The Savannah Sipping Society<\/a>,\u201d the first show held in the Rep\u2019s newly purchased theater (don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s the same building they\u2019ve performed in since 2007) is a refreshing treat.<\/p>\nThe two-hour show only features a handful of middle-aged characters, each one down-and-out. The ostensible protagonist is uptight career woman Randa (Lisa Shields) who\u2019s just been canned from her architecture job in favor of a much younger man. She\u2019s joined by bubbly and well-meaning Dot (Christine Boos), widowed just after retirement, and the brazen, recently divorced Marlafaye (Taresa Tweeten). Aspiring life coach Jinx (Karen Masbruch) rounds out the group. She wants to prove that the three others can move onward and upward after their roadblocks.<\/p>\n
Little binds these women together except loneliness and a hatred of hot yoga. But that\u2019s going to change very quickly.<\/p>\n
Though it has a much smaller cast, the feeling of the show is reminiscent of the 1939 film \u201cThe Women,\u201d which invited the audience into the rich lives of its all-female cast with no need to present their men\u2019s perspective.<\/p>\n
These women, who form a tight bond in the first 20 or so minutes, have plenty to say. As anyone with older female relatives knows, the best talk happens when the men are gone \u2026 possibly after the application of alcohol and snacks.<\/p>\n
And through a mixture of snappy veranda chat and monologues, the vibrant, animated women do their best to get you invested in their mid-life makeovers. As one character points out, it\u2019s still possible to live life to the fullest after age 40 or 50 \u2026 or 60. But time is of the essence.<\/p>\n
Tweeten, as the bold, brassy Marlafaye, gets many of the best (often bawdy) one-liners. She deserves props for committing entirely to the character\u2019s slightly unhinged, larger-than-life energy. But Shields, as Randa, sneaks in some subtle physical comedy \u2014 keep an eye out for that.<\/p>\n
The play hits the emotional highs perfectly, but falters a bit on the dips. Many of the characters suffer even bigger blows over the course of the play, like deaths, health issues, and relationship deterioration.<\/p>\n
None of those hits fully register, though \u2014 with a laugh and a quip, the script moves on to the next joke. And while it\u2019s enjoyable to poke fun at ageism and sexism, it\u2019s a little jarring to reach for emotional resonance, then for a punchline.<\/p>\n
Still, the show is well worth seeing, especially with friends. And grab a drink before or after \u2014 the ladies of the Savannah Sipping Society certainly won\u2019t judge.<\/p>\n
Anne Halliwell, Post-Bulletin\u00a0 June 24, 2019<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Grab a drink and settle in \u2014 you\u2019re about to make some new friends. \u201cThe Savannah Sipping Society,\u201d the first show held in the Rep\u2019s newly purchased theater (don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s the same building they\u2019ve performed in since 2007) is a refreshing treat. The two-hour show only features a handful of middle-aged characters, each one…<\/p>\n
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![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.rochesterrep.org\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/PB-SSS-1024x702.jpg\")
Grab a drink and settle in \u2014 you\u2019re about to make some new friends.<\/p>\n