For those of you that are unfamiliar with the play, “No Time for Sergeants” was originally a 1954 novel that was adapted into a Broadway production and then into a movie, the latter two made famous by Andy Griffith, the titular star of the “Andy Griffith Show.” This fall, the St. Paul’s Marian Players performed the play for the third time in 17 years.

The main character, Private Will Stockdale, played by Connor Mahony, is drafted into the U.S. Army Air Force. Along the way, he meets a few different characters, including friendly draftee and best friend Private Ben Whitledge, played by Jonathan Damare, commanding officer Sergeant Orville King, played by Brennan Skinner, and the antagonistic ROTC cadet Irvin, played by David Conroy. Through their adventures, Stockdale and Whitledge, unintentionally cause chaos for King, who tries to keep them in orderly conduct.

The play was a lot of fun, due to its fast paced story, jolly cast and script, and excellent execution by the Marian Players.

Mahony’s performance of Stockdale was nothing short of incredible. The southern accent and gullible personality was spot-on and extremely entertaining. Damare, along with Skinner, also did a fine job as the anxious Whitledge and the greatly troubled King.

Aside from the main characters, Conroy did a great job at selling Irvin’s pale view of the main pair, not only through the tone of his lines but his expressions as well. General Eugene Bush and General Vernon Pollard, played by Mason Spong and Thomas Duet respectively, did exceptionally well in portraying the argumentative pair during the final acts of the play. Director Denny Charbonnet did a stunning job of fleshing out the colorful cast, which made the play shine.

A very comedic section of the play was the bar fight scene between the Army Infantrymen, played by Jordan Jacob, and some of the main cast. Along with this scene, the play managed to generate a good amount of laughter, not only from the entire audience, but also from myself.

Another comedic section occurred in the plane scene, where Stockdale, Whitledge, and the operators attempt to operate a plane. During the flight, there are some issues with the navigation of the plane and everyone on board is driven crazy, creating a funny mix of screams and panic from the cast.

In the end, “No Time for Sergeants” ended up being an exciting play mixed with suspense and comedy. Kudos to director Charbonnet and the Marian actors, actresses, and crew for putting on an entertaining show, as always.