Nunsense Is a Heavenly Hoot!

By James E. Trainor III

Mt. Vernon - The Little Sisters of Hoboken need your help! The convent has been nearly wiped out by a fatal serving of vichyssoise, and the remaining sisters have put together a show to help raise the funds to bury them. They hope you'll come out and support it; the evening of Bible-themed jokes, skits, song and dance will have you convinced that "Nunsense is habit-forming."

Nunsense, a musical comedy by Dan Goggin, opened in 1985 and has become a beloved staple of community theatre. Kim Benesh, who plays Sister Robert Anne, also directs, but she credits the ensemble for bringing their "talent, enthusiasm and love of theatre" to rehearsal to create a fun and engaging piece of theatre. There's a lot of playfulness in this show: audience interaction, irreverent religious jokes, groan-inducing puns and even tap-dancing nuns!

It's not simply a musical revue, however; there is a loose plot that keeps the show moving along. As the nuns scramble to deal with the disaster back home (getting their fellow nuns off ice before the health inspector looks in the freezer), there is some interesting character development; each of these women has a funny and clever back story, a reason for becoming a nun in the first place and for stepping out into the spotlight now. From Sister Mary Leo's dream of being a ballerina to Sister Robert Anne's tale of growing up on the streets of Brooklyn, there's some humanity hidden in the silliness, and these actors did a fine job bringing it out.

Courtenay Baker-Olinger is delightful as Sister Mary Leo, the young novice. She's funny, she sings well, and she pulls off some challenging dance steps. Jacki Lock is quite good as Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices. She participates is some really fun bandying with Barbara Lee, who plays Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior. These two respond to each other well; between Lee's stiff harshness and Lock's subtle undermining, they have some great comic moments ("Just a Coupl'a Sisters" is a hoot). Lee seems to stumble a bit, and her accent comes and goes, but during "Turn Up the Spotlight" she really shines, and the giddy moments at the end of Act One when Regina finds a mysterious inhalant and decides to try it out are a great contrast.

The second act slows things down a bit, and Sister Robert Anne, the street-smart nun from Brooklyn, tells us the story of her childhood. "Growing Up Catholic" carries some heartache that transcends the silliness of the setting; it examines the contrast between the security of tradition and the confusion of the modern age in a very thoughtful way. Benesh's Robert Anne is a charming creation; easy-going, fun-loving, but also tough and clever. Her accent work is excellent, and the roguish vibe she creates as the understudy striving for the spotlight is a joy to watch.

Traci Rezabek really stands out as Sister Mary Amnesia, the slightly dim nun who has a number of very funny songs and scenes. When she gives the audience a pop-quiz on the plot, she keeps the energy going and doesn't miss a beat. During "So You Want to Be a Nun," she is able to switch seamlessly between the naive and nervous Amnesia and the cynical Sister Mary Annette (her puppet co-star), showing a great deal of range. She doesn't attempt to conceal the fact that she's moving her lips, but the scene is so dynamic and funny that it's hardly missed. During "I Could Have Gone to Nashville," when Amnesia suddenly recovers her memory, she puts on a great country-western accent, and the song is sweet and charming.

Musical comedy is challenging and requires a wide variety of different skills. This company, with guidance from Kim Benesh and Emory Gillespe (the musical director), does a wonderful job putting the pieces together. The result is a night of engaging and entertaining theatre. Go see it!

Nunsense runs through July 22 (7:30 Thursday - Saturday, 2:00 Sunday) at the District Auditorium in Mt. Vernon Middle School (525 Palisades Rd). Tickets are $12 ($10 seniors & students, $8 children ten and under).