Veteran actor Girgis prepared to take the necessary risks to get big laughs
Stage West’s Drinking Habits allows its star to be creative, writes Louis B. Hobson
Natascha Girgis is Calgary’s funny lady.
Although equally adept at drama, Girgis has become the go-to gal when directors want a hearty dose of pandemonium in their latest comedy.
Critics laud her, audiences applaud her, peers reward her with accolades and directors are effusive in their praise of her talents.
Always appreciative, Girgis admits it’s her mother who best sums up her talent for physical comedy.
“My mom says I’m not afraid to look ugly.
“For me that means it’s all about the risk and the challenge to do what’s necessary to get the laugh,” says Girgis, who plays a nun in Drinking Habits, Stage West’s farce that runs at the dinner theatre until April 16.
For years, Girgis’s Sister Augusta, fellow nun Sister Philamena (Esther Purves- Smith) and the grounds keeper have been secretly making and selling wine to help pay the expenses of their little convent, The Sisters of Perpetual Sewing.
That’s no easy feat considering their Mother Superior (Elinor Holt) is fanatically anti-alcohol.
A pair of journalists are snooping around trying to prove the nuns have a secret, and there are visits from the local priest.
As Girgis points out, "before the end of the play everyone puts a habit on.
“It’s pure nonsense and that’s what makes it so much fun for all of us in the cast. I particularly like that the play is such a great female vehicle. There are five women and just two men so we’re definitely not accessories in this show.”
Girgis knows and appreciates the strengths of the great female comics, from Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Barbra Streisand to Melissa McCarthy.
“I like the fact they are so masterful at taking pratfalls and making them look so balletic,” she says, “but my greatest comic inspiration has always been Buster Keaton. Now there was someone who was amazingly acrobatic.”
J. Sean Elliot, who is directing Girgis in Drinking Habits as he did in Stage West’s previous comedies, Unnecessary Farce and Suite Surrender, feels Girgis’ love of Buster Keaton has “taught her how to turn any piece of physical comedy into a silent movie.
“I’ve directed Natascha and we worked together on stage in Norm Foster’s The Last Resort at Stage West 10 years ago. What directors, actors and audiences love about Natascha is that she makes even the most outrageous things look real and grounded,” Elliot says.
“We always look forward to inventing with Natascha in rehearsals because we trust her instincts. She’s a formidable person who becomes a real force when she gets on stage.”
Girgis has similar praise for Elliot.
“I like working with directors who give me the freedom to explore and experiment and Sean is one of those directors,” she says.
“When I sense their trust and realize they are giving me a great deal of freedom, my creative juices flow.”
Girgis says she is always eager to work at Stage West, and admits she’s lost count of the number of shows she’s done for the company.
“For me, Stage West is like a family. It’s the same people I’ve worked with for more than 25 years, so it’s always a joy to go home.”
Starring opposite Girgis, Purves- Smith and Holt in Drinking Habits are Al Braatz, Charlie Gould, Robert Klein, Jeremy Palmer and Arielle Rombough.