By Doug Iden
Remember those days when you attended a primary Catholic school? Catholic or not, relive those days via the madcap musical Nunsense playing at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts.
PLOT AND CHARACTERS
Originally conceived as a series of greeting cards featuring comic quips by Catholic nuns, Dan Goggin wrote songs with a storyline, initially as a one-act show and, ultimately as a full-length production running for 10 years Off-Broadway. It has subsequently become a cult classic which is universal enough to be enjoyed by anyone.
Stricken when one of the Little Sisters of Hoboken accidentally poisons all but five members of the convent, the survivors decide to host a fund-raising show to pay for the burial of four remaining bodies interred in the convent’s freezer. Leading the fractious nuns is Mother Superior Mary Regina (Diana Rogers) the world-weary but strict and compassionate wannabe circus tight-wire walker. Others include the competitive second-in-command Mary Hubert (Annie Schneider), perpetual understudy Sister Robert Anne (Karli Smith), Sister Mary Amnesia (Anna Kahle) who cannot remember who she is and novice Mary Leo (Cassidy Perme) who is obsessed with dancing.
The show, essentially, is a series of musical and comic sketches tied together by a tissue thin history of the convent plus the dreams and aspirations of the wildly different personalities of the characters.
THEMES
The overarching theme is a satire on life in private Catholic schools featuring tropes like the clickers used to get attention and the ubiquitous ruler used to guide as well as punish, if necessary. But it also shows the humanity of the characters and the personal sacrifices they make to join the convent. All of them wanted to be performers as they act out their dreams. They are good-hearted people trying their best.
UNIQUENESS of Covedale’s Nunsense
This show is unique from typical musicals in several ways. The most obvious and endearing is the direct communication with the audience as though it was an ongoing conversation. They shatter the “fourth wall.” Even before the show starts, the cast members, in full habit, mingle with the audience which sets the overall tone of fun and relaxation. Since the “storyline” is a talent show, all the characters address the audience with Mother Superior acting as host. They even have an audience quiz with considerable improvisation. The nautically-themed set (designed by Brett Bowling) has nothing to do with the story because they are performing in front of a scene from Anything Goes which the local high school was performing.
MUSICAL NUMBERS
The Goggin songs are not memorable – you will not leave the theater humming the tunes. However, the songs are appropriate to the plot and the lyrics are very clever and satirical. Much of the humor derives from the songs including “The Drive-In” with pre-recorded music under the direction of Ted Baldwin. There are big production numbers including the opening “Nunsense is Habit Forming”, act one ending “Turn Off That Spotlight/Tackle That Temptation”, “Clean Out That Freezer” (holding deceased nuns), “Growing Up Catholic” and the rollicking “Holier Than Thou”. Each character has a solo or duet with insights into their personalities and dreams including “Playing Second Fiddle” where Robert Anne (Smith) dreams of a starring role, “Turn Up the Spotlight (Rogers) who reminisces about circus performing, and Sister Amnesia (Kahle) intoning “I Could Have Gone to Nashville”.
Each performer sings well with a combination of choral arrangements, tight harmonies, Country-Western songs, and plaintive melodies. A few dance numbers (choreographed by Molly Sexton) include ballet (Perme) and a tap dance routine (Schneider, Perme, Kahle and Smith).
HUMOR in Covedale’s Nunsense
A lot of the humor relates to the Catholic school experience with many cultural, theatrical and movie allusions. The varied personalities (played well by the actors) and their interactions add to the “human” comedy. Mother Superior (Rogers) hilariously gets high when she unknowingly ingests drugs left in the school bathroom while Sister Leo clumsily tries to do a ballet sequence. Mary Amnesia (Kahle) explains her experiences in the convent with the aid of a cynical puppet. Some of the humor is risqué but the fun is watching the reactions of the nuns telling “dirty jokes” as convent humor.
PRODUCTION
Director Douglas Berlon accentuates the zaniness and extracts good performances by all the actors. Costumes by June Hill and Jesselee Whitson are uniformly habitual.
OVERALL
This is a delightful, charming, and funny show with outstanding performances by the cast who all seemed to thoroughly enjoy being on stage. Immediately, the actors involve the audience into becoming co-conspirators in the wink-inducing jokes.
So, grab your beads and sing “Hosanna” as you enter the farcical world of Covedale’s Nunsense playing through October 6. Get your tickets HERE.
