Peninsula Players Theatre will host a pre-show seminar with Jennalee Lundquist, Program Director of Senior Life Solutions at Door County Medical Center, in conjunction with its production of “Steel Magnolias” by Robert Harling. The seminar will be held on Wednesday, September 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the theater. Lundquist will speak about the Senior Life Solutions program at Door County Medical Center and its connections to the show, including friendship and community. Admission to the pre-show seminar is free, and tickets to the 7:00 p.m. performance are available at www.peninsulaplayers.com or through the Box Office.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Lundquist began working at Door County Medical Center in her current role in 2023. Senior Life Solutions is an outpatient group therapy program designed to help individuals 65 or older work through the feelings of anxiety and depression that can come with aging. Outside of her work at Door County Medical Center, she has a personal passion for polycystic kidney disease and kidney transplants, which have affected her family. In 2010, Jennalee became a donor for her family when her dad’s cousin needed a new kidney. She started the process in 2010 and had the procedure in 2012.
“Steel Magnolias” was written by Robert Harling in 1987, two years after the passing of his sister, Susan Harling, from diabetes complications. He wrote the play as a form of grief management and in celebration of all the strong women in his life who offered support during that period of his life. Though he initially wrote it to be a play, it saw so much success that Hollywood wanted to produce it as a movie. As the script was converted into a screenplay, Harling wanted to keep some of the intricate details of his life, like his father shooting at the birds before the wedding and having a bleeding armadillo groom’s cake. The creative team also decided that filming in his hometown would help the truthfulness of the story. When asked why he thinks the story is still so popular, he believes that it all has to do with the characters, their intelligence, love, acceptance, courage, and more, which keep audiences returning time and time again.
“Steel Magnolias” performs at Peninsula Players Theatre Tuesdays through Sundays at 7:00 p.m., except for Sunday, September 14, September 28, October 5, and October 19, which are all at 2:00 p.m. The show is sponsored by Door County Medical Center, Barbara & Richard Board and Margaret & Dale West.
In the autumn, the Theatre’s all-weather pavilion features in-floor radiant heat to take the chill out of the air, but as Mother Nature is the Theatre’s lobby, patrons should dress for the weather and be prepared for shifting temperatures and breezes off the bay. Peninsula Players Theatre is a smoke-free campus. Smoking is prohibited on the grounds at all times. Audience members are invited to come early for a pre-show beverage or snack at the Luna Bar and Canteen. The grounds open 90 minutes before the show. Contact the Box Office at (920) 868-3287 for more information on free seminars, post-show discussion, or to purchase tickets or visit www.peninsulaplayers.com.