It was the 2-Act comedy, Farce of Habit, written by Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten.
Set in a remote fishing lodge in Arkansas, the play follows the efforts of the owners of the lodge, D. Gene and Wanelle Wilburn (played by Glen and Crystal Mihalicz), as they try to entertain and engage their odd assortment of guests during one of the worst storms in Arkansas history. To add to their troubles, one of these guests just happens to be an axe murderer. And on top of everything, the Wilburn’s pick this weekend to break some nasty habits - D. Gene’s habit of always scratching and Wanelle’s addiction to caffeine.
Assisting D. Gene and Wanelle are their son Ty (Derek Purdue), the lodge handyman and budding actor and his wife, Jenna (Courtney BIsson), the lodge cook who is convinced Ty is cheating on her. Then there’s Maxie (Shandar Mann), D.Gene’s older sister, a member of the local police department who models her law enforcement style after Dirty Harry.
The guests/suspects for this weekend include Jock McNair (Joanne Buitenhuis), an arrogant radio scumbag talk show host hiding out in Arkansas from his wife, whom he hopes to cheat out of a fair settlement in their upcoming divorce; the wife, Barb Stratton (Sandra Dodd), the high-strung victim of Jock’s cowardly treatment.
There is also Sister Myrtle Agnes (Barb Sentes), a throwback disciplinarian armed with a ruler intent on two things: breaking D.Gene’s habit of scratching and cookies. Finally, there is Huddle Fisk (Jim Braman), a shy, although somewhat inept, workaholic businessman who is taking the first vacation of his life.
This mix of characters under these circumstances added up to two hours of entertainment for the approximately 320 patrons who attended RCT’s play over the two nights.
-submitted by Crystal Mihalicz
