TRACY HARRIS Staff Writer
Opening weekend is here and the cast has been preparing for months. Local talent is returning to the Marshall County Community Theatre (MCCT) stage for this one. Mother Superior and the four nuns Sister Mary Hubert, Sister Mary Amnesia, Sister Mary Leo, and Sister Robert Anne are ready to entertain!
L to R: Lauren Whittle, Alva Cavnar and Caroline Bailey during rehearsal
The show features live music with three instruments. It is an all-adult cast. Understudy Night, the night where all understudies will perform lead roles, is Friday, August 2, 2024. Understudies Kristina Enlow (Robert Anne), Araya Green (Mary Amnesia), and Lily Grover (Mary Leo) will go from being in the background ensemble to playing the lead roles for one night only!
There are a few things you should know about the MCCT, or the Dixie, as some call it. There are lots of performers who are connected by familial relations- some are multi-generational, others by marriage. The history of the place is fascinating – some even say it is haunted. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 28, 2021.
Most people who go on the MCCT stage once, keep coming back – the Nunsense cast included.
Alva Cavnar, a retired Marshall County schoolteacher, has been a part of the Dixie since 1986. She’s done just about everything on and off stage from stagehand, costumer, ensemble, director, and more. In this show, she is producer and she plays Mother Superior. She played this role when the show was here in 2000. It’s a bit different this go round according to Cavnar. It has been more than two decades, after all.
“I’m really excited to have the opportunity to do this again with a younger cast. They really keep me on my toes,” Cavnar said. She admits it’s a lot harder to remember the lines this go round and attributes that to her age. The Post knows you should not never tell a lady’s age; so, we will keep the Mother’s secret.
The very first time that Lauren Whittle acted at the Dixie, she met Cavnar. At 14 years old, Whittle had a dancing part but a year or two later she acted in Guys & Dolls and Cavnar was director. Whittle did a lot of shows after that, but she took a break to do what she calls “the mom thing.”
Lauren is playing Mary Amnesia and the name hints at the biggest flaw of the character; however, she resonates with the role. “I have three kids so I’m stretched thin. I’m constantly forgetting things. But I can also relate to the softheartedness and her ability to be quirky and funny too. I really enjoy playing this character.”
She admits it’s challenging to find balance between work life, home life, her hobbies, and volunteering – the things most important to her. She just returned to the stage last year for Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. Whittle is the daughter of Elise Dumser, the Music Director for Nunsense.
The entire show features live music, shown is Musical Director Elise Dumser
Mary Leo is played by Melia Young, a Forrest graduate, who is familiar with the stage too. Young is 19 and will be a sophomore this fall at Columbia State. She was in dance before she got involved with theater but she has not taken lessons since the seventh grade. She said, “Getting to do this much dancing again has probably been one of the best parts.”
Melia was afraid to consider doing musicals; so, it took her a long time to audition for a part like this. She said, “I didn’t like to sing in front of people. I’ve never been ‘out there’ with my singing. This is the most I’ve had to sing alone.” You’d never know it when you hear her sing. Her voice is very strong and powerful.
Rachel “Jeter” Verdon plays Robert Anne. She graduated Belmont University in 2013 and then taught music for 10 years in Maury and Marshall County. She has directed a few shows over the last few years but has not been on the stage for some time. “This is really my first show with significant lines since A Christmas Story back in 2016. I’ve never had this many lines ever in my life. That’s been the most challenging part for me,” she said, “aside from the tap dancing.”
Rachel sees Nunsense as a chance to “let everything go” for the cast and the audience. She said, “If you can see past the crudeness, it’s a very fun show. Come with an open mind because you’re going to laugh.”
Caroline Bailey plays Mary Hubert. She is a Marshall County native and basically grew up on the MCCT stage. She graduated from MCHS in 2021 graduate and she will begin her new career very soon – teaching at Westhills Elementary.
Caroline and her character are quite opposite of each other. She said, “She’s quite boisterous at times. I don’t really like to stand out that much. She likes to be in charge. I’m not a big fan of being in charge but hopefully, I can get more into that with me becoming a teacher.”
Jessica Newton is back where she loves to be most, as stage manager. This time she is with an all-adult cast. She has lots of theater experience of her own and plenty with her two daughters. With the live music this time, Newton thinks this show will offer something different to the community, something unique. Her role is different this time “with less props to move and less children to shuffle,” she said.
Sherry Gallagher is part of the ensemble. She came to the Dixie stage last year in A Trip to Bountiful, as Carrie “Mother” Watts. She works with Building Blocks School for the Arts in Columbia and supports other community arts programs. Her niche is comedy and whether it is off or on a stage, she genuinely loves making everyone laugh. Nunsense was a no-brainer for her.
Hannah Grover, part of the ensemble, is the youngest member of the cast at 17 years old. She attends Cornersville High School and her experience is exclusively at MCCT. She was in the ensemble of Grease and Joseph and did choreography with the children’s productions of Moana and Winnie the Pooh.
Hannah is most excited about the people she’s performing with. “Nunsense is unique in the fact that it has such a small cast, and I am constantly amazed by the talent I witness from them each day. I joined the cast about halfway through and all the songs and dances had already been taught. Most of my time is spent trying to keep up with them to make sure I’m not falling behind,” she said.
Lily Grover, Hannah’s older sister, is 21 years old. She was also part of the Grease and Joseph ensembles and helped choreograph Moana. Lily said, “This show is giving me the opportunity to understudy a role, which is a first for me! I am most excited to step into the role of Mary Leo on understudy night. The hardest part has been learning lines, I’ve never had to do it before.” Lily is a senior at UT Southern where she is studying pre-med sciences. In addition to understudy and ensemble, she is doing choreography.
Kristian Enlow is director and understudy to Robert Anne. This is her MCCT directing debut, but not her first time at the Dixie. She played Jessie Mae Watts, complete with a southern accent, in A Trip to Bountiful last year.
She graduated from Welch College with a Bachelors in Music Education. Her theater experience is extensive and she has performed in shows of all types since she was a young child.
Caleb Boone is assistant director.
Tickets are on sale now at mcct.ticketleap.com
July shows are Saturday, July 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, July 28 at 2 p.m.
August shows are Friday, August 2 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, August 3 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, August 4 at 2 p.m.
The cast says, “We are bringing the comedy, so bring your tissues because laughing yourself to tears is a guarantee.”
