Meet Shelley Barnes of Nunsense

Shelley Barnes is very glad to be returning to the stage at Strauss.  Nunsense has always been a favorite musical of hers, and she is thrilled to be playing Reverend Mother, Sister Mary Regina.  Shelley was last on stage as Addie Mae in Cover of Life, and also appeared in The Producers and Gypsy.  Outside of the theater, she has three grandkids, two daughters, a dog, two cats, and a tortoise.

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

Meet Brenna Prewitt of Nunsense

Brenna is a current resident of Ruston, LA and a student at LA Tech studying graphic design. She has performed all over the state in various shows, but this is her Strauss debut.

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

Meet Chanley Patterson of Nunsense

Chanley Patterson is a freshman at Louisiana Tech University double majoring in Liberal Arts (Vocal Performance) and Human Development & Family Science. Chanley literally grew up on the Strauss Youth Academy for the Arts stage and, between SYAA, Ruston Community Theatre, and Strauss Main Stage, has been in over 40 productions. Her first lead role was that of Annie in SYAA’s production of Annie. The last two years have been especially full of fantastic opportunities. Chanley was cast as Elsa in Frozen, Jr., Meg March in Little Women the Musical, Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Jr., Ariel in The Little Mermaid, Mayzie La Bird in Seussical the Musical, Jr., Kathy Seldin in Singin’ in the Rain, Jr., and was able to wrap up her high school career with her dream role of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical this past August. Chanley was Amaryllis in Strauss Main Stage’s production of The Music Man under the direction of Scot Baronet and is thrilled to get to work with him again in Nunsense!

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

Meet Emily Stogner of Nunsense

Emily Stogner is a NELA native and fell in love with the theater during Strauss’ production of State Fair in the 90s. She knew then that theater would be a part of her life. She started her acting career in Winnsboro’s Princess Theater production of Annie and has been on the stage since. Emily has also starred in leading roles in Into the Woods as Jack’s Mother, Oklahoma! as Ado Annie, and Strauss’ 90th season opener, Disaster!, as Jackie Noelle. She works as a Digital Media Specialist and Social Media Director at The Digital People and loves to use her talents to help local businesses thrive in NELA and the surrounding areas. Emily loves to entertain and inspire people through acting and is looking forward to participating in many more Strauss productions in the future!

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

Meet Dorothy Donaldson of Nunsense

Dorothy Benton Donaldson is a retired educator for the Ouachita Parish School system and now works part-time for the Monroe-West Monroe Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dorothy has been in productions at the Strauss Little Theatre since the 1980’S. She was in Kismet, South Pacific, Tintypes and many more. She also participated in Cottonland Christmas. Dorothy is thrilled to be back on the stage under the direction of Scot Baronet.

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

Meet Chandler Beard of Nunsense

Chandler has enjoyed musical theatre from afar for 28 years. Inspired by the notion that interests are better when shared in community, she is making her theater debut! She is the music teacher at a local elementary school during the day and is a mama to two little ones every hour of the night. Chandler hopes to participate in future Strauss productions and is honored to be playing Robert Anne.

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

Meet Susan Lacey of Nunsense

Susan Lacey reprises the role of Mother Superior which she played 30 years ago in a production in Germany. This is her debut at the Strauss Theatre after more than 25 years in teaching graduate nursing at the university level and in leadership roles in hospitals and associations. Dr. Lacey is currently a Professor and Endowed Chair for Nursing at the Kitty DeGree School of Nursing at the University of Louisiana, Monroe. She is honored to be chosen to work with this talented group of actors, director, and staff in this year’s production of Nunsense.

Tickets for Nunsense are available at our ticket site now!  The show opens on January 13th and runs through the 22nd.

It’s a Nunderful Life

With the Christmas holiday fast approaching, the cast of our upcoming production of Nunsense needed to get fitted for their costumes.  As all theatre lovers know, trying on your costumes ahead of time is a good habit to form!  By the look of these photos, it’s clear these ladies had a fabulous time with costumer Cassey Bernstein.

Tickets for Nunsense are on sale now!  Visit our ticket page now to reserve your seats.

Nunsense Rehearsals Off to a Great Start

Rehearsals for our next mainstage production are underway.  The casts of Nunsense have moved into their new home, the STAGE!  These fantastic ladies are already sounding show ready as they begin to embody the Little Sisters of Hoboken.  Tickets for Nunsense will go on sale in “just a coupl’a” weeks, so stay tuned to our social media for announcements.  Nunsense will run from January 13-16 and 20-22.

Our 90th Season: Nunsense

Our third show of the season is the musical comedy Nunsense with music, book, and lyrics by Dan Goggin.  Opening off-Broadway in 1985, Nunsense became the second-longest-running Off-Broadway show in history.

Nunsense follows 5 of the 19 surviving Little Sisters of Hoboken, a one-time missionary order that ran a leper colony on an island south of France, who discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, accidentally killed the other fifty-two residents of the convent with her tainted vichyssoise while they were off playing bingo with a group of Maryknolls. Upon discovering the disaster, Mother Superior had a vision in which she was told to start a greeting card company to raise funds for the burials. The greeting cards were an enormous success and, thinking there was plenty of money, the Reverend Mother bought a VCR and camcorder for the convent, leaving her with no money in the kitty to pay for the last four burials. With the deceased nuns on ice in the deep freeze, they decide to stage a variety show in the Mount Saint Helen’s School auditorium to raise the necessary amount. Participating in the project are Mother Superior Mary Regina, a former circus performer who can not resist the spotlight; her competitive but dignified rival, second-in-command Sister Mary Hubert; Sister Robert Anne, a streetwise nun from Brooklyn; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is determined to be the world’s first ballerina nun; and wacky, childlike Sister Mary Amnesia, who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head. The entertainment that they present includes solo star turns, madcap dance routines, and an audience quiz.

More than 25,000 women have played in Nunsense productions worldwide, including Edie Adams, Maxine Audley, Kaye Ballard, Honor Blackman, Pat Carroll, Peggy Cass, Phyllis Diller, Sally Struthers, Louise Gold, Maggie Fitzhugh and JoAnne Worley.

The play and its first sequel were adapted for television productions with Rue McClanahan as the Mother Superior.

NUNSENSE is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com

Join our new season today and SAVE!  Secure your tickets for our 90th season of continuous live theatre and take advantage of our Early Bird prices.  Click HERE to order online or call our box office at 318-323-6681.