‘Golden Girls’ style comedy rings true for middle-aged Southern ladies.

Widowed, dumped, divorced and fired. Meet four middle-aged ladies, adrift in Savannah, Georgia, sipping cocktails on the porch and plotting their next moves. Did I mention they are angry? Let the bittersweet hilarity begin.

Funky Little Theatre Company’s latest production is The Savannah Sipping Society playing through August 9 in Palmer Lake. Where the show stumbles with clunky staging, it delivers rich characters with an engaging storyline of midlife crisis tropes.

Soft-spoken Dot, driven and ambitious Randa and bawdy Texan transplant Marlafaye randomly meet after a torturous hot yoga class. Sharing their woes, the trio opts for weekly happy hours on Randa’s veranda where boundaries are pushed and raw emotions surface. Enter the flashy outlier Jinx and things take a turn.

While the acting is often over-the-top, it plays well in the Golden Girls-like genre of Southern women bonding in later life. With just enough silly Southern twang, the foursome finds their footing over cocktails and shared adventures in a touching tale of renewal. Akin to comfort food, it is a familiar dish and still tasty.

One of the playwrights, Jamie Wooten, was a writer and producer of the Golden Girls TV series. Like Designing Women and even Steel Magnolias, success hinges on female chemistry. Funky’s actors pull off that odd flavor that concoct a recipe for humor.

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Colorful cast

Hannah Rockey’s Randa is not only the Happy Hour host but the show’s anchor. She leans into uptight Randa in a slow, deliberate, self-deprecating way to amplify the play’s message. She has lost her high-paying job. She is rattled on the inside, yet prideful and calm. When Rockey lets Randa’s guard down, the mask comes off and we believe. Her portrayal is solid and consistent.

In contrast, Marlafaye (Julie Maniscalchi) is brash and boisterous, more a caricature of the angry, jilted woman whose husband’s left her for a younger model. There is little depth in her lines, just humor. It is a delicious part and Maniscalchi serves it up with flamboyance, topped off with plenty of crisp, well-timed barbs.

Kim Dotson plays the widowed and naive Dot who evolves to impish playfulness as the plot unfolds. She shines with impressive comic timing in her interplay with the unfiltered Marlafaye. The ying-yang of their dynamic is zany humor.

Kelly Epstein embodies the role of Jinx. Confident and cocky, she lands spunky Jinx somewhere between grifter and victim. Bold and fearless, she manages to reveal just enough of the real Jinx to foster audience sympathy for a lost soul constantly chasing her tail.

Director Chris Medina wisely guides his actors to inhabit their characters beyond the lines. Walk, talk and gestures align with characters even when the audience eye is focused elsewhere. Combined with costumes, lighting and sound, Medina is a master of detail.

While the play’s big themes dive into familiar waters, Savannah infuses this version with liquid courage for the mid-life antics. Some bits land while others are cringeworthy. Example: Marlafaye pretends to confront her cheating ex, but it bombs with Randa in a baseball hat stone-faced.

What works in Savannah works well. The actors are in synch. Pacing is spot on. Much of the frivolity delivers. Most of all, the story and Funky’s execution are decent and relatable.

What doesn’t work in Savannah is the location. Repurposing the Palmer Lake Townhall into a theatre is a tall order, and Funky doesn’t deliver. Without any rake to the seating, much of the action is obscured by the heads in front of you. Lifting the porch or creating multiple levels for staging scenes would’ve enabled a better view for all patrons.

We are all at crossroads — and at times at crosshairs — settling in to find that solace lurking in unexpected places and people. As one line in the show says so aptly, “it’s never too late to make new old friends.”