NFLT's Nunsense

Jeff Green | May 06, 2010

There are a few practical reasons why the North Frontenac Little Theatre were tempted to produce Nunsense II some 16 years ago, and Nunsense in 2010.

For one thing they are small-cast musicals, allowing for the audience appeal of a musical with a lot less of the complications of a full-scale, multi-set production. Secondly, all of the parts are for women, and it is always a struggle to find men to play roles in musicals, while talented and willing women singers tend to be easier to find.

Another thing about Nunsense, and this reason trumps the others - even though it had a bit of a hokey premise, the show really is a lot of fun. And that's why it has become a franchise of sorts, spawning a country version (Nunsense Jamboree), a Christmas version (Nuncrackers) a Fiddler on the Roof version (Meshuggah Nuns) and even a drag version (Nuns A-men).

It all began in 1985 when Nunsense started an improbable run in New York City and ended up becoming one of the longest-running off-Broadway productions of all time.

The North Frontenac Little Theatre production, which played to appreciative audiences last weekend, sets the play in a fictional convent in Sharbot Lake instead of Hoboken, New Jersey. The flimsy premise of the play is the same, however. A sedate order of nuns has been forced to “put on a show” when their cook, Julia, Child of God, inadvertently kills 52 nuns with a deadly vichyssoise. The surviving nuns can only afford to bury 48 of their dead sisters, and need to raise money to inter the final four. All of this is explained in short order by the Mother Superior, Sister Mary Regina (Deborah Spaar-Mueller) and the shenanigans begin.

The plot is not really the thing in Nunsense; it is really about performance and character.

Sister Mary Regina, at turns bossy and scatter-brained, is a force to be reckoned with by the other four sisters. Spaar-Mueller did an admirable job, seamlessly combining the singing parts with Sister Regina's role as a nemesis and foil for the other characters. She also showed herself to be adept at slapstick when Sister Regina suffers from a bit of a drug experience. You had to be there.

Sister Mary Leo, a young novice who has a not so secret desire to be a ballerina, was played by Shiloh Stephens. Stephens has been in a number of productions, and this was her best role yet. She had several feature solos, and did a great job in a couple of duets with Sister Mary Hubert, the second in command and the one who is in charge of the novices. She also capitalized on the comedic opportunities offered by performing ballet while wearing a habit.

Connie Shibley, as Sister Mary Hubert, is an experienced choral singer but a first-time actor. She was spot on throughout the production, playing the only level headed character in the convent. Her singing was excellent throughout, and her performance of the gospel number “Holier Than Thou” near the end of the show was easily the musical highlight of the performance.

Pam Woods has a way with Sister Mary Amnesia. Although she doesn't know who she is or what is happening, every once in a while Sister Mary Amnesia manages to cut through to the core weakness of the Mother Superior and the church itself, and Woods was able to get those points out while maintaining the oblivious haze of Sister Mary Amnesia.

Finally, Sister Robert Anne, (Danielle Quenneville) is the worldly one, and is the nemesis of Sister Mary Regina. Quenneville made it believable that Sister Robert could have just as easily been a criminal as a nun. She jumped into the performance, alternately showing Sister Robert's desire to be a star, her desire for a man sitting in the front row, and in a funny way showed a strong commitment to the church, a commitment that was really only matched by Sister Mary Hubert.

As a whole, Nunsense worked because the performances of the five players won over the audience. Early on in the production they made it easy for the audience to buy in to the mayhem and go along for the ride.

Also appearing as the world's smallest chorus were Lynda Boulter as Sister Mary Martin, and Ann Moore as Sister Mary Thomas.

Behind the scenes the greater Verona mafia were dominant, with Barb Rodgers producing the play and Jennifer Bennett as the musical director. Sharbot Lake's own John Pariselli was the artistic director.