by Michael Van Buren

There’s more to Savannah Sipping Society than wisecracks.

The Savannah Sipping Society opens August 23 at The Golden Chain Theatre in Oakhurst. It is a raucous comedy that follows the exploits of four downtrodden unattached Southern women trying to recapture their swag and reclaim their lives.

Playwrights Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten explore the ways in which all of us cope with the reverses, setbacks, and tragedies that life throws our way with all too much regularity.

Like us, Randa, Marlafaye, Dot, and Jinx are self-involved, filled with irrational fears and desires, and consumed by conflicting emotions. On their own, they struggle to get by, but with each other’s support and understanding, they find the courage to try to do new things that make them individually and collectively smarter, stronger, more confident, and self-aware.

Casts of “The Savannah Sipping Society”

All four of the actresses chosen by Director Jennifer Janine for this show deliver impressive performances. By virtue of their on-stage chemistry and the way the cast complements each other, the characters in this production come across as real, three-dimensional people.

JULIE RILEY (Randa) is a professional who loses it and her job after her boss gives the promotion she deserves to a man half her age and a quarter as talented. If you liked her as M’Lynn in Steel Magnolias, you’ll adore Riley as Randa Covington.

JUDY WEISS plays Texas divorcee Marlafaye Mosley. She not only enjoys the distinction of having the driest humor and most one-liners, she has the best stocked purse since Mary Poppins.

As the recently widowed Dot Haigler, MARYELLEN MIERKY is not only sweetly endearing, she is adept at mining every ounce of comedy possible from the lines of dialogue.

The character providing the driving force in this show, however, is DARLA DEAN, who plays Jinx Jenkins. She’s not only funny, theatrical and refreshing. She’s sensitive to the growth arc her character traverses, which justifies the monologue she delivers near the end of the play.

But the bottom line here is that if you find yourself in need to a good laugh, you need look no farther than GCT’s The Savannah Sipping Society. Tickets to the show are selling fast, so make reservations immediately.
Plays August 23-September 8, Fridays and Saturday at 7, Sundays at 2. Doors open one hour before curtain. Tickets available at www.goldenchaintheatre.org or by calling 683-7112.

Golden Chain Theatre
42130 Hwy 41 Oakhurst, CA 93644

If you love local theatre, be sure to check out our new Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. The first 18 episodes are now up! You can check the podcast out on iTunes and Google Play, and also on podbean.

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