‘Drinking Habits’ @ Garland Civic Theatre
—Hannah Kneen
Nuns, spies, and disguise, oh my! Garland Civic Theatre has them all in their production of Drinking Habits by Tom Smith. If you’re a fan of farce and love it when characters get wrapped up in layers and layers of lies and false identities, this could be the show for you.
The play focuses on the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing, a small group of only three nuns whose convent is on the verge of being closed down for lack of funds. Two of the nuns, Sisters Augusta (Kerra Sims) and Philomena (Carol M. Rice), are about to be caught for their side hustle—making and selling wine to the local population. The nuns’ efforts may be well-intentioned (raising money to save the convent), but their Mother Superior (Marilyn B. Twyman) is so vehemently against alcohol of any kind that she forbids even the use of the word—prompting goofy euphemisms such as “Satan’s toilet water” and “Lucifer’s libation.”
To compound their problem, Rome has just sent word that the Church is sending someone to check on the convent and decide if it makes enough money to stay open. Add in undercover reporters investigating the convent (they’re hot on the trail of rumors about the wine), and you’ve got a recipe for hilarity.
Like any good comedy, this one has a few romantic subplots. The main one involves reporters Sally (Katie O’Brien) and Paul (Gabriel Grinffiel), who have a history that gets tangled when they find themselves disguised as a nun and a priest—and that’s only for starters.
The resident priest, Father Chenille (Patrick Douglass), becomes concerned at Paul’s arrival, thinking he’s been sent from Rome as his replacement. He convinces the groundskeeper, George (Nic Hamill), to disguise himself as a priest to spy on ‘Father’ Paul. Meanwhile, Mother Superior is likewise trying to get people to spy on the newly arrived Sister Mary Catherine (Ashli Lucio Moses), who also has a secret—just not the one anyone expects.
Thus ensues a comedy of epic proportions, with mistaken identities all around, attempts at subliminal messaging that are mistaken for divine intervention, and one of the most outrageously silly endings I have ever seen on a stage.
The cast clearly has a lot of fun with it all. Hamill’s George and Moses’s Mary Catherine are sweet and endearing, the epitome of the boy- and girl-next-door types. Poor, innocent, Mary Catherine gets the worst of the suspicion from the other nuns; she’s on the receiving end of their attempts at mind control—trying to get her to confess her status as a (presumed) spy. Kerra Sims’ Sister Augusta is the ringleader for this part of the plot, and her satisfaction at this clever scheme is hilarious.
There are a few line flubs and hesitations in this production, as well as an unfortunate tendency for the actors to feel like they’re acting as opposed to just inhabiting (excuse the pun) the characters.
The tech is simple and effective. The set looks a bit scruffy but definitely suits a convent that’s at its last prayers. Crosses hang everywhere, including above the stage in a place of prominence. There are habits galore, and a few holy sound and lighting effects that never fail to entertain.
Drinking Habits is a good pick if you’re in the mood for convoluted plots and lots of ridiculous, farcical fun. And, as director Allison A. Larrea says in her program note, “Beneath the rapid-fire humor and door-slamming antics, there’s a warmth to these characters: a reminder that even in our most absurd moments, our intentions are often rooted in hope, faith, and a desire to do good, even if it goes hilariously wrong.”
WHEN: April 17-May 3, 2026 (Fr/Sat/Sun; no evening show May 2)
WHERE: Granville Arts Center, 300 N 5th St., Garland, TX
WEB: https://www.garlandcivic.org/
