Growing up just outside of Breckenridge, Missy Moore left home in 1998 for the University of Wyoming looking for something different than what she’d known her whole life. She spent the subsequent two decades immersing herself in theater, freelancing and taking jobs in acting projects. Her most recent project brought her right back home. 

Moore is directing a production of “Steel Magnolias” for Theatre Silco in which every cast member is from Colorado. Set in a beauty salon in the South in the 1980s, “Steel Magnolias” tells the story behind the bond of a group of women as they navigate life’s turbulence and work to raise a child together. 

“These ladies are able to deal with the depths of the emotions they’re given because of the given circumstances, but they’re surrounded and buoyed by a group of women that see them for what they are beneath all of the veneer,” Moore said. 

 “It just kind of goes to show you that at the end of the day, every human has their trials and their struggles … This play just highlights it in a tragically beautiful way, but infuses it with such humor,” she added. 

Moore said she was ecstatic to learn that Theater SilCo’s associate artistic director Seamus McDonough set the goal of solely casting women with Colorado roots. 

McDonough said the goal played to Theatre SilCo’s 100 Women for the Arts initiative, which is for the theater’s 30-year anniversary and looks to celebrate female talent. 

Moore said cast members are coming off national and regional show tours to come back to their home state for “Steel Magnolias.”

She said Christy Oberndorf, playing Shelby in “Steel Magnolias,” just got off a national tour of the production “Hairspray.” Also, Rachel Miller, playing in Nell in “Steel Magnolias,” recently wrapped a production of “Hair” for the American Stage Theatre in St. Petersburg, Florida. Both are University of Northern Colorado graduates. 

Actress Leslie O’Carroll will be making her Theatre SilCo debut as Louisa “Ouiser” Bourreaux in “Steel Magnolias,” but is no stranger to Summit County productions and has performed at Breckenridge Backstage Theatre. 

“I remember, I understudied with Leslie O’Carroll in my early 20s at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, and so for it to come full circle, where I was learning from the master, and now I get to direct,” Moore said. 

Additionally, Anne Terze-Schwarz, playing Ana, and Maggie Tisdale, playing M’Lynn, will be making their Theatre SilCo debuts. Actress Emma Messenger will be returning to Theatre SilCo after partaking in productions including “The Roommate” and “The Half-Life of Marie Curie.” 

“Emma Messenger is a force to be reckoned with on stage,” Moore said. “She’s doing the role of Clairee, who is just a quintessential Louisiana politician’s wife, and she nails it.”

Aside from the cast, McDonough said he is excited for people to see the set. Michael Grittner is serving as the scenic designer and McDonough said he’s transformed the Theatre Silco set into a vibrant and functional hair salon. 

Moore thinks the themes will resonate well with audiences. 

“Loss is something that is present in every human’s life,” she said. “It’s just tragic in very different ways. (“Steel Magnolias) captured the fact that we grieve alone, but we’re stronger when we have a network that allows us to grieve together.”

As a father to a young daughter, McDonough said what drew him to “Steel Magnolias” is its theme of “raising a child takes a village.” 

Moore said as a heads up to families interested in seeing the play there’s no explicit language, but there are some slight sexual themes and the topic of death. 

“‘Steel Magnolias’ is really a show about community and connection and friendship and love. For us at Theater Silco, the whole purpose of us bringing theater to Summit County is to foster that feeling of connection and community,” director of marketing & communications Amanda Johnson said. 

“Steel Magnolias” will be playing from June 20 through July 13 with most shows being at 7 p.m. and some 1 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $55 and can be found at TheSilCo.org.