‘Sipping Society’ at Dio is breezy as sweet-tea on a summer porch
PINCKNEY, Mich.–There is a popular genre of play today about women of a certain age examining their lives, forging sisterhood relationships, cracking funny about getting old, former husbands, their adult children’s neglect, etc. etc. etc.
There is, of course, good reason for this. Look around any theater today and you will see that demographic bountifully represented in the seats. Without ladies of a certain age, theaters would go broke.
The latest in these plays to come through Michigan is Savannah Sipping Society, a play by Jamie Wooten, Jessie Jones and Nicholas Hope. This tri-partnership of writers has been turning out these plays a bit like a marketing department rather than a true creative incubator. Other plays from this firm include The Dixie Swim Club, Dearly Beloved, Christmas Belles, The Red Velvet Cake War, Always a Bridesmaid, and now The Savannah Sipping Society.
Now playing at The Dio Dinner & Entertainment here, artistic director Steve DeBruyne has chosen an excellent director, Susan Craves, who in turn assembled a first-class cast to elevate material that is breezy and brassy if lacking conflict or real tension that might get in the way of the “you go girl” brand of light comedy.
Randa (Alisa Mutchler Bauer) is a somewhat uptight, perfect-recipe, trim yoga, single gal who is unemployed and worried about hanging on to her house, which is the hub of the society. Dot (Brenda Lane) is the sixtyish gal who is gradually losing her sight while she bonds with her friends and tries to sort out her retirement. Jinx (Amy Morrisey) is a newcomer, who moves a lot, and is in Savannah to care for her older sister who has Alzheimers. Marlafaye (Kez Settle) is the brassy, somewhat bawdy, wise-cracking one who is the clearest comedic force of the quartet.
If losing one’s sight, being unemployed or caring for an Alzheimers-afflicted sibling sounds like heavy stuff, the authors keep it in the background of the banter. To keep it light, the play remains broad and funny, but feels an inch deep. Or, perhaps it is a play where men feel it is not very deep, but women of this demographic will find the characters and chatter more heartfelt and on the nose?
But oh boy, this cast of excellent actresses could elevate just about anything to an enjoyable level. Craves landed some of the best in the region. Settle does not overdo her Marlafaye to cartoon Southern sass. Marlafaye is vulnerable and self-conscious, despite her sexual appetites, and that comes through beautifully in her embodiment of a woman whose husband (seemingly of limited appeal from the get-go) abandoned her for a “young thang.” Amy Morrisey’s Jinx plays her nomad, but has great depth as a person, and she needs to connect with people who love her rather than chasing love all over the map. Ms. Lane’s body language for her Dot is as important to getting this character across as anything she is given in this somewhat pedestrian script. And Ms. Bauer exhibits very good comedic timing despite being given most of the straight lines.
Matt Tomich’s set, Randa’s home, is effective not just for its design. But Tomich, a very skilled set builder, has made every line and joint super tight and clean, just the way a proper Southern woman, who is also an architect, would have it. He manages some tricky projection on the house to take us to Paris in the second act as well. Clever work and done well.
At a time when droves of women of a certain age are struggling after divorce or widowhood with trying to rebuild love in their 50s in a world that values youth and conventional attractiveness above all else, this play reminds us that we can find the connections of our lives with dear dear friends of our own gender. Sex is nice, but it ain’t everything.
As ever, The Dio provides dinner with its entertainment. This show’s menu includes the theater’s signature excellent fried chicken, as well as pork chops, salad, greens and a Savannah red rice.