St. Luke’s Players knew exactly what they were doing when it picked this laugh-a-minute farce for its season closer. A good laugh is more than worth the price of admission.
We start with Sister Augusta and Sister Philomena, sewing away (they are part of the Order of the Perpetual Sewers, you see), and chatting about what’s growing in the…er, orchard. They’re making wine covertly in the convent, camouflaging their capers from the curious eyes of the curt commander in chief, Mother Superior.
The action kicks off all at once with a weather report, a telegram about an important visitor and an unexpected duo showing up at the door.
The cast was able to find extra moments of humour in an already funny script. They all added so much personality to their characters, a real feat in a convent setting where we generally don’t have costuming cues to help us remember who is who. This felt like a true ensemble, with each member creating relationships with everyone else on stage. It’s hard to pick a standout in this cast – truly well done, all!
Some of the physical comedy was a little overplayed for my preference but so many details, such as the nods to the audience were right on beat. The cast had their pacing down, teetering right on the edge of frenetic without toppling over into chaos, and firing off lines quickly while still being understandable.
I’m not sure what the technical restrictions of the venue are, but some of the lighting and sound cues did feel a little too slow, with the actors holding their cues for longer than felt right, but these are a few short moments in the overall evening.
Another note about the physical space: St. Luke’s audience space isn’t raked, so I recommend you arrive early to snag seats near the front as sight-lines can be tricky.
Despite being set in a convent, you definitely don’t need to have a Catholic background to get the jokes (although maybe it helps), and for Catholics or Christians, I don’t think I would consider the jokes mean spirited.
The thing about a farce is that you don’t really want to look too closely at the details because it can start to fall apart a bit. But that’s okay, it’s supposed to be fun. If you’re looking for an awe-inspiring rumination on humanity, this isn’t it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the drive.
This is a fun show, and to anyone who says they don’t like it, I say: Nunsense! (groan)
But seriously, if you are someone who enjoys levity and silliness, and a strong example of community theatre, Drinking Habits offers a heavy pour of both!
