Nunsense II, The Second Coming at The Players Club of Swarthmore

Theatre Name: The Players Club of Swarthmore
Show Name: Nunsense II-The Second Coming
Opening Date: April26,2007
Reviewer Name: Charles F. Seymour (Sr.)
Date Review Submitted to SMO: May 4, 2007

An Evening of Laughter - Nunsense II at The Players Club

Nunsense is, indeed, the "Magic Word" for the spirited and zany show at The Players Club of Swarthmore.

We see the "Gymatorium" of Mount Saint Helen's School of Hoboken, New Jersey set for a local production of "The Mikado," but the five-nun cast is neither limited to nor inhibited by Gilbert and Sullivan while belting out Dan Groggins' Hysterical music and lyrics, punctuated by Vania Falen's creative choreography.

The nuns appear solo and in every combination and use their strong voices and harmonies expertly, which means that the audience is in stitches much of the time.

Four of them are named Sister Mary something or other, while the fifth is Sister Robert.

Did you ever see a nun on roller blades? Or a Mother Superior in a sequined top hat hawking stuff? Or a nun twisting and tying her veil to create many different funny looks? Like I said: zany!

Theodora K Psitos as Sister Mary Hubert (who also directed this production), Donna Dougherty as Sister Robert Ann, and Christine Riggio as Sister Mary Paul (aka Amnesia) reprise their roles from The Players Club production of Nunsense I ten years earlier. Barbara Hicks as Sister Mary Regina (Mother Superior) and Kristina Psitos as Sister Mary Leo complete the talented cast.

While much of the show is played and sung broadly for full comedic effect, the second act starts with the very-touching "Angelina," made even more powerful by the contrast.

But zany comes right back for a strong finish–I haven't laughed out loud so much in a very long time!

Charles F. Seymour (Sr.)