Review: THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY at Westport Community Theatre
This delightful comedy runs through April 26.
The Savannah Sipping Society is another delightful comedy about Southern women by the Jones Hope Wooten team, a pseudonym of former TV comedy writers Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten.
Three very different middle-aged women meet after a hot yoga class they each tried but hated. None of them knew each other, but Randa Covington (Heather DeLude) suggests that Dot Haigler (Ellen Krinick-Porto) and Marlafaye Mosley (Dandy Barrett) meet later at her house for an impromptu Happy Hour. Each woman is going through something painful in their lives. Randa, a workaholic architect, just lost her job, Dot is recently widowed, and Marlafaye went through a bitter divorce and wants vengeance on her cheating husband. Dot invited another Jinx Jenkins (Gillian Holt), whom she also just met. Jinx is a makeup artist and fledgling life coach who is also going through a painful time, and she convinces the others to reclaim their lives under her guidance.
The play takes place over a six-month period, during which the audience learns more about each of the characters. Their immediate chemistry turns into deep friendship and each of the actors is convincing and likeable. Lynne Colatrella, a legend in Stamford for her involvement in the arts, performs magic as director and consultant to the rest of the creative team, which include John Fatteros as her assistant director and Patricia Berg as stage manager. The set is stunning. The gorgeous veranda with its details and a peak into a beautiful house behind it adds to the credibility of Randa’s perfectionism as a talented architect. Kudos to set constructor Dave Eger for executing that vision. Jeff Klein’s lighting was beautiful. Rylander’s sound would have been better if the actors hadn’t dropped the ends of some of their lines. Note: This is a problem in most theaters because during rehearsals there are very few people in the space where the audience members will be, and the sound is different.
Mary Kulscar and Kim Brachet’s costume selections were to die for! The costumes reflected how the women changed over those six months, beginning with their exercise clothes and then getting more polished as they participate in events that interest them and attempt to bring joy to their lives, including an adult pajama party and a Valentine’s Day that didn’t quite work out. There was an amusing scene when they came back from a Renaissance Faire in period costumes and luckless Marlafaye explains how she got stuck as the court jester.
The Savannah Sipping Society runs through April 26th at the Westport Community Theatre, 110 Myrtle Avenue in Westport. For tickets call (203) 226-1983 or visit www.westportcommunitytheatre.com.
Also, mark your calendars for the Westport Community Theatre’s season's final show, Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker, which will run from June 12th through June 28th. It’s not the same as Hello, Dolly, so you will have a completely different view of the story. The musical pared down some characters, including one significant role. Additionally, the second act takes a different turn and evokes a classical farce. Who wouldn’t like that?
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