Though the entertainment and advertising media tries to convince you that women start decaying and losing value at the age of 30, it’s never too late to start anew, have fun, feel sexy and, in the words of Randa Covington, “make new old friends.”
On Sept. 6, the Whidbey Playhouse kicks off the new season with “The Savannah Sipping Society,” a story that Micki Gibson said can be a mix of “The Golden Girls” and “Designing Women” — two iconic female-centered sitcoms from the 1980s.
Gibson plays Randa, a hardworking woman who was fired from her job and lives in the shadow of her popular and successful brother. After a disastrous attempt to find some peace at a yoga class, Randa connects with a group of Southern women who are just as upset and lost in life as she is.
Every Friday, the women meet at Randa’s verandah to uplift and support each other while they try to start a new life chapter in their 50s and 60s, guided by the ever optimistic Jinx, a beautician who reinvented herself as a life coach and is looking for a place to call home.
All four women are united by recent life changes, such as loss, divorce and unemployment. At the same time, they are willing to try new experiences in order to move on.
Rachel Warner brings Jinx to life with her own personality and experience. On her 50th birthday, after working as an auto mechanic, a plumber, a server and a retailer, Warner decided to become an esthetician.
Amy Jones plays Dot, a 69-year-old widow. Her husband passed away soon after they moved to Georgia to have a sexy retirement. While reading smutty romance novels gives her some solace, Dot finds that she can still flirt and have fun.
Childless and aging women, Amy Hones said, are still complete people with sexual desires.
Katie Jones, “a massive Golden Girls freak,” appreciates the play for showing that single women can thrive. Her character, the rowdy Marlafaye, is reeling from her ex-husband’s unfaithfulness, but comes to find happiness and love in her new friends.
To Gibson, seeing a group of female friends who are not in competition with each other is refreshing. Director Sarah Jayne Gallella said the story feels real because it deals with real life struggles and because the women’s conversations remind her of some conversations she’s had with friends.
To grab a seat on Randa’s verandah and find out what the group has been up to, visit whidbeyplayhouse.com. The show runs at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays, Sept. 6-29.
Randa (played by Micki Gibson, on the right) impersonates Marlafaye’s ex husband as Jinx (played by Rachel Warner) reacts. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Marlafaye, Jinx, Randa and Dot (played by Katie Jones, Rachel Warner, Micki Gibson and Amy Jones) react to a surprise gone wrong. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Dot (Amy Jones, at left) gets a manicure from Jinx (Rachel Warner). (Photo by Luisa Loi)
Marlafaye (Katie Jones, in the middle) demonstrates how she relieves stress following a messy divorce and a harrowing yoga class. (Photo by Luisa Loi)
