Vic Panciera recounts sewing the habits for Groton Regional Theatre’s “Sister Act.” The headdresses were essential to the nuns’ costuming, but renting them was expensive. So he had to network to a more cost-effective template so that they could make them for themselves.

“It’s things like that that nobody knows and nobody sees,” Panciera says.

It is the adaptability of the theater company, the flexibility of the actors, and the foresight of the director that allow full-scale productions to be played even with limited resources.

“So, guess what, nuns one through 10, you’ll be doing refreshments and ticketing,” Panciera says.

He adds, “It is a group effort. It has to be.”

Despite the joking, there is a twist of seriousness. Panciera is GRT’s president and director of this current production of “Sister Act.” Panciera works with very little. Production costs are kept low, there are few paid employees — just the essentials, a sound engineer, orchestra, music director and choreographer.

The actors have volunteered their time, and everybody involved is working towards a common goal, which goes beyond putting on the best show that they can. The goal is also to raise money. All proceeds go to the Groton Senior Center and to Parks & Recreation programs.

With a cast of 24 and three volunteers putting the show together with Panciera, flexibility and outside-of-the-box thinking seems to arch over every task. As Panciera says, to get the largest reward despite their constraints, they “have to come up with alternatives.”

“Sister Act,” adapted for musical theater from the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, is about a disco-dancing club singer named Deloris who witnesses a murder and is placed in protective custody in a convent. She will be played here by Nichelle Rollins.

Panciera is particularly excited about this production because it's a feel-good show.

“Initially, I was curious to see how it translated from the movie onto the stage. Then I heard the music. It's the standard story of redemption, if you will. It's funny, it's fun, and the music is the real star of the show. There isn't a song I don't like,” he says.

This choice in production also has a lot to do with the community turnout for auditions.

“I chose it because it was primarily a show about women,” Panciera says. “We always have a difficult time casting men, so this was an ideal opportunity to feature women.”

Of course, a casting pool that lacks diversity is a weakness, but Panciera turns that weakness into a strength by choosing a production like “Sister Act." Yet, productions with such a large group of similar roles can be problematic, too.

“Part of the challenge was to not make them all just identical nuns and explore their idiosyncrasies,” Panciera says.

As is true with each production that GRT puts on, Panciera hopes that “Sister Act” will encourage new community members to get involved. Of the actors he is working with, some have a lot of experience acting, and some have none. The reward for the actors is the experience, and the knowledge that they are bettering their community.

Even the money from the refreshment table goes into their charitable contributions. Further, the cast, the crew, and even the board of directors each put together baskets to raffle off, and the raffle ticket money also goes to the community.

“We do whatever we can because we love the community … and we’re trying to let the community know that they can have a night at the theater, laugh, cry, and still contribute,” Panciera says.

Groton Regional Theatre's “Sister Act”, Groton Senior Center 102 Newtown Road; 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat. and 2 p.m. Sun.; $25; grotontheatre.org.