By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
El Paseo Arts Foundation [EPAF] is kicking off its 20th season with a reprise of the heartwarming and comical production, The Savannah Sipping Society, as per popular demand.
In this delightful, laugh-a-minute comedy, four unique Southern women, who are all facing personal crises, are drawn together. Over six months, filled with laughter, hilarious misadventures and the occasional
liquid refreshment, these women find the confidence to jumpstart their new lives.
The production is returning with its original Laguna Madre-based cast, Lucinda “Sandy-Feet” Wierenga as the widowed and longing-for-love Dot Haigler, DeeOnda Ahadi as the outspoken recent-divorcee Marlafaye
Mosley, who seemingly has an unlimited supply of booze, Tess Ficcaglia as Randa Covington, who was let go from her career after a “vicious corporate down-sizing” of one, and Alexandrea Bailey as wannabe life
coach and full-time makeup artist, Jinx Jenkins.
Ahadi has appeared in about 35 productions after starting her acting career in 2012. She calls this cast “brilliant and amazing.” She added that what she admires most about her character is her resilience and bawdy sense of humor.
“I think the characters and their situations are so relatable that people feel they are seen and not alone,” said Ahadi.
Wierenga, who many know as the founder of SandyFeet Sandcastle Services and the Holiday Sand Castle Village, says The Savannah Sipping Society celebrates community.
“If you can’t find it, create it!” says Weirenga.
And creating community is what this production is all about.
As a new twist, the founder of EPAF, JoAnn Evans, is directing The Savannah Sipping Society this season.
Unfortunately, last year’s outdoor showing of the production, directed by Connie Munoz, was rained out on the performance’s second slated night, leaving audiences wanting more.
Evans is pleased to bring it back to kick off EPAF’s 20th season.
“It’s a lovely story,” said Evans. “The people who saw it said ‘Please bring it back.’”
Her goal with this production is to push her cast to tell the story with sincerity and genuineness. She says the number one reason people should come out to see it, is because “everyone needs to laugh, and this is a
very funny show.”
The production will the stage at the South Padre Island Convention Center on Sept. 16, 17 & 18. Tickets and more information on future productions are available at elpaseoarts.org.
EPAF is a volunteer-operated non-profit dedicated to keeping the arts alive. It was established in the spring of 2005 to grow the Laguna Madre Area as an arts destination and brings eight to ten performing arts
events to South Padre Island a year.
Following Savannah Sipping Society, EPAF’S Dead Accounts, also directed by Evans, is slated for Oct. 9, 10, 11 & 12.