EDMONTON, Ky. — For Johnathan Bryant, acting has always offered an escape, a chance, he says, to step into another person’s shoes when you grow tired of being yourself.

Now the Metcalfe County native is helping others do the same as director of the latest Barn Lot Theater production of “Steel Magnolias,” Robert Harling’s classic play about friendship, family and heartbreak in a small Southern town.

While many audiences know the story through the 1989 film starring Dolly Parton, Sally Field, Julia Roberts and Shirley MacLaine, Bryant said the stage version brings a different kind of closeness.

Inside the Barn Lot Theater community, often referred to simply as “BLT” by regulars and company members, productions follow a familiar rhythm.

The theater typically stages at least six shows each year, and each one follows a similar process from auditions to opening night.

After auditions, the cast gathers for introductions and a full table read, where they work through the script together for the first time.

“I got lucky with this cast from day one,” Bryant said. “I feel like they all have known each other forever.”

From there, rehearsals move into blocking scenes into manageable sections before eventually transitioning into a full technical rehearsal, where lighting, sound and staging are woven together into the final production audiences see.

In total, actors and crew spend more than six weeks preparing each show.

“It’s been a very fun experience,” he said. “It’s trying at times, but a very fun experience and probably even brought me closer to the movie.”

Bryant first stepped onto a Barn Lot stage at age 12 in a theater adaptation of “Grease.” Since then, he has taken on a variety of roles that helped prepare him for his first time directing a full production.

As director, Bryant now guides a cast through a story that balances humor and grief, a responsibility he said depends on trust among performers and a willingness to be vulnerable on stage.

The play follows a group of women whose lives intersect at a Louisiana beauty salon, where everyday conversation gradually gives way to deeper reflections on love, loss and perseverance.

The production features several local performers, including Barren County residents Emily Stephens as Annelle, Julie Adkins as Clairee and Sandy Roberts Dunn as M’Lynn.

At its core, Bryant said, “Steel Magnolias” remains a story about relationships and the strength found in community, themes he believes still resonate strongly with audiences.

Community theater remains an important part of life in Edmonton, where some participants have been involved for more than four decades. Bryant said that tradition is something he hopes continues, especially as new people continue joining productions.

“We like the idea of having new people in every show,” he said. “That’s a good feeling to us.”

For Bryant, bringing the production to the stage is also a way to support the local arts scene and create opportunities for connection, whether on stage or in the audience.

And it all traces back to the same draw that first pulled him toward acting years ago.

“I think the best thing about theater is if you’re tired of being you, come be somebody else for a little while,” he said.

The family friendly production is rated PG-13 for thematic elements involving illness and loss, as well as some mature conversations and mild language.

The show opens June 4 at Barn Lot Theater, 207 S. Main St. in Edmonton, and runs through June 14. Evening performances begin at 7 p.m., with select matinee performances scheduled throughout the run. There will be no performances June 8 or June 10.

Tickets and additional information are available through Barn Lot Theater.