What’s the Pope’s favorite garment?

WHITE SOCKS!!!

If you’re not prepared for that level of groan-inducing humor, and is anybody ever prepared for that level of groan-inducing humor— then you are not prepared for Nunsense at Damascus Theatre Company. Seriously, those puns are habit-forming! #IYKYK Directed by Keith Edward, with Musical Direction by Paul Rossen, and AD/Choreography by Megan McNellage, this trippy little musical comedy will get you back in the habit of laughing your tail off. It’s sweet, uplifting, and extremely well-done.

When Nunsense came across the digital-desk with ‘request for review’ there was a lot of staring. “Who in the blessed BVM still does that show!?” Damascus Theatre Company, that’s who. But I have to hand it to them— on a communion platter— they’re knocking it out of the park. It’s practically perfect. Not only is it top quality all-round, with everything from the live Pit— “Father Paul & The Holy Rollers”— to exquisite scenery, execution, and overall performance (couple of mic. issues but they were few and far-between), it’s heartfelt, good-old-fashioned fun. And they deserve the highest commendations on both their ability to update the references in the script to land with a modern audience whilst still staying true to the show’s origins and on their capabilities of engaging with the audience on a superior level.

Hand to the Father, when you walk into the Arts Barn Stage, if you didn’t know that you weren’t seeing Grease you might actually believe you were seeing a ‘high-quality-with-low-budget’ production of that musical. Director Keith Edward serves as co-set designer alongside Maria Littlefield (who is also the set painter, set paint designer, and properties procurer) and this pair understood the assignment. It’s soda-counter, Sandy-D bedroom, everything including the cardboard cutout of the car, live-n-living hand-jive Grease. Bravo and Brava! And to create a stark contrast, you get Ginger Ager on costumes who keeps it basic as basic can be. We’re talking penguin-colored habits, folks. They’re nuns to the tune of ‘Classic Catholic’ and Ager makes sure they look divine.

Having that live pit, the aforementioned Father Paul & The Holy Rollers (featuring Fr. Paul Cardelino on keys and conducting, Br. Francine Krasowska on synth, Sr. Julie Pangelinan & Br. Andrew Nixon on reeds, Br. Claudio Ferreira on percussion, and Br. Andre Cutair on bass) is an exquisite touch on this production. The pacing of the musical numbers is spot on, it helps balance the progressive progress of the show’s overall momentum and it’s just a delight to hear live in action.

Director Keith Edward has really brought Nunsense into our modern world and for the better. When they get the show rolling with that brain-rot “6~7” Mary Hubert even takes a minute to point out that the Catholic schools are about a year behind the public schools in viral trends; it’s hilarious. While ‘Rush’ stays the same (I think that one kind of has to because nothing else would work with the expedience needed for that scene to complete the way it does) there are so many other modern updates that just land—and hysterically so, with my personal favorite being Robert Anne bursting in as Elphaba and her “aaaaaaa-aaaaah” from “Defying Gravity” instead of the more traditional vamp from the pit of The Wicked Witch’s Theme and Robert Anne having to melt or pretend to peddle Miss Gulch’s bicycle/ride her broom. A close second is when “Great, now I have to explain Chocolate Rain to Reverend Mother” gets delivered; laughs galore.

Edward also encourages this cast to really engage with the audience when appropriate; there are ample opportunities throughout the performance for some one-on-Nun interaction from cast-to-audience and they are really living up those moments. Even beyond the scripted Sister Mary Amnesia rolling herself out into the house for the quiz. And I must say, on a personal level, I was living for each moment they were throwing themselves out there— especially that ‘attack’ from Reverend Mother! And it’s more than just the modernity and the interactivity that Edward perfects for this production. Full Disclosure (though that’s another musical entirely) I’ve seen Nunsense a good half-dozen times, if not more, and I consider myself to be fairly intelligent. But I’ve never put the connection of “Sister Julia, Child of God” together with Julia Child…until watching the way Edward directed the delivery of that name and Reverend Mother’s cooking section. It’s not like it’s a hidden reference, it’s pretty obvious, it just really landed and to great comedic effect under Edward’s direction. The other exquisite call Edward makes, in tandem with Choreographer Megan McNellage, is the literal God-mic call right before the sisters start their tap-dance routine in “Tackle That Temptation with a Time-Step.” (The Arts Barn has a policy that disallows tap-dancing and tap shoes on their stage floor. Seriously.) And the nuns all come out with their tap shoes, ready and rearing to go! And then there is a literal God-mic pause…so that Sister Mary Postulant (at this performance Bailey May) and someone else from Runcrew (might have even been one of the sisters, I was too busy thoroughly enjoying what was happening to take proper note of who) can bring out tap-board flooring so that the sisters can do their thing! The production is chock-a-block with things like that which help it stand out in an outstanding way, really upping the overall theatrical experience.

But the crowning glory, the true sparkling ‘scene-stealing’ gem in this production? COOPER. Who is Cooper you ask? You tell us then we’ll all know. Somebody’s pup. Some Nun’s dog. There’s a segment in the show that calls for a ‘film.’ And in this production, there’s a whole two or three minute film. Mostly involving this adorable dog doing Nun and Catholic church stuff. The credits on the film breeze by so fast that the only thing you catch is COOPER is the dog. It’s epic. And there’s a whole banter of dialogue about how long it takes to film and edit an iPhone film and it’s just hilarious. Congratulations to the Nunsense Amateur Film League and COOPER, the scene-stealing dog.

There’s also a feature number, with Sister Leo (Glenda Fu Smith) and Sister Mary Postulent (at this performance Bailey May.) They make the cute excuse of May saying her character is just a postulant so she wasn’t allowed to audition for Reverend Mother’s little show…and then her and Smith go into a full-on musical number, accompanied by Father Paul, that comes from goodness knows where but it’s adorable, looks like it’s about to conclude with a proper ‘pass-the-hat’ and is a great way to include a bonus talent in a show that literally has a cast of five. (May wears the Postulant attire, serves as run/stage crew, and shares that role with Chloe Carrillo, though it’s unclear what their alternation schedule is.)

Five— Golden— Sisters! What? Christmas is literally around the corner. At any rate, this fab five— Chriss Barnett Miller, Jessica Bay Graber, Katherine Eden, Courtney Knoerlein, and Glenda Fu Smith— are a real knockout and they are just giving stellar performances across the board. And the tap-boards! Watching them in the opening bid, “Nunsense is Habit-Forming” is a sheer, ticklesome delight. Their voices are bold and robust, their cheer is indefatigable, and good grief almighty, watching poor Sister Leo (Smith) trying to wrangle-in Sister Amnesia (Eden) because she’s dazed, confused, and doing all her choreography backwards, is absolutely hysterical. These five singing, dancing, acting sensations are superior— don’t tell Mother Superior that, though, she rather likes that title all for her own— and they are serving up this really charming production of Nunsense. They read one another, their camaraderie and overall bristling dynamic is perfection and it just feels polished, looks good, and lands with its intended humors for the audience.

Sister Leo (Glenda Fu Smith) is our ballerina nun. Her big solo feature “Benedicite” showcases Smith’s dancer capabilities, lots of ballet positions and little mock-pointe (up on pointe but not in pointe shoes) which is simply adorable. She also gets that first verse in “Lilacs Bring Back Memories” and she’s singing so sweetly over what could readily be controversial lyrics that Reverend Mother looks like she’s about to implode in a panic (watching the pair of them silently play off one another in that number is delightful.) Smith blends beautifully into the trio “The Drive-Inn”, which she shares alongside Robert Anne and Amnesia. She’s the balancing point of the 5-pointed star in this production.

Robert Anne (Courtney Knoerlein) is a hoot, her own breed of chaos, and a little bristly around the edges. Her patter is flawless. “Playing Second Fiddle” is that number that has more words than it does meter and you get every single one of them crisply articulated without compromising the song’s natural pacing thanks to Knoerlein’s superb pattering capabilities. The show is 94% high comedy. There’s two numbers— one with Amnesia and one with Robert Anne— that really tug at the heartstrings with great sincerity. “Growing Up Catholic” is the one that Robert Anne gets to break down her gruff exterior and just exist peacefully in earnest with her path to the convent and it’s really beautiful, bringing some mistiness to the eyes. Let’s be clear, like the show, Knoerlein is comedic but the balance of her genuine approach to that number against her otherwise wisecracking exterior is really remarkable. And the way she dusts-up with Reverend Mother is hysterical.

Sister Hubert (Jessica Bay Graber) has a sassy little edge to her, different from Robert Anne’s but present all the same. There’s a delectable meddlesomeness to the way Graber brings Hubert to life. And the dynamic with her and Reverend Mother is sublime. Graber has the creamiest blend of harmonies going up against Reverend Mother during “Just a Coupl’a Sisters” and they play off one another in that number and really all of their interactions superbly. She’s got a keen sense of comic timing, perfect responses particularly in her facial expressions, and when she busts out the closing number, “Holier Than Thou” you’re in for a radiant treat. With vocals that can raise the rafters, reach the heavens, and bring the house down, Graber is the perfect choice for the role to get that number blazing bright.

Sister Mary— Whatsherface. Amnesia! That’s it! Also known as Katherine Eden is just stunning. She’s super sweet and hilarious when she’s out in the house doing her trivia quiz, is ready for any grapefruit these unsuspecting audience members throw at her, and all-round plays up the confusion of the character to perfection. Watching her tweedle about the set once the “angel swoops in and steals her cookbook holder” is a solid two minutes of hysterical antics; she looks utterly crestfallen and then goes on a bewildered hunt to find the angel and her stand. It’s background scenery chewing at its finest. Eden also has stellar soprano vocals which get featured in “So You Want to be a Nun” and the way she handles Sister Mary Annette, well it’s like they’re attached at the hip or something. Or the hand-butt, take your pick! (Her vocal differential for both characters in that number is a scream too.) You get that other misty-eyed moment when she’s singing through “I Could Have Gone to Nashville” and when Eden hits the epiphany of that number you just feel the spirit moving through her into you; it’s really beautiful. She’s just so much gosh darn fun to watch and enjoy and play with if you’re one of those lucky audience members!

Chrissy Barnett Miller has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand as Mother Superior/Reverend Mother/Sister Mary Regina. Every person who’s ever filled out this role in a production of Nunsense gets hard-graded on the ‘Rush’ scene, and while Miller does all of her stage-flopping, giggle-busting antics with great aplomb, she’s got so many other amazing nuances happening that you’ll find yourself wanting to see the show a second time just to catch them all. Her facial expressions at any given moment are thrilling, particularly when she’s trying not to bark at Sister Amnesia. And her joke deliveries are punny and precise. Tackling “Turn On The Spotlight” she’s showcasing all of her show-girl talents, with some pluck and panache and a whole lotta heart; it’s spectacular.

These five sisters, their Holy Roller Band, and all the assistance they get from the various and sundry involved with the production make for one incredibly amazing night of theatre. There’s singing— excellent quality— there’s dancing— energetic and engaging— there’s comedy— humor and laugh options galore— and there’s a whole lotta heart happening too. But enough ballyhoo about what to do— the answer is clearer than seeing Jesus in your toast. Does anyone still see Jesus in their toast? Either way— you must, must, must get tickets to see Nunsense with Damascus Theatre Company, not just because it’s habit-forming, but because it’s sensational, the perfect autumn pick-me-up, and filled with humor and heart.

Running Time: 2 hours with one intermission

Nunsense plays through November 1^st 2026 with Damascus Theatre Company at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn— 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets please call the box office at 301-258-6394 or purchase them in advance online.