If every town had a beauty shop like Truvy's in "Steel Magnolias," there would be far fewer reasons for women to visit therapists. The salon at the center of Robert Harling's portrait of small-town Louisiana life supplies solace for its clients' hearts as well as spiffy makeovers for their heads.

Pinnacle Acting Company's revival of the popular 1980s classic captures both its humor and emotion, thanks largely to the intelligent and perceptive performances of its six actresses. There's not a woman here who doesn't understand her character to the core, and the portrayals fuse the softness and strength suggested by the play's paradoxical title.

The women who congregate at Truvy's on Saturday mornings are a cross-section of ages and personalities.

The waspish Ouiser has a wisecrack for every occasion — "The only reason people are nice to me is because I have more money than God" — but Vicki Pugmire finds ways to reveal her softer side.

Barbara Smith deftly balances mischief and elegance in her portrayal of the clever Clairee, who announces, "If you don't have anything nice to say about somebody, come and sit by me."

Tamara Howell's earth mother Truvy is warm and gossipy and epitomizes the philosophy that drives the play: "We enjoy being nice to one another; there's nothing much else to do in this town."

And her assistant, Annelle, is a work in progress. Nicki Nixon gives her a different look and demeanor for every scene as she transitions from abandoned wife to born-again Christian and expectant mother.

But the heart of "Steel Magnolias" is the relationship between mother M'lynn (Betsy West), who flexibly fields every fastball life delivers, and her daughter, Shelby (Emily Burnworth), a diabetic determined to live life to the fullest: "I would rather have 30 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special." Burnworth and West master all the nuances of this complicated relationship, carping at each other sometimes, but strongly supportive when the chips are down. West's caution and worldly wisdom are an effective contrast to Burnworth's enthusiasm and intensity. Her Act 2 cathartic meltdown is a powerful blend of anger and anguish.

The production has some uneven spots in the first act, when the Southern accents can be difficult to understand, but it really hits its stride in Act 2. The one downside is director Shellie Waters' bizarre choice and placement of music. It's bad enough to underscore Shelby's diabetic attack with ominous music, but even more distracting is the soppy, sentimental music that accompanies M'lynn's speech. This attempt to tell the audience what to feel instead of trusting them to experience the emotion themselves undercuts the power of the performances and veers the production dangerously toward sitcom.

Kit Anderton's set, with its large sofa center stage, is a nice mix of comfort and efficiency. Michael Canham's costumes are stylish and keyed to character.

"Steel Magnolias" has been derogatorily labeled a "chick play," but its insights about the human condition and the compassion and understanding needed to weather it are still timely and telling.

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'Steel Magnolias'

R Well-matched, intelligent performances illuminate this satisfying revival of Robert Harling's funny and touching slice of Southern life.

When • Reviewed Aug. 27; continues Sept. 2-4, 9-11, at 7:30 p.m., with 2 p.m. matinee on Sept. 11

Where • Pinnacle Acting Company at Midvale Performing Arts Center, 695 W. Center St. (7720 South), Midvale

Tickets • $15 at www.pinnacleactingcompany.org or 801-674-7956

Running time • 2½ hours, with intermission