her decades of “treading the boards” with a number of theatre companies in St. Louis. Laura received St. Louis Theater Circle and Arts for Life Awards for both Angels In America and Ragtime with Stray Dog Theatre, Favorite roles include Mrs. Meers (Thoroughly Modern Milly), Mame (Mame), Homeless Woman (A New Brain, Arts for Life Award), and Emma Goldman (Ragtime). Love to her furry family Caesar, Akka, Breezy, and Aeriel.
Shelby - Katherine Garrett
Katherine Garrett graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2024 with a double major in Theatre Performance and Theatre Education (PK-12). Katherine’s credits include Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Marmee in Little Women, Junie B. Jones in Junie B. Jones is NOT a Crook!, Miss Honey in Matilda, most recently Jenny June in Failure: A Love Story, and more. Katherine has always loved Steel Magnolias and is so excited to be apart of this show. She wants to thank her best friends and her family for supporting her along the way. Find her on instagram: @kxtiegxrrett !
M’Lynn - Lisa Karpowicz
Lisa is excited to take on her dream role of M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias with Bread and Wine Theatre. She was last seen as Celeste in Into the Breeches with KTG, earning a Theatre Mask Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Other recent credits include Mama Murphy in Bright Star with Hawthorne Players (BPA nomination) and Luisa in Nine with New Line Theatre.
Ouiser - Ann Egenriether
Ann is delighted to be debuting with Bread & Wine Theatre Co. in the role of Ouiser. Ann has appeared with many St. Louis groups since 2009 after a 20 year hiatus from performing. She has worked with Alpha Players, Clayton Community Theatre, Family Musical Theatre, First Run Theatre, Hawthorne Players, Kirkwood Theatre Guild, KTK Productions, and Theatre Guild of Webster Groves, among others, in a variety of fun and challenging roles. Ann trained professionally in Chicago in theatre and voice/singing, also performing in Chicago and Denver. She dedicates her performances to the memory of Jadienne Nolan Davidson, a great theatre lady, dear friend and a Steel Magnolia in her own right. Peace and love.
Voiceover (DJ) - Antonio Watts
Antonio Watts is a three‑time Grammy Award‑winning baritone whose artistry graces some of the world’s most distinguished stages. Renowned for a voice of remarkable warmth, elegance, and uncommon power, he combines vocal brilliance with rare interpretive depth. Since arriving in New York City in 2014, Mr. Watts has appeared at The Metropolitan Opera House, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Kaufman Center, as well as with The Bronx Opera, Loft Opera, and throughout the tri‑state area. He has also been featured in Kathleen Battle’s Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey.
His career spans opera, Broadway, cabaret, and symphonic work. He made his cabaret debut in Antonio Watts LIVE! at The Metropolitan Room, appeared on Broadway in Rocktopia LIVE!, and created the role of Manuel in The Andean Hope with The United Nations Symphony Orchestra. He later opened the Metropolitan Opera’s 2019–2020 season in Porgy and Bess, performed at the Apollo Theatre, and appeared at the Hollywood Bowl in Kanye West’s, Nebuchadnezzar, later creating the role of Gabriel in Mary. His international performances throughout Ghana and Europe further extend his global presence. He is thrilled to voice-over the DJ role for Bread and Wine Theatre Company in his hometown, St. Louis, MO.
Crew
Director - Haley Clegg
Haley Clegg is thrilled to present Steel Magnolias as her directorial debut! Directing has been a lifelong passion- from marching her little sisters through living room rehearsals to managing neighborhood kids in their ‘playground performances’, she has long awaited her seat in a director’s chair. She has challenged herself this year to take on a variety of theatrical roles; she recently performed in The Actors’ Attic’s Godspell as a disciple, and will go on to assist in stage management for Union Avenue Opera’s upcoming summer shows. Steel Magnolias, she hopes, will be the first of many more directing credits to come. Thank you!
Assistant Director & Scenic Designer - Matt Dossett
Matt is elated to be working alongside Haley to create this beautiful show! Matt works in the insurance world, and lives in Illinois with his two dogs, Mervin and Mavis. Matt was recently nominated for Arts for Life for his performances as Portia in Cinderella, and Rogers in And Then There Were None. He will next be seen as Douglas Panch in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee this July. He then directs Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike this fall. He’d like to thank Haley for including him on her directorial debut, and Owen for his support. He also wants to thank you for supporting the arts! He hopes you enjoy the show.
Kaitlyn is thrilled to be apart of this production of Steel Magnolias as Stage Manager. The show is close to her heart, she performed it in college, taking on the role of Clairee. Kaitlyn has loved helping this amazing cast and team bring together a beautiful performance from behind the scenes this time. Kaitlyn recently moved to St. Louis, and has fallen in love with the many different theatres here. While theatre is her passion, outside of that, she also loves to spend time with her family, especially her one year old nephew, Milo.
Stage Manager - Kaitlyn Beth
Costumer - Sonya Valentine
Sonya has been involved in community, school, and church theatre in some capacity over the last 30 years – primarily acting, singing, costuming, directing, and graphic design. She has also lent a hand in creating props and special effects. Whether creating specialized costumes allowing actors to disappear “sans costume” through trap doors in The Foreigner, or reconstructing costumes for Annie Get Your Gun to allow multi-sized actors to wear the same costume during the same show, directors know they can count on Sonya. Other favorite shows she has costumed include Driving Miss Daisy, Lend Me a Tenor, and Cinderella. She relocated to St. Louis in 2020 for the impending arrival of her first grandchild and is just realizing the abundance of theatre opportunities here. Recent acting credits include Martine in Babette’s Feast for Bread & Wine Theatre Co., Vera Sanders in Smoke on the Mountain with KTK North and as Sonya (herself) in an original storytelling production Have I Told You the One About...? with Stray Dog Theatre’s Silver Stage. Favorite roles include Miss Hannigan (Annie) and Mary Magdalene (By My Hand, For My Sake). When not caring for her grandchildren, she cantors at her church, teaches piano, sews, and creates. Sonya is an ECMMA Level 2 Certified Early Childhood Music & Movement Specialist.
Travis is happy to once again be working with Bread and Wine Theatre Company. Travis worked previously with B&WTC as Player 1 in The Time of My Life, followed by directing The Gift of the Magi in Bread & Wine’s first ever Christmas Short Play Festival. Travis has been a St. Louis artist for over 2 decades. He has appeared on Stage, Movies, Commercials, and many independent videos. Whether it's as the Artistic Director of Maryland Heights Theater or performing as The Man in the Chair in Act Two's The Drowsy Chaperone, Travis has always brought passion and energy to all of his endeavors. He loves storytelling and analysis of games and music. He is always grateful to those that support the arts.
Lighting Designer - Travis Pfeifer
Sound Designer - Alan Phillips
Alan Phillips (He/him) is a native of St. Louis and a graduate of Jackson State University, majoring in speech communications with a concentration in theatre. Alan has always had a foot in the world of artistry and continues to improve his skill and craft. He has worked with The Black Rep & The Muny furthering his skills in sound design, stage management, and carpentry in scene shops. His ultimate goal is to become successful as an independent artist and continue giving back to the people and community that helped shape him into who he is today.
Producer - Owen Brown
Owen is the founder, artistic director, and CEO of Bread & Wine Theatre Company. He is honored to get to work behind the scenes to enable so many talented people to employ their unique gifts in telling beautiful stories like the one you are about to see. He has worked as a producer on The Time of My Life (2024), The Time of My Life (2025), A Christmas Short Play Festival (2025), and Babette’s Feast (2025). In addition to his work on Steel Magnolias, Owen’s summer is full with Vacation Bible School storytelling and curriculum-writing at Providence Reformed Presbyterian Church; producing his second original play, Thomas Jefferson’s Notes on the Murder in the St. Louis Fringe Festival, and speaking at Thornton Wilder conferences: the Comparative Drama Conference in Madison, WI and Something Eternal: Thornton Wilder on Time, Death, and Faith put on a few weeks ago in Northfield, MA by Bread & Wine and the C. S. Lewis Study Center. He cannot wait for you to get to see what Haley has this cast and crew cooking up for you!
Dresser - Gail Studt
Stage Hand - Angelia Prather
Hairstylist - Melody Valen Quinn
Set Build Leads - Melody Valen Quinn, Matt Dossett, Joe Busiek
Set Builders - Randy Stone, Nicholas Urbanowicz, Brandon Johnson, Abby Robison, Owen Brown, Ben Smith, Kaitlyn Beth,, Haley Clegg
Publicity - Annemarie Loth (Publicity Specialist), Edward Crim (Photography), Nicholas Urbanowicz (Social Media Assistant), Calvin Horne (Newsletter), Ace Ackermann (Front of House), Luz Wooldridge (Printing), Connor Shelton (Playlists)
Special Thanks to
John & Debbie Keane; Ben Saltmiras; Linda Wolff; Kathy Young; Jonathan & Mariana Potthast; Daniel Reed; Calvin Horne; Lucas Hinton; Bo Hanley; Dottie Edwards.
Dedicated to Brendan Joyce
Bread & Wine's production of Steel Magnolias is dedicated in memoriam to Brendan Joyce. Brendan died on May 28th, 2026, and is survived by his wife, Sherry, along with his brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews. Brendan joined Bread & Wine's board of advisors on May 28th, 2025. Immediately, he became the architect of our company’s distinct brand from creating our logo and website to taking countless headshots for our staff. Brendan’s wisdom and artistic example set us in a direction which we pray our company will continue in for years to come. Less than six months into his tenure, Brendan was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Brendan died in hope, knowing that he was going to be with his king. His body is no longer worn out by disease—may his rest feel so good now that it's over!
Written by Robert Harling
Born in Dothan, Alabama, Robert Harling lived in several Southern towns before his family settled in Natchitoches, Louisiana when he was twelve. Upon his graduation from Northwestern University of Louisiana and Tulane Law School, rather than take the bar exam, he opted to become an actor in New York. After years of productive work as an actor in voice-overs and commercials, Harling was inspired to write the highly acclaimed stage play, Steel Magnolias which was based on events from his family life. To this day, Steel Magnolias continues to thrive in theatrical productions in over 20 languages throughout the world.
Immediately bridging a career from stage to screen, Harling adapted his original play into the popular film of the same title which starred Sally Field, Julia Roberts, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton and Daryl Hannah. The personal nature of Steel Magnolias was further enhanced when the film makers decided to shoot the movie entirely on location in Natchitoches, where the events on which the story was based took place. Over the years, Harling has become a much sought after screenwriter: other credits include Soapdish, with Kevin Kline and Robert Downey, Jr.; the highly successful First Wives Club for Paramount Pictures starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton; and Laws of Attraction with Pierce Brosnan and Julianne Moore.
Harling made his directorial debut with The Evening Star for Paramount, a sequel to Terms of Endearment, which he also wrote for the screen based on Larry McMurtry’s novel. The stellar cast was headed by Shirley MacLaine and Jack Nicholson.
Currently, Harling is actively involved in creating new live stage projects, including writing the book for a stage musical version of Soapdish, and he is writing a play set in his Louisiana home called The Strangers Room.
STEEL MAGNOLIAS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Dramatists Play Service - www.concordtheatricals.com