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By Ayanna Eckblad

The 59th season of Albert Lea Community Theater will kick off Thursday at the opening night of their latest production, “Drinking Habits.”

The play was written by Tom Smith.

According to the ACT website, “Accusations, mistaken identities and romances run wild in this traditional, laugh-out-loud farce. Two nuns at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing have been secretly making wine to keep the convent’s doors open, but Paul and Sally, reporters and former fiancées, are hot on their trail. They go undercover as a nun and priest, but their presence, combined with the addition of a new nun, spurs paranoia throughout the convent that spies have been sent from Rome to shut them down. Wine and secrets are inevitably spilled as everyone tries to preserve the convent and reconnect with lost loves.”

The play is directed by Christy Fuller, who made her directorial debut for the theater’s production of “Almost Maine” in spring 2023. This will be Fuller’s second time directing.

The heart of the play, Fuller said, is the nuns at the convent trying to figure out how they’re going to survive.

“Then, all of a sudden, two people come, and one of them is a spy, supposedly, from Rome. And after that, the shenanigans, the twists and turns … the lengths they go to save their convent is just hilarious,” she said.

Auditions were held in mid-August, and the cast and crew have prepared ever since. The small cast for “Drinking Habits” consists of both seasoned ACT actors and relatively new faces.

Heather Kohler has acted in ACT shows since 2022. Since then, she has been in several plays including “Fiddler on the Roof,” “A Christmas Carol” and “Much Ado About Nothing.” She plays the reporter, Sally, in “Drinking Habits.”

Kohler describes her character as “very very career driven. She doesn’t like anything getting in her way.”

In the end, however, she says Sally learns “people matter. Love matters. It takes her until the very end to figure that out, but it’s a road that she has to take.”

Kristi White has been acting with ACT for over 10 years. The first play she acted in was “Gypsy.” Other plays she was involved with include “Steel Magnolias,” “Doublewide Texas,” “Elf,” “Church Basement Ladies” and “Rumors.”

She plays Sister Augusta in “Drinking Habits.”

“My character is inventive, and she is a little bit of a troublemaker, but she’s doing it all for the good of the convent, not necessarily for her own gain,” White said. “She wants to save the convent, and she wants to help her other sisters out, even if she’s a bit deceitful and conniving, but she’s doing it all for a good cause.”

White added she hopes the audience has a good time at the play, and leaves with smiles on their faces.

“It’s such a silly play,” she said.

Another experienced actor, Mark Place, will play the role of Father Chenile. Place has been acting for over 10 years. His most recent past role was the Ghost of Christmas Present in “A Christmas Carol.”

“Father Chenile is a late middle-aged priest of a very small parish and a convent attached to it,” Place said of his character. “He’s pretty much just trying to keep the place open.”

Place added he is excited this play is a farce.

“I’ve always said this in a farce, ‘the only people that truly believe what is happening is real are the ones on stage. [The audience] aren’t buying it for a New York minute.’ But come along for the ride. It’s fun to see everybody trying to figure it out.”

Fuller said she has enjoyed seeing the play go from an idea to a reality and is especially excited about a scene that consists of no dialogue in which the actors must pantomime everything. When asked if the scene was a difficult undertaking, she said, “The timing on it was a little tricky, but it goes good when your cast is really good.”

The cast keeps her on her toes, Fuller said. “And they’ve kept me laughing.”

“Drinking Habits” will begin Thursday with additional shows Friday, Saturday and a Sunday matinee. There will also be shows Oct. 9 through Oct. 12. With the exception of the 2 p.m. matinee, shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Marion Ross Performing Arts Center.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students. They may be purchased over the phone by calling 877-730-3144 (service fees apply), online at actonbroadway.com or at the box office. Tickets are also for sale at the Albert Lea Convention & Visitors Bureau. Visit the ACT website for more information on tickets and box office hours.

Cast
Father Chenile: Mark Place
Mother Superior: Michelle Supalla
Sister Augusta: Kristi White
Sister Philemena: Amber Mattson
Sally: Heather Kohler
Pau: Adam Odegaard
Sister Mary Catherine: Kris Bartley
George: Aaron McVicker/ Dan Bell

Production staff
Director: Christy Fuller
Technical director/set designer: Mark Bartleson
Lighting designer: Dietrich Poppen
Stage managers: Bre Estes, Samantha Weir
Production manager: Aaron McVicker
Props, set dressing: Christy Fuller
Lights: Phil Hanson, Conor Hanson, Brian Mattson
Sound: Maya Fuller
Photography/Videography: Kris Bartley, Phil Hanson, Aaron McVicker
Playbill: Elizabeth Harty
Box Office Manager: Sue Tripp
Box Office Volunteers: Donna Bailey, Cindy Fjermestad, Carol Frydenlund, Christine Harty, Mary Ellen Johnson, Bev Loos, Sandi Nesse, Karen Olsen, Bonnie Olson, Mary L. Peterson, Arline Richter, Crystal Schatz, Sue Tripp, Jan Zehnder
Building Manager: John Caucutt