Rachel Farmer, Megan Johns and Thea Lux in The New Colony’s “5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche”

Long live the egg! I remember when I first encountered The New Colony’s wacky, wild creation that is 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche. It was June 2010, and “The Susan B. Anthony Society for the Sisters of Gertrude Stein” made their grand entrance as part of Sketchbook X at the Chopin Theatre. A 10-minute sketch among a three-hour evening of 10 minute sketches, Lesbians presented a landmine of comedic possibility.

Knowing they had a good thing on their hands, The New Colony, under the creative direction of writers Andrew Hobgood and Evan Linder, expanded it into a 60-minute one-act, and it was among my Top 10 of 2011.

Fast forward four years, and we’re back, full circle, at the Chopin Theatre, with most of the original ladysisters intact. Yet, this time we’re in Chopin’s basement space, which works well for this show that celebrates an era (1956, to be exact) when bomb shelters could double as venues for well-mannered quiche breakfasts.

This unassuming show, in which an annual quiche breakfast goes off the rails and transforms into an impromptu coming out party, manages to bake in a whole heap of comedy and social satire into a brief one act. While the show has become a breakout hit for The New Colony (following a respectable off-Broadway run, this production is a commercial run in partnership with Chicago Commercial Collective — a first for the company), it still maintains a fringy-flair — right down to the dress donned by head ladysister Lulie Stanwyck (A steely Rachel Farmer) which seemed to be unraveling before our eyes (someone please spring for a pair of embroidery scissors for these poor widows).

Megan Johns, who originated the role of Wren Robin, captures, perhaps most effectively, the zany insanity of the proceedings which delighted me back at Sketchbook, while the reserved Caitlin Chuckta, as polite Ginny Cadbury, manages to score the biggest laugh of the evening, of which there are many. Director Sarah Gitenstein keeps this tight ensemble moving smoothly, including through a rather confounding revelation in the final moments that almost derails the evening. But just when things seem to get a little too saccharine, some shock value is peppered in to keep you on your toes.

Whether you enjoy your quiche with or without meat, I encourage you to join this Sisterhood.

“5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche” plays through June 8 at the Chopin Theatre. More info here >