"Nuns" Run Amok At Bar Harbor Library

Reports of nuns singing and dancing in have indeed been confirmed. However, authorities have said there's nothing to fear; these Sisters posed no threat...except possibly to your funny bone.

Plaza Theatrical Productions staged a showing of the famous off-Broadway musical "Nunsense" for library patrons recently, and if the packed audience's reaction was an indication, the play was a hit of biblical proportions.

Nunsense is the tale of five nuns of the Little Sisters of Hoboken who are struggling to find a way to raise the funds to bury the other 52 residents of their convent after they were poisoned and killed by a batch of tainted soup. This might sound more like the set-up for a tragedy than a comedy, but rest assured, Nunsense instead manages to mine the dark material for lighthearted laughs, song, and dance.

Susan Jeffares not only played Sister Mary Regina, but also served as director of the production.

"Nunsense is a sure-fire money maker; everywhere we've gone, we've always had full houses," she said. "Universally, I think that people love the fact that these nuns are cutting up. These people, who they're used to seeing with such respect, and such honor, and now they're tap dancing and acting like fools. I think that appeals to everybody."

Surprisingly, that "everybody" Jeffares refers to even includes actual clergy.

"We've been to a lot of Catholic parish halls, and they're hysterical...they love it," she said. "Last night, a priest came backstage and was like, 'I loved it so much!' That was great."

For Jeffares, the stage has been a life-long passion for her.

"I've been acting since Kindergarten," she said. "I was originally an Elementary school teacher, and when I retired, I started acting full-time, and I've been doing it ever since."

Plaza Theatrical Productions was originally formed in the late-1980's by Kevin and Phyllis Harrington, who continue to serve as producers. While they originally had a home theater, according to Jeffares, the company has taken on a more nomadic quality in recent years.

"There is no specific home anymore; every single weekend we travel to all different theaters on Long Island and upstate," she said. "We've been everywhere from Montauk to New City."

Plaza Theatrical Productions' 2011 Broadway series includes such time-honored hits as "Bye Bye Birdie," "Oklahoma," " The Wizard Of Oz,"  "Blues Clues Live," and "A Christmas Carol."

Donna Morales, who played Sister Mary Hubert, once chose her teaching career over acting...and that's something she's recently changed.

"I've been a dancer and doing musical theater for a good portion of my life," she said. "But I kind of gave it up for a while to become an early childhood teacher. But when I'm not teaching, I'm acting. I love bringing a smile to my audience's face...if I can make them smile, if I can make them laugh with all the characters I portray, then I've done my job."

Kristen DiGlio, who played Sister Mary Amnesia, also has a long history with the stage.

"I've been performing since I've been really young," she said. "Sue [Jeffares] directed me in a show when I was eleven years old...I'm 24 now, so it's been a long time. This is actually my first show with Plaza, and they're a great cast of ladies to work with."

Unlike many of her fellows, Cathy Chimenti, who played Sister Robert Anne, didn't start acting at an early age.

"I started actually very late, when I was 26," she said. "I was doing it professionally for a while, with tours, and then I got a family, and that changes everything. But they I got into it again when my kids got older. It's more manageable now. I also have a singing act with my husband that's very lucrative."

Lauren Shelly, who played Sister Mary Leo, has been singing for as long as she can remember.

"I started dance training when I was probably three years old, and was part of a children's opera company when I was ten," she said. "I've done some movie and TV work. This is my first actual tour, however, and Plaza is an awesome company to work for."

The company's production of Nunsense, which took place in the Bar Harbor library's basement auditorium, was filled to capacity, and every member of the audience left with a smile plastered across their face.

William Hodges had trouble pinning down what he liked best about today's performance.

"It's hard to say...I liked it all," he said. "I'm a big fan of musicals and comedies. These ladies were great today."

Audience member Kathryn Hager enjoyed seeing the humorous spin Nunsense put on her own upbringing.

"I love the opportunity of coming to a library and seeing a show for free," she said. "Nunsense is hysterical...it brought back old times. I went to a Catholic school, and some of the comments and humor and probably be best understood by someone who went to Catholic school."

While Plaza Theatrical Productions currently has no web site, interested parties can inquire about upcoming plays by calling their hotline at 516-599-6870.