Stage Review - The Savannah Sipping Society (Edmonds Driftwood Players)
Stage Review - The Savannah Sipping Society
Presented By: Edmonds Driftwood Players - Edmonds, WA
Show Run: May 03 - May 19, 2024
Date Reviewed: Saturday, May 04, 2024 (Opening Weekend)
Reviewed By: Greg Heilman
Once one begins to see multiple versions of the same play, it would follow that one would grow tired of seeing the same thing over again. I get it, I don’t read books more than once, and it’s only the movies I really like that I’ll watch repetitively (I’m looking at you Rocketeer!). But when you frequent as many theaters as I do, in as wide of a geographical area as I do, I’m bound to see repeats, whether I would choose to see them again or not. The prospect of seeing The Savannah Sipping Society, running on stage through May 19 at the Wade James Theatre and presented by the Edmonds Driftwood Players, for the second time this season wouldn’t normally be something I’d be looking forward to. I did enjoy the version I saw earlier this year at the Jewel Box in Poulsbo, and I’m nothing if not curious. I’m curious to see how other directors, and actors, interpret the same work. I’m interested in seeing whether different creative teams focus on things unique to their productions, I tend not to look at things that are the same, there are bound to be some. What hit me, though, after seeing the Edmonds version this past Saturday is that seeing the same show multiple times provides a depth to the story that I wouldn’t have otherwise gotten, it made me not just appreciate the Jewel Box version, but it also made me realize how good this one is. When you don’t have to worry about that pesky plot getting in the way, because you’re already familiar with it, you are free to appreciate the detail in design and the nuances of acting. Both of these things exist here in this production, a show that is pleasantly designed and very well performed by a quartet of actors, whose bios you might find yourself seeking out to discover whether or not they each are, in fact, from Savannah (or perhaps Texas).
The Edmonds Driftwood production is directed by Joe Goins and features actors Rita Baxter, Dawn Cornell, Melody Mistlin, and Kirsten McCory. Rita plays Randa Covington, Dawn is Texas transplant Marlafaye Mosley, and Melody is recent widow Dot Haigler. The three ladies meet by chance (?) at a hot yoga class, more specifically, they meet after the class and immediately begin bonding over how miserable the experience was for each of them. It turns out, that’s not the only thing they have in common, of course, each of them has just gone through a loss of some sort, Dot being recently widowed, Marlafaye a divorce, and Randa a victim of a “staff reduction of one” at work. Hitting it off, Marlafaye and Dot invite themselves over to Randa’s for a happy hour the subsequent Friday evening, along with surprise guest, Kirsten’s Jinx Jenkins, a fledgling life coach, who it turns out is going through some heavy stuff on her own. After a few drinks, and a ton of cheese, during this happy hour, the three determine that their lives need some sprucing up, and Jinx is just the person who can help them, which in turn helps Jinx as well, since a success story in coaching these ladies could jump start her new career. The play requires each of the ladies to step outside of their respective comfort zones, but the process brings them all together into a friendship that may have never happened had hot yoga not been so excruciating.
Most of what transpires in The Savannah Sipping Society happens on Randa’s veranda, her decently sized porch. I will say that Thomas LeClair has a nice job here with his scenic design. The veranda looks like something that was pulled straight off of a home in Savannah, with white wicker furniture and window trim accenting a home adorned with yellow wooden siding and a stage floor that resembles cedar planks spreading from end to end. His use of stained glass above the windows, hanging flower baskets, trellised vines, and intricately designed wall sconces makes this indoor set feel like it’s outside. The use of railings to border the deck and screen doors each add a nice touch to this wonderfully designed set. Thomas has clearly done his research. Adding depth to the scenic design is Henry S. Brown, Jr.’s sound, especially during a scene later in the play when a thunderstorm rolls in, which works in tandem with the lighting, designed here by Chris Ertel and Brian Fletcher. That scene, which is pivotal in the story is a nice confluence of all of the design elements of the show. Lighting is also important for a part of the storytelling in which the actors each use a side of the stage to provide insight into their thoughts and backstory, monologues that help inform the events occurring on Randa’s porch.
Those monologues help the audience understand the characters, four women with completely different personalities coming together over what they have in common rather than what they don’t. Randa is the logical one, she thinks through everything and only moves forward if it makes sense to her….logically. Her polar opposite in that regard is most definitely Marlafaye, who is impulsive, sarcastic, and a big fan of bourbon. Dot, meanwhile, seems to be the more measured of the group, hesitant to step out of her own comfort zone, but after a few drinks, she’s able to open up as much as the others. A scene early on, one of my favorites in the show, is when Marlafaye brings her “mobile therapy device” to their first happy hour. This single scene illustrates how wonderful Rita, Melody, and Dawn are in these roles, that prop a tool that the ladies use to help them open up and break through the walls of emotion they’ve built up as a result of their respective losses. Finally, there is Jinx, the life coach. Kirsten is as excellent in this role as the others are in theirs. Jinx comes across a bit younger, and more hip than the other ladies, more “put together”, but her exterior belies her own struggles, and I like to say that Jinx needs as much, if not more, help with her life as the other ladies, which is why it’s a treat to watch this friendship grow as the play progresses, it helps each of them in exactly the way they all need it to.
It’s also worth noting here that each actor’s delivery of their character, their particular drawl, accent, or cadence, matches perfectly with the personality of whom they are each playing. Rita’s Randa is thoughtful, Dawn’s Marlafaye says what is on her mind, Melody’s Dot is more measured in her speech, and Kirsten’s Jinx is flirty and a tad impetuous. Costuming in The Savannah Sipping Society does the same thing, and Beth Mahmoud-Howell has done her best to match what each of the ladies wears on stage to their personality. Again, Randa’s wardrobe feels more professional, not exactly formal, but a step up from casual for sure. Dot’s is, for lack of a better word, mature, while Marlafaye’s is skewed completely on the casual side. For Jinx, with shorter skirts and flashy outfits, hers definitely underscores that outgoing personality. Beth has also done a nice job accessorizing, matching earrings, hair clips, shoes, and jewelry to each of the costumes in any particular scene. It’s just another example of the detail that Joe and his creative team have applied to this production.
The Savannah Sipping Society is a wonderful story of discovery, friendship, community, and how sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone every once in a while can help heal the pain of loss and make you realize that there’s no limit to what you can do, especially when you have a group of supportive friends at your side. The Edmonds Driftwood production tells this story in such a wonderful way, with a superb quartet of actors and a creative team who present director Joe Goins’ vision with so much detail and quality that you’d think you were actually sitting on a veranda in Savannah yourself, experiencing everything along with these ladies, just without the humidity.
The Savannah Sipping Society, presented by the Edmonds Driftwood Players, runs on stage at the Wade James Theatre in Edmonds through May 19. For more information, including ticket availability and sales, visit https://edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org/.
Photo credit: Dale Sutton (Magic Photo)
