- The venue: The Studio Theater
- When the Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The sisters decide that the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show, so they take over the school auditorium. Here we meet Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun named Sister Robert Anne; Sister May Leo, a wannabe ballerina; and the wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun who lost her memory. With star turns, tap dancing, an audience quiz, and comic surprises, this show is habit forming.
Meet the Cast:
Katelyn Lauria
is so excited to join the Nunnery at the Actors Theatre of Indiana. Her previous credits include Charlotte in Cinderella, Mary Patrick in Sister Act, The Wardrobe in Beauty and the Beast, Madame/Gargoyle in Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, and Gertie in Oklahoma. You can visit her website at www.katelynlauria.com.
Rachel Weinfeld
has found a home for herself as a versatile crossover singer in the opera and musical theatre worlds and is thrilled to be making her ATI debut! Noted for her comedic timing and “heavenly soprano,” her previous regional credits include: Phoebe D’Ysquith in Gentleman’s Guide, Marian Paroo in The Music Man, Amalia Balash in She Loves Me, Meg March in Little Women and Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance. Rachel holds a Master of Music in voice performance and literature from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Bachelor of Music in voice performance from Ball State University.
Stephanie Wahl
is so excited to be back in the convent with the wonderful team at ATI. Her credits include: Off-Broadway – Sister Leo in the 25th Anniversary production of Nunsense as well as the 30th Anniversary Cast Recording. Regional Award Winner, Best Actress in a Drama as Diana in Next to Normal and Best Actress in a Musical nominee as Sadie in I Love a Piano. Other Regional credits include Annabella/Pamela/Margaret in The 39 Steps, Abigail Adams in 1776, Lina Lamont in Singin’ In The Rain, Dorothy in Summer of ’42, Z’s Favorite in Will Rogers’ Follies and Laurey in Oklahoma!
Stephanie is also a proud former world-famous Radio City Rockette. Her television credits include Bull, Law and Order, SVU, and The Other Two. You can visit her website at stephaniewahl.com.
Suzanne Stark
Audiences may remember Suzanne Stark as Lita Encore from ATI’s production of Ruthless, but frankly, playing nuns is getting to be a habit! In 1978 Suzanne played a nun onstage for the first time in Sound of Music. Since then she has been the SOM Mother Abbess 3 times and that failed-nun Maria Von Trapp twice – plus the stern and proper Mother Superior in Sister Act. As an Equity actress, for over 40 years she has had the pleasure of inhabiting diverse leading roles primarily at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre-most recently Dolly Levi, Clairee Belcher in Steel Magnolias, Carlotta in Phantom, the aforementioned Mother Abbess, and Mrs. Schubert in Shear Madness. Suzanne is grateful to be back in the habit again! You can visit her website at www.suzannestarkphotography.com.
Illeana Kirven
is ecstatic to make her Actors Theatre of Indiana debut. Pre-Covid 19, she portrayed the legendary Sister Rosetta Tharpe at The freeFall Theatre and The Hippodrome Theatre, both in Florida. A few of her favorite credits include Caroline in multiple productions of Caroline, or Change (Spinning Tree Theatre, KC & Playhouse on the Square, TN (Ostrander Award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical), Gary Coleman in Avenue Q (Broadway World Award nomination), Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act (Broadway World Award nomination). Keep up with Illeana at www.broadwayworld.com/people/Illeana-Kirven/.
Director Karen Sheridan is delighted to be working with Actors Theatre of Indiana. When she is not here with a gang of nuns making theatre, she is in Michigan or Wisconsin doing the same thing. Favorite projects include directing The 39 Steps and Heroes (Peninsula Players); the Michigan premiere of Mary’s Wedding (AM Productions) and Italian American Reconciliation (Epicenter). As an actress–the world premiere of Eric Coble’s The Hat Box, Silent Sky and Chapatti (Williamston Theatre); and The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Detroit Public Theatre). Karen acknowledges the artistic work of the resilient theatre community. And she celebrates storytellers, in theatres and at kitchen tables, whom we cannot live without.
Jay Schwandt is thrilled to be back at ATI music directing Nunsense. He was last seen at ATI playing the flamboyant “Corky Weinstopper” in the show Lillian Baxter and Friends: We Enjoy Being a Girl in 2018. This collaboration with actor, writer, and husband John Vessels has also produced four more shows about the fictional television personality: Lillian Baxter: An Evening with Lillian Baxter, A Very Lillian Baxter Christmas, An Evening Lost with Lillian Baxter, and most recently A Fabulous Evening with Lillian Baxter, all of which have been produced around the country. In addition to music directing and performing, Schwandt is a writer of several musicals. He teaches at Ball State University.
The Choreographer is Anne Beck. Anne is happy to work on Nunsense for friends at ATI. She is an Associate Director at Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre as well as the coordinator for their The Young Artists Program (YAP). She lived in NYC for over 15 years performing on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in First National Tours and regionally. She is an associate choreographer for Yuletide Celebration and other Pops shows for Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Anne is an Associate Teaching Professor for the acclaimed Theatre and Dance Dept. at Ball State University. Performing credits include: Broadway- Saturday Night Fever (original Broadway Company), The Who’s Tommy National Tour (Sally Simpson), Saturday Night Fever 1st National Tour (Stephanie Mangano), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with Barbara Eden. Anne has performed alongside Judy Kaye, Gary Beach, Beth Leavel, Casey Nicholaw, Andy Blankenbeuhler, Rachel York, Sandi Patty, Angela Brown, John Waters, George Wendt. Some Creative credits as Director/Choreographer at Civic include: Mamma Mia, Annie, The Cat in the Hat, Guys & Dolls, The Music Man, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins, Saturday Night Fever and Elf the Musical.
Gillian Norris, Production Assistant, is excited to be returning to ATI for their newest production. Gillian graduated college in 2021 where she studied studio art and theater. This will be her second production with ATI, and she is beyond thankful to be working with such talented people.
This is Kevin Casey’s 8th season with Actors Theatre of Indiana, his 46th year working in the professional theatre and his 37th year as a member of Actors’ Equity Association. Out of almost 200 productions for which Kevin has served as Production Stage Manager, some favorite shows include: Working, A Chorus Line, 1776 (performed on July 4, 1976), Buddy, South Pacific, Sweeney Todd (x2), Murder for Two, CATS, I’m Not Rappaport (with Ted Lange and Fred Grandy), Nunsense II (with Karen Sheridan), The Second Coming, The Full Monty, Evita (with Marin Mazzie), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, La Cage Aux Folles, The Foreigner, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Hairspray, The Fantasticks (x5), Emergency Room, Greater Tuna(x2), Menopause The Musical, Forever Plaid, Amadeus, Tuck Everlasting, Antigone, Angels In America, The Smell of the Kill, Annie, A Year with Frog and Toad (x3), The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (x5), The Gifts of the Magi, and Holiday Memories. Kevin served as a member of the Executive Board of the National Stage Managers’ Association from 2013–2015.