‘Savannah Sipping’ a beautiful blend of comedy and sweetness

Clayton Theatre Company’s Artistic Director La Tonya Watts directs an incredibly energetic “Savannah Sipping Society” by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten. The unlikeliest of friendships unfold when four Southern women survive a near-death experience in a hot yoga class and find themselves drinking anything but sweet tea during happy hours on “Randa’s Veranda”

The comedy begins with an impromptu gathering on the front porch of Randa Covington (Teresa Grosserode) an architect who has lost her job and the approval of her brother and grandmother. Randa is joined by Marlafaye Mosley (Nathalie Archangel) who is hilarious as a divorcee from Texas dumped by her philandering husband for a much younger woman and Dot (Linda Sciacqua) a recent widow who had expected to live out her golden years with her husband and now just wants to have some fun.

The three are joined by Jinx (Tamara Filener), a beautician who moved to Savannah to be caretaker for a sister suffering from dementia. Jinx offers her services as a life coach to the women and vows to shake up the lives of her new-found friends while helping them try new things in order to reclaim their enthusiasm for life.

Watts strikes a beautiful balance of comedy and tenderness in “Savannah Sipping Society” which is accentuated by set Designer Michel Wilson who has worked well with the small Clayton Theatre space creating an incredibly detailed veranda which allows for very fluid movement through the small space.  The chemistry between the actresses Watts has assembled is remarkable, and with dialogue created by the writers of “The Golden Girls,” this play is a gem.

The comedy plays through April 13. For tickets to the production at Endeavor Hall visit Claytontheatrecompany.com or (925) 222-9106.

Kathryn G. McCarty is well-known around the Bay Area as an educator, playwright and journalist. Send comments to KGMcCarty@gmail.com.