The women, “as delicate as magnolias but as tough as steel,” are long-time friends, sometimes frenemies, who dish dirt and news in the salon off Truvy’s back porch. And they all are really good talkers, so wait for the famous lines, like “I’m not crazy, I’ve just been in a very bad mood for 40 years” or “Well, you know what they say: if you don’t have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me.”

Truvy’s new hire Annelle changes the most during the 3 years covered in the play, from a destitute and abandoned young woman to a devout young mother. She is played by Laura Coleman.