In a small theater tucked away in Pullman High School (PHS), there’s a group of young actors and actresses who created a show for the Pullman community.

Under the direction of Drama Coach Beth Davidson, these students will tell the story of “Steel Magnolias.”

“I don’t do anything fluffy or cheesy,” Davidson said. “I’ve tried to pick shows that have depth to their script because (the students) can handle it.”

Davidson runs the drama club at PHS, which meets after school from 3 to 5 p.m. Not only do the students spend time preparing for their fall and winter productions, they also learn how to construct a set and use the lights and sound system.

“I think the hardest part of tech is the beginning, when we’re teaching the newbies,” said Nick Manell, PHS sophomore stage manager. “Since I learned more of what we need, I have to teach all the freshmen how to do it.”

Since the play is set in Louisiana, the actresses were required to learn a Southern accent.

Briana Collins, a PHS freshman who plays the role of Ouiser Boudreaux, said one of the hardest parts is remembering the lines and the snootiness of the accents. It depends a lot on pronunciations of letters like “o” and “a,” she said.

Davidson also shows her students the usefulness of method acting and how to utilize the many emotions on stage. “Fiddler on the Roof,” a play they have done in the past, had strong drama and lots of strong emotion.

“It’s organic. It comes intrinsically,” Davidson said. “You feel the emotion in your gut and act it out.”

The set for each show cannot be built until about ten days before opening night. The students spend four hours on Saturdays before the show building, reinforcing and painting the set.

Collins described the show as fun and festive.  Her favorite moment is her very first scene, when she’s “whiplashing and freaking out.”

Manell said he liked helping Davidson with deciding how the play would look, from making the stage to choosing music for scene transitions.

“My favorite part is the kids,” Davidson said. “They’re the funniest people in the world, and they all know my laugh because they’ve made me laugh all the time.”

The first showing of “Steel Magnolias” will be on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $10 for adults. The show will also have performances on Oct. 19, 25 and 26.