The nuns of Nunsense are not your average nuns; they sing, they dance, they joke, they seek stardom, and they even tell the occasional white lie and use the occasional curse word. This show is an immersive hybrid of sorts; think musical theater meets stand-up meets improv meets variety hour special. These five nuns are endlessly entertaining and are bringing big laughs to the intimate theater on the top floor of the ARTfactory in this production of Nunsense, directed by Jean Tegtmeyer, with original music and lyrics by Dan Goggin.
During the course of this show, we come to see that the sisters have many talents, but cooking isn’t exactly one of them. In the show’s opening number, “Nunsense Is Habit-Forming,” they share with the audience that upon returning home from a trip in France, where they were performing work with lepers, they find that the remaining 52 members of their convent have all died due to eating some accidentally poisoned vichyssoise prepared by their cook, Sister Julia Child-of-God.
The remaining five nuns manage to bury 48 of the 52 dead nuns before Reverend Mother Mary Regina (Kimberly Kemp, who also serves as the ARTfactory’s producing artistic director) decides to spend the remaining funds on a 5G HD TV — much to the chagrin of her second in command, Sister Hubert (Alexandra Curd). Now, with the four dead nuns stuffed in the convent freezer, turning blue, the sisters must find a way to bank the funds they need for proper burials before the health inspector shuts them down. And what better way to raise funds than to put on a show?
In addition to Reverend Mother and Sister Hubert, we also meet the sweet novice, Sister Mary Leo (Anastasia Hanchak), who dreams of being a ballerina. Then there’s the oddball and often forgetful Sister Mary Amnesia (Megan Marshall), who lost her memory and, subsequently, her identity after a crucifix fell on her head. Finally, there’s the Brooklyn-native longing for stardom, Sister Robert Ann (Talya Conroy).
Although not always pitch perfect, the five women each had moments in which they shined. It was the penultimate number, “Holier Than Thou,” a Gospel-style song, that finally allowed Curd’s deep alto voice to find its sweet spot. Hanchak possesses a soothing soprano voice, first highlighted in the song “Benedicite,” in which she sang about her typical morning at the convent while sporting fluffy pink bunny slippers. I enjoyed each time Hanchak sang; I only wish we had a chance to hear more of the range she seemed capable of.
Marshall, as Sister Mary Amnesia, mastered an interesting vocal challenge during “So You Want to Be a Nun,” in which she introduced us to “Annette,” a rowdy puppet dressed as a nun — and the two began to duet. Marshall flipped back and forth between her high-soprano vibrato vocals and the raspy, raucous vocals of Annette. Her ability to reach into that raspy caricaturized tone and immediately transition to a clear, controlled soprano vibrato without breaking was impressive and entertaining.
However, the nun to watch was Sister Robert Ann. Conroy’s vocal range and pitch control were evident throughout the show, particularly during “Growing Up Catholic” and “I Just Want to Be a Star” — a goal she achieved as the star of this performance. Conroy’s comedic performance also popped from the get-go, thanks to her strong delivery and physicality, including grand gestures and facial expressions.
The back-to-back performance structure, interjected with comedic anecdotes and bits, felt like a crazy cabaret or comedy show. Especially considering that everything was addressed directly to the audience, as though we, too, were members of this meta-production. Interacting with the audience the way they did also required the performers to riff and feed off audience responses, inducing a certain amount of improvisation. They further incorporated audience participation through a random Q&A, a raffle, and even passing around a collection plate, at which point several audience members took out their wallets and handed over real cash.
The meta nature of the show was furthered by the set design from director Jean Tegtmeyer (who also served as props master) and her creative team. At the beginning of the show, Kemp, as Reverend Mother, informs us that the local middle school (in the world of the show, of course) is also using the space for its youth production of Grease. She tells us that she simply doesn’t have the heart to destroy their hard work, therefore, our set includes a 1950s style diner to the left, a girl’s bedroom complete with a teddy bear to the right, and in the middle, a wall of vinyl records, Pink Ladies/T-Bird jackets, and a single keyboard that the priest uses to accompany the sisters’ songs.
Our five nuns made excellent use of this set. At one point, a diner bar was even rolled out for a fun cooking segment, featuring recipes from the cookbook of the BVM (or Blessed Virgin Mary, to those in the know). An onstage bed was used for multiple antics. It was hopped on, rolled on, laid on, and definitely danced on. Kayce Schaffer’s choreography had the five women in their long habits performing classic jazz-style movements, including kicklines in the vein of A Chorus Line. They also strapped on tap shoes, each with their own different-colored laces, and performed a vibrant tap routine during “Turn Off That Spotlight/Tackle That Temptation.”
Nunsense is a show of unyielding comedy that invites a wide, diverse audience by playing with various comedic genres and pop culture references that span several generations — references that include everything from the Andrews Sisters, Katharine Hepburn, and Sally Fields as the “Flying Nun,” all the way to Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba, and just about everything in between! Playing now through April 19 at the ARTfactory, this show is for anyone who enjoys partaking in utter “Nunsense.”
Running Time: Two hours, including a 15-minute intermission.
Nunsense plays through April 19, 2026, presented by the Actors Theatre at the ARTfactory, in the Wind River Theatre (third floor), 9419 Battle Street, Manassas, VA. Purchase tickets (starting at $28.29) online.
The cast and production credits are here.
