Judith Ivey on Steel Magnolias, the Universal Southern Story

Atlanta’s own Alliance Theatre is currently home to a revival of a new American classic — Robert Harling’s “Steel Magnolias.”

The play first opened in 1987 to nearly immediate success. Only two years later, Hollywood released its first film adaptation.

Now, 27 years after its stage premiere, two-time Tony Award winner Judith Ivey is directing a new production of “Steel Magnolias” at the Alliance in Midtown. She recently came in to talk with us about the show and its enduring Southern appeal. John Lemley began the conversation by asking Ivey: What exactly is a “steel magnolia”?