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Director’s Note:

So, what’s a nice Jewish boy doing a show about a quintet of nuns?  That, I can tell you in one word – TRADITION!  Well, not a Jewish tradition, per se – but a theatrical one.   Nunsense has been a very popular show for three decades and has spawned several sequels.  It’s practically its own industry.  And for the holiday season – a serious show about people of faith dealing with loss, with lots of deep moral lessons and theological discussions would seem appropriate.  But, instead, we went with Nunsense – a hilarious show about people of faith dealing with loss and trying to raise some money as well.  And if there’s a lesson to be learned, it’s that singing and dancing nuns are just funny.  You can discuss amongst yourselves why.  As a child, my family had a “comedy record” titled You Don’t Have To Be Jewish – and to appreciate and enjoy Nunsense,  you don’t have to be Catholic, or even a lapsed Catholic.  I know I love this show.

Putting this show together in a very short time frame has been a challenge not just for me – but for the cast.  They have done an amazing job in the limited time we had to get this show ready for you, the audience.  We knew we needed actors who could quickly find ways to bring life to these slightly larger than life characters – actors who could sing and dance (well, dance as nuns would dance) – actors who could make you feel their sadness and joy – and actors who would be able to get along and play off each other.  You will be the judge whether these five actors succeed.  I have my own private judgment.  And then we asked various creative people – choreographers, lighting designers, costumers, musicians – to get this show ready.  And they all said when we asked – separately, but somehow with the same voice of incredulity - “how much time do I have?” but they agreed to use their talents which are on display as you will see tonite (unless you’re one of those people who reads the programs after the show, in which case, as you saw tonite). 

We chose Nunsense tor Twin City Squared’s premiere production, in part, because of its popularity. but also because it is a show that has not been performed in this area for quite some time.  We chose this show, in part, because of its preponderantly female cast, and then cast Jim Dobbs as Reverend Mother.  We chose this show to see if our own prayers would be answered and we could succeed where we pay nearly everyone involved with the production from actors to choreographers to stage crew.  We chose this show, in part, because, as the song says, Nunsense is Habit Forming.  So we hope you will make this show a habit and come again and again – and bring your friends.  Indeed, we are hoping to make an annual tradition of a Nunsense show.  So sit up straight, genuflect  and watch the Sisters of Hoboken create a little bit of Nunsense.

Garth Gersten

Director

“Come to our next show – For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf – January 21-24 at the Second Stage at Parkland College.” 

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