Patrick Kelley, Julie Gray, Elizabeth Shaffer, Carol Neuleib, and Terri Nelson in Drinking Habits 2: Caught in the Act (photo by John Greenwood)
The Richmond Hill Players’ latest offering, the Tom Smith farce Drinking Habits 2: Caught in the Act, is a sequel to Drinking Habits, which was a part of the company’s season last year. I didn't attend the first one, but was still able to easily follow the plot and characters. Not only that, but Richmond Hill’s Sunday performance, helmed by director Mike Skiles, was lighthearted, fun, and an easy-to-watch piece of theatre.
The show takes place 1966 at the Convent at the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing (which alone gives insight into the play's wit). Continuing from where the first Drinking Habits left off, we find different characters at pivotal points in their stories, which allows for conflict and comedy right off the bat. Sister Augusta (Carol Neuleib) and Sister Philamena (Terri Nelson), in the first Drinking Habits, had been caught secretly making wine for charity by Mother Superior (Julie Gray). Sally (Dana Skiles) returns to the convent in this sequel after leaving her fiancé Paul (Patrick Kelley) at the altar. Paul is training to be a Catholic priest and follow in his father’s footsteps, as Father Chenille (David Beeson) is retiring. Paul's sister Kate (Elizabeth Shaffer) is married to George (Nathan Johnson), and pregnant with their child.
And if the above didn't provide enough catalysts for hilarity and farcical mishaps, Mother Superior decides to put on a play she wrote in her high-school years, and everyone pitches in. But things don't quite go as planned, as sleep deprivation, more wine-making, cheap magic tricks, less-than-perfect acting, stage fright, and more issues get in the way of their preparedness.
Given all of these elements, Drinking Habits 2 was easy to watch and didn't drag much. The pacing was quick and light, and although there was some overacting, it led to an enjoyable and comical experience. I could tell others in the audience felt this sentiment, too – with a nearly full house, the audience was clearly into the action and punchlines. If this is any indication of the success of the first Drinking Habits last season, I can see why Richmond Hill brought this sequel to the stage.
Opening the show are Neulieb and Nelson, who spoke with great ease in their back-and-forth of witty lines. According to the play’s program, both had played these roles in the first iteration of this story (and I imagine other actors reprised their roles, as well). Gray went through a whirlwind of slapstick exhaustion and perseverance, and delivered a solid performance through the whole play while enactng various states of emotion and alertness. Mother Superior starts off wanting to stage her play, and we see her at the end barely awake, struggling to perform.
Beeson and Kelley were a joy to watch, and played off of each other quite nicely, adding various layers to their characters’ father-son relationship. Father Chenille is retiring from the priesthood, and attempts to shine as a magician-emcee in the play-within-a-play. Paul, meanwhile, is following in his father’s footsteps after being stood up at his wedding, and ends up directing the impending theatrical disaster. These two dynamics make for some great interactions: Beeson was a master at audience interaction and sub-par magic, and Kelley was a fearless master of stage fright, while these two also had some really nice, less wild moments with each other and others
Athough Sally does return to the convent at the show's start, she doesn’t want anyone to know she's there, so she hides and sneaks around with the help of various characters. Skiles portrayed Sally's nervous energy well, and her moments with her fellow castmates were handled with care and attention. And Shaffer and Johnson were great fun to watch. Kate has a running gag throughout eating a lot of food, and George, was especially funny in the play-rehearsal scenes, as his inexperienced actor couldn't remember his lines. (At one point, he even called “Line!” mid-syllable). These two were the comedic cherries on top of an already stellar sundae of witty characters across the board.
While mostly a lights-up/lights-down sort of show, lighting designer Jennifer Kingry made some effectively minimal choices. Considering the intimate space, audience on all sides, and goodly number of actors, it would seem difficult to establish both onstage and backstage locations with rapid transition – but Kingry made these transitions seamless and subtle by simply and effectively changing the direction of light.
The play-within-a-play scenes were my favorites, and the orchestration of vocal, physical, and situational noise coming from all characters was staged cleanly. Director Mike Skiles’ staging also took fine advantage of Richmond Hill's in-the-round space, but fittingly, the movement was never overly complicated. Lots of doors are often a farcical element, and Skiles employed his son Jim Skiles’ scenic design effectively with well-paced scenic flow.
Overall, with Drinking Habits 2: Caught in the Act, Mike Skiles and his team presented an enjoyable and lighthearted experience. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch the return of the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing and the antics that ensue.
Drinking Habits 2: Caught in the Act runs at the Richmond Hill Barn Theatre (600 Robinson Drive, Geneseo IL) through April 30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)944-2244 and visiting RHPlayers.com.
