
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, May 30, 1993                   TAG: 9305280274
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: ABINGDON                                LENGTH: Medium

MAKING MUSICAL `NUNSENSE'

A musical comedy, "Nunsense" by Dan Goggin, will open Wednesday at the Barter Playhouse with a director who has been associated with the play in various ways.

The setup goes like this:

All but five of the 52 nuns in the Little Sisters of Hoboken have been killed by the cooking of Sister Julia. Because the Mother Superior purchased a VCR for the convent, there was only enough money for proper burial of 48 of them. The five who escaped death because they were at a bingo game are staging a benefit to fund the burial of the other four, now stored in the freezer.

"The plot is so outrageous and hilarious that people start to laugh when they just hear a short description of the play," said Richard Rose, Barter's producing artistic director.

Director Nancy Carroll played the Reverend Mother both off-Broadway and on national tour with Dody Goodman. She performed all five roles with a Boston company. She directed the play with Pat Carroll at the Ogunquit & Cape Playhouses and with Alice Ghostley at the Charles Playhouse in Boston.

She also played Sister Amnesia in the premiere of "Nunsense II - the Second Coming" at the Birmingham Theatre.

The Barter cast features Sandy Binion, Be Boyd, Kathryn Cobb, Adrienne Doucette and Mary Ehlinger. Logan Brown is music director and accompaniest.

"The Playhouse stage is absolutely perfect for `Nunsense.' Audiences will experience this musical as it was meant to be experienced - up close and personal," Rose said.

Reservations and information are available by calling 628-3991 locally or toll-free (800) 368-3240.

by CNB