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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 27, 2019)
THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2019 // 9 Katherine Lacaze From left: Brittania Williams, Sue Neuer and Heidi Hoffman practice the opening number in the musical “Nunsense.” ‘Humanity within the divinity’ Although Catholicism influences the musical’s setting, religion is not a cen- tral theme. When it does surface, Hull and Bow- man said, the approach to it is neither preachy or overbearing nor irreverent or disrespectful. Rather, the central themes highlight various facets of the human condition, such as conflict and resolu- tion, the interplay between vastly dif- ferent personalities and the occasional tension between personal goals and altruism. The show also explores the ways in which these devout nuns are, at the end of the day, still human. “It’s really humanity within the divin- ity,” Davis said. Hull agreed, adding faith and spiritu- ality merely influence the “circumstance through which you get to see into each of these characters.” Bowman has a special relationship with “Nunsense,” as seeing the show was his first community theater experience. Directing the musical was coming “full circle,” he said. His goal throughout the process was primarily to have fun with the actors, but also to teach them something they didn’t know, whether that be theater terminol- ogy, stage directions or a new skill. Through collaboration, the crew – which includes music director Darren Hull, choreographer Marco Davis and stage manager Heather Spivey – devel- oped a show full of heart. The benefit at the high school the sis- ters are throwing “is coming from a place of love and hope and desperation,” Bow- man said. A thrilling alternative In contrast to the peppy and occasion- ally bawdy “Nunsense,” director Mick Alderman left the dark, detestable traits of each character raw and unvarnished for “And Then There Were None.” George Vetter A scene from “And Then There Were None.” The show starts with 10 strangers, each bearing a deep secret and troubled past, being summoned to a remote island. As inclement weather prevents them from returning to the mainland, they begin getting murdered one by one according to lines of a sinister nursery rhyme. Originally, Alderman’s familiarity with the production as he had seen it per- formed previously caused him to forget “all the horrible things these characters had done,” as they generally are glossed over. A common style now, Alderman added, is to stage Agatha Christie plays in a fluffy, almost lighthearted way. Although Christie’s plays don’t bear close scrutiny because of their absurd premises, Alderman said she certainly made this show in particular “as dark as she could and put a whole lot of clues throughout the dialogue and stage direc- tions as to how she wants these charac- ters to be played.” Those directions sparked his interest to do the show “more in the tone that I think Dame Agatha intended,” he said. “I thought, ‘I want to emphasize those darker aspects.’” CW Katherine Lacaze From left: Cast members of “Nunsense” include Sue Neuer as Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; Cameron Lira as Sister Mary Amnesia; Heidi Hoffman as Sister Mary Regina, or Mother Superior; Ann Bronson as Sister Robert Anne; and Brittania Williams as Sister Mary Leo.