“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story” is not the only murder mystery inspiring awe in audiences this winter. This year’s winter play is a classic “whodunit” entitled “Murder Can Be Habit-Forming” by Billy St. John. 

The play follows a group of nuns who invite a group of travelers into their convent after getting stranded in a blizzard. The sisters are quickly stricken with worry when they realize they just might have invited a serial killer nicknamed the “Mary Murderer” to stay the night. When the killer strikes, the mystery is afoot! 

Not every high schooler has the spunk to ditch their crew necks and flared leggings for a tunic and a veil, but actress Camryn Causo, who plays Sister Mary Agatha, does it with ease and enthusiasm. 

“[Playing a 70 year old nun] is really different for me just because I’m used to playing roles my age, but it’s still funny. I get to shuffle around on stage,” Caruso said.

After a brief moment as a nun in the spring musical “Newsies”, this is sophomore Shea Holt’s second time portraying a nun–Sister Mary Cecilia for this production–on the PAC stage. “It’s very fun. I think it’s kind of funny that I’ve been put as a nun two times,” Hol tsaid. “It’s not that I enjoy acting as a nun, but it’s different, which is fun.”

Despite the light-hearted subject matter of the play, the rehearsal process was no cakewalk as the cast was met with a major set difficulty. 

“We had to strike the set multiple times dealing with speech regionals and a dance team contest,” Max Schuette said. Schuetteplays the mystery’s detective Lieutenant Patrick McDougal. “The night that we were striking the set for Speech Regionals, I was in the changing room, and I heard screaming from the stage. I went in there, and an entire wall of the set had fallen over.” 

Despite technical difficulties, the cast was able to put on a hilarious show that made audiences laugh, cheer and “ooh” and “aah” at suspenseful moments. Unlike past winter plays, “Murder Can Be Habit-Forming” does not take itself too seriously. The bunch of sisters interacting with the eclectic group of stranded passengers made for lots of laughs and great fun. Between the plot twists, passionate stage kisses and nun puns, the Drama Club made this murder mystery one for the books.