A cook serves soup to 52 nuns who end up dying from an accidental poisoning. This leaves five nuns to bury them all.
How do they do it?
Starting May 12, audiences will be invited to watch — and even participate — in their antics when the all-ages musical “Nunsense” comes to the Brown County Playhouse.
It’s directed by Casey Kersey, assisted by Bob Boyd.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]“It’s a very funny comedy, very funny musical,” Boyd said.
Jennifer Simms portrays Mother Superior, who is in charge of the Little Sisters of Hoboken.
“She feels responsible, but at the same time is also, in her heart of hearts, a performer. When she was a kid, that’s what she did,” Simms said.
Simms previously had played the part of Sister Mary Hubert and performed in other community theater productions around Indianapolis.
She ended up getting the part of Mother Superior when the first actress was unable to fill the role.
“It was really nervewracking for me because, No. 1, I’ve never done this part before. This is a really important part, and they wanted me to do it in an (Irish) accent, which is also really hard,” she said.
Actress Brynne Foster plays Sister Mary Leo, the newest nun who dreams of being the first nun ballerina.
She has been performing in community theater since she was 7.
“My parents did it, and I just caught the theater bug, I guess you could say,” she said.
“It’s awesome. I am really liking it,” Foster said of the show.
“I feel lucky to be working with such talented ladies. Everyone in this production is just really nice, really invested, and we put together a nice show, so hopefully people will come and see it.”
This is the first time Danielle Myers has performed on stage, but she has theater experience. She works with Kersey at Center Grove High School, where Kersey is a director. She is an assistant director and also teaches biology and forensics there.
Myers plays Sister Robert Anne, a nun Myers describes as coming from “the rough side of the tracks” who is “streetwise” and “quite outlandish.”
“She’s a lot of fun because you never know what she’s going to pull out of her veil next,” she said.
She said audiences should come watch the show if they want to “bust a gut” laughing.
Sister Robert Anne is a teacher who loves making her students laugh. The role doesn’t stray too far from Myers’ own teaching style, she said.
Suellen Swaney plays Sister Mary Hubert, who is second in command and thinks she can do a better job than Mother Superior, Swaney said.
Swaney teaches voice at Center Grove High School. Kersey directed her daughter in theater productions there, too.
This isn’t Swaney’s first time on stage either, but she hasn’t performed since her daughter was born 19 years ago.
Christine Long plays Sister Mary Amnesia, who had a crucifix fall on her head and can’t remember who she is, Long said.
“She is very comedic without intending to be,” she said.
Long also played the role of Mother Superior in a previous production of “Nunsense.” Long is a middle school choir director at John Wooden Middle School in Martinsville.
Long said she hopes people come out to see the show.
“Having a theater in your own backyard allows you a cultural experience like no other. People should come see this show to be entertained, touched and to laugh like crazy,” she said.
Foster said “Nunsense” will have audiences laughing 80 percent of the time, with the other 20 percent spent thinking about the show’s themes.
“We will have you laughing until you are crying for almost two hours,” she said — “a good kind of crying. I mean, how often do you see nuns that dance?”
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What: “Nunsense” a comedy musical by Dan Goggin, directed by Casey Kersey
When: 7:30 p.m. May 12, 13, 19, 20
Where: Brown County Playhouse
Cost: $18.50 for adults, $17.50 for children
Tickets: Call 812-988-6555 or visit browncountyplayhouse.org
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Mother Superior: Jennifer Simms
Sister Mary Hubert: Suellen Swaney
Sister Mary Leo: Brynne Foster
Sister Robert Anne: Danielle Myers
Sister Mary Amnesia: Christine Long
Director: Casey Kersey
Assistant to the director: Bob Boyd
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