Caledon TownHall Players staging Savannah Sipping Society

Written By CONSTANCE SCRAFIELD

‘The Savannah Sipping Society” is written by the award-winning trio of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, who gave the Golden Girls to a very appreciative world and opens on Friday of next week, February 21st, running for two weekends, at the Caledon Townhall Theatre. 

Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Services, The Savannah Sipping Society is guaranteed to have you in stitches. 

In brief, when four ladies with very different backgrounds and lives, who have little or nothing in common, bar the facts that the lives of each have been completely disrupted when, as we say, they meet at a yoga class, they decide to have a drink together. 

That goes so well, they decide further to keep on meeting – for a long time. 

Randa Covington, played by Rosanna Armata, is an A type personality, a workaholic architect – who has just lost her job to a younger man. 

Dot Haigler, with Silvana Di Bello in the role, recently retired with her husband but he died and she is alone in their new home, where they had their retirement dream. She thinks she has lost her chance for this magic retirement life. 

Marlafaye Mosley, performed by Heidi Kachel, is a bold, brassy Texan, readjusting her life after dumping her cheating husband. 

Jinx Jenkins, with Tanya Nordin in the part, is a very spirited lady, who came to Savannah to be with her sister. She decides to be their life coach. 

Director and long=term member of the CTHP, Pam Niesiobedzki-Curtis,tells us, “It's going very well. This is an excellent cast and it's a sweet little show of hilarious ladies of a certain age, full of relatable humour, written by the trio calling themselves Jones Hope Wooten. They know about TV comedies (Golden Girls). 

“Each of these ladies is distinct in character, age, background, temperament; they are all from different areas of the south but with the same perspective-”Lord, l'll never do this again...” 

She added, “When Jinx decides she's going to be their life coach, they get themselves into situations and that's where half the comedy is. This is a warm and very funny play, very witty, about rediscovering the power of friendship; How being alone and older can be made better by coming together and forming new alliances.” 

Given that actors in community theatre have busy lives outside the theatre, rehearsals are not completed in a couple of weeks. As Ms. Niesiobedzki-Curtis ex-plained, “We did a few in December, then, January and February. Those were day time rehearsals, which is nice because the weather hasn't been too bad during the days. It's been a lot better than some years. 

“This time of year, you can get all sorts. Now, we're going into evening rehearsals.” 

Ready as ever to do all that she can, Ms. Niesiobedzki-Curtis designed the set and with “Brian and Heidi, we built it. The members have done the painting, Tanya's son, Jacob, gave a hand and, mainly, the cast did the work. 

“The costumes are modern; so, people are dressing themselves and we have accumulated bits and pieces over the years via the cast. Whatever needed making, I sewed them. And, remember, the story is in the south.” 

For her, what keeps her involved in this and other community theatres for so many years is “The camaraderie of the group working together. For the most part, [this time] we've all worked together somewhere else, now again, after many years. It's been basically the cast that's come; it has been a really good team effort. 

“You couldn't want a better team: Jeff Bathurst is dong the music and he ‘s come with some that's just amazing. 

“There is a new challenge, putting this play together,” she admitted. “This story has a lot of character development, as opposed to heavy action. It's always difficult to keep the energy up and this cast has done a great job, making the characters real. 

“Jen Bartrum is coming as ASM; Gord Gardiner is Stage Manager; Judy Lewis is the Producer.” 

She went on to say, “I was very active with CTHP for at least 10 years, back at the turn of the [21st] century; I was on the executive every year. I was asked to come out and do come jobs for them. They were the only theatre I was working with then but when I went on to ACT-CO, I got involved with many theatres. 

“After that, I was involved with six theatres. You stay with the groups you've done work for: they're all nice groups and there's often a problem with getting enough volunteers.” 

Extolling the virtues of community theatre, of live theatre at all, “You will never get the joy or the surprise as live theatre gives by sitting at home. You will never get that thrill of live theatre. And strangely, there's a lot of small groups that just don't have enough volunteers. 

“You don't have to act,” she assures potential but shy volunteers. “You can paint a set, usher, sell tickets. You don't have to be an expert; you just need some time and to get involved.” 

Even though the Savannah Sippers Society doesn't open until next weekend, February 21, Ms.Niesiobedzki-Curtis insists, “Where can you take your Valentine for dinner and the theatre for $30? You could give her a gift certificate for next weekend.”

She is, of course, referring to the dinner and theatre tickets available for both the Saturday night shows, which include “a wonderful church dinner, with home made pies” at Knox United Church across the street from the Caledon Townhall Theatre. 

The Savannah Sipping Society runs: Evening shows at 8:15 are Fridays and Saturdays, on February 21, 22, 28 and 29. Matinee shows are at 2:15 on February 22 and 29. dinner and theatre are on the Saturday evenings.