COURTESY OF JIM WILLIAMS

Creighton’s Department of Fine and Performing Arts’ production of “Nunsense” featured comedic storytelling and crazy chorus lines, all while telling the story of the sisters of Hoboken.

The Creighton University Department of Fine and Performing Arts put on their spring production of “Nunsense,” a musical comedy following five nuns and their journey to raise funds for their recently deceased sisters.  

Upon walking into the theatre, pre-show, the nuns are walking around, welcoming people in and talking to them in character about the show. The creativity and fun atmosphere immerse the crowd as soon as they come inside.  

The set was a beautifully crafted diner, which doesn’t entirely make sense to the plot, but is explained quickly. Despite the confusion one might feel initially, the craftsmanship behind the design cannot be ignored — it felt like one was transported through time. And, on the theatre walls were mock stained-glass art that depicted a seemingly normal church window on the audience’s left side. But look to the right, and notice a volcano erupting behind the woman depicted, now with a terrified look on her face. Set pieces and stylistic prop choices add immensely to the show and were impossible to overlook while watching the show.  

The cast consisted of five nuns — one being the mother superior, Sister Mary Regina (played by Catherine Larson), Sister Mary Hubert (played by Emily Stover), Sister Robert Anne (played by Erin White), Sister Mary Amnesia (played by Eliza Neff) and Sister Mary Leo (played by Ava Welter). Together, they are the (surviving) sisters of Hoboken and are welcoming the audience to their variety show fundraiser. 

Each nun had their own big personality. Mary Regina was the mother superior and in charge of the entire operation. Mary Hubert was the novice educator and second-in-line to the mother superior (regardless of whether she wanted to be or not). Robert Anne is rough-around-the-edges and sometimes overlooked but brings a big personality (and an even bigger Brooklyn accent). Mary Amnesia doesn’t get her name for nothing — for the majority of the show, she is trying to remember who she is (amongst many other things). And, last but certainly not least, Mary Leo is a novice nun who is aspiring to be the first ballerina nun. 

The audience quickly learns that they are at the show to support fundraising to help the sisters afford to bury some of their sisters after their cook poisoned the majority of their convent. Their show happens to be in a school auditorium, and that school is putting on a production of “Grease,” hence the diner-themed set they perform in. 

The beginning of the first act is full of backstory — and the audience should do well to remember the backstory, as Sister Mary Amnesia quizzes the audience on how they got to their circumstances. The crowd work done in the show exemplifies the amount of care and creativity that is shown by both the cast and staff involved in the show and ensures the fun atmosphere of the show. Seeing fellow students get yelled at for not standing while speaking to a nun, or for interrupting one was not something any audience member would soon forget. 

The first act continues with the stories of each of the nuns — Sister Mary Leo’s dance aspirations, Sister Mary Hubert’s past dreams of becoming mother superior, Sister Robert Anne’s acting and singing ambitions and Sister Mary Amnesia’s encouragement of becoming a nun and her struggle to remember who she is. 

All while these stories are being told, it is revealed that the health inspectors will be coming to their convent, and that, unfortunately, some of their sisters are still unburied — and stored in a freezer, which increases the stress around their fundraising efforts.  

As the conflict comes to a head, Mother Superior is made aware of a mystery bag containing a rather strong substance found in the locker room of the school. She gives the small bottle a whiff, and, well, one could say she was in a rather heightened state of reality and was feeling the rush. 

The embodiment of each character is something that cannot be ignored, and every actress should applaud themselves for the sheer comedy and level of performance shown in the production. 

In the second act, the stress continues, with an unhelpful mother superior. The act opens with a reminiscent song on “Growing up Catholic,” with all the sisters, who go over rules of Catholicism — with a humorous twist of course. They continue with their impending doom from the upcoming health inspection, and this leads to an unlikely truce between Sister Mary Hubert and Mother Superior. While it seems that everything is looking down for the sisters, Sister Robert Anne finally gets her chance to “be a star,” which is both comedic and heartwarming for the audience.  

The biggest shock to myself in the second act was the reveal of Sister Mary Amnesia’s memory resurgence — her real name is Sister Mary Paul, who was an aspiring country singer in Nashville. To make matters better, she was a recipient of a cash prize in a singing competition before the food-poisoning tragedy, which is the obvious resolve of the burial-funding problem. 

The show reaches its conclusion with the song “Holier Than Thou” which says just that — one should “pick a saint to emulate,” strive to be like that saint and achieve being “Holier Than Thou.”  

In all, the performance was a delight — as someone who walked in not knowing at all what they were walking in to, or much about nuns at all, the show was full of shocks, gag-worthy one-liners and even nuns carrying witches’ brooms and scythes.  

The tech aspect of the show was also a phenomenal addition to the production — the light design added to each mood or situation portrayed, and the creative and sometimes humorous use of the spotlight added an extra polish onto the show. The live orchestra on stage also did a wonderful job, and I am of the sentiment that live music always adds to a production, and the choreography that accompanied the musicality expressed each sentiment nicely. 

The creativity and community cultivated in the show is something that shines through production. Upon having a conversation with Eliza Neff and Erin White, sophomores in the College of Arts and Sciences (who played Sister Mary Amnesia and Sister Robert Anne), and Bella Loftus, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences (assistant lighting designer), it was evident that creativity, fellowship and artistic freedom were things heavily encouraged by the Fine and Performing Arts department. 

“I think my favorite part of this production was the people. Getting to work on the show with some of my best friends was super rewarding, and it was really meaningful to be able to create art with people that mean so much to me,” White said when asked about her favorite aspect of the show. 

“Amy Lane (director) gave us so much free reign and so much room to experiment with our characters throughout … I felt like I very much had a space to experiment with the character and have fun with the character, and then later have fun with the audience,” Neff mentioned of her experience. 

Bella Loftus, when asked about what she wished Creighton students knew about the program, she emphasized accessibility and the ease of expression in the program. 

“I would like to encourage people to learn more about our theater program — where it is on campus, and how to get involved because it is a really accessible program. Not a lot of programs allow for major non-major or minors to get involved … It’s such a hidden gem. It’s such a joy to be a part of,” Loftus said. 

For anyone who might have missed this years’ production of “Nunsense,” the shows for the 2026-2027 school year has been announced. “The Trojan Women” will run from September 23 to 27, 2026; “Proof” will run from February 17 to 21, 2027; and “Little Women: The Broadway Musical” will run from April 14 to 18, 2027.