"Nunsense" at the Woodland Opera House

On Sunday, Pam said "I've got to leave ballet class on-time, because I've got a show of mine to attend." Then, I remembered, she was choreographing "Nunsense" at the Woodland Opera House (WOH). I decided to see what they are doing at WOH these hot summer days: nothing like singing and dancing in nuns' habits, under stage lights, on a blistering hot afternoon! I was a few minutes late to the show, on account of the necessary post-ballet shower, and so missed the opening number.

There was a lot of stage experience on display on the Woodland stage. Robin Hushbeck, who generally performs at Runaway Stage, was excellent as Sister Robert Anne, particularly in her solo number 'I Just Want to be a Star.' Beth Monet Nilsen, a frequent Woodland player, played Sister Mary Hubert with calm assurance. Nancy Agee was superb as Reverend Mother Sister Mary Regina. Nancy has a classic Scandanavian appearance, and for that reason sometimes leaves a completely misleading stoic first impression on strangers. It's always wonderful when her sunny sense of humor comes beaming through (which it did on Sunday, despite her worries that she might have been overly distracted). Naomi Berg, who has often played piano for DMTC Young Performers' Theater (YPT) productions, played piano as Sister Mary Achi (with Brother 'Shawn Paul II' on percussion).

Kelly Daniells really shines as Sister Mary Amnesia. Like Pam says, Kelly just gets better and better as she performs and gains experience. Having started at DMTC in Davis, she's about 19 or 20 now. She often performs with Runaway Stage, and attends California State University at Sacramento, after having attended University of the Pacific in Stockton). Her stage manner is very bright and engaged: forward-leaning in a target-rich environment, as a military person might say. She dances superbly well: at one point, in tap shoes, she successfully did a series of chaine turns, under Naomi's driving tempo, culminating downstage left (it's hard to terminate any series of turns downstage, where there are few visual clues in the gaping void, and particularly when the pace is fast). A triple threat!

It was a pleasure seeing Jinn Schroeder (Sister Mary Leo) again. I first met Jinn in the mid-to-late 90's, at Sally Forment's Woodland Dance Academy, when she was roughly nine to eleven years old. At that time, Jinn spotted what she thought was a lot of wasted motion among the five-to-seven-year-old girls in Sally's school, and she did what she could to rectify that unenviable state. In her early teens, though, Jinn began to focus on horses. Indeed, this summer, she has to balance her WOH rehearsal schedule with various equine duties in Petaluma. She dances well, despite suffering from a toe injury inflicted by one of her large friends.

In a few weeks, Jinn will leave home to attend the University of North Carolina. After obtaining her degree, she plans to attend Oregon State to obtain her DVM. At UNC, she will minor in equitational writing (I'm guessing that's writing about horses) and theatrical choreography (Lipizzaner Stallions anyone?) Jinn will major in large animal science and - what was it? business management? Teaching management skills to large horses? Momentum investing for hoofed animals? Accounting for ponies? Something like that - I can't quite recall.... Jinn Schroeder has a wonderful future ahead!

A very charming, fun-filled show, with an experienced cast! Go see it!


The Woodland Opera House (WOH). The facility has been revitalized at least twice: in 1895, after the big fire, and again in the 1980's. The ghost of a deceased fireman is rumored to still sometimes affect day-to-day operations there - leaving faucets on, and the like.

This photo is intriguing: the regular pattern of the bricks creates an interesting moire pattern in the JPEG. Maybe if I stare at it hard enough, it'll be like looking for Jesus in a tortilla: the image of the fireman's ghost will magically appear!



The set for "Nunsense" (which is dressed as a "Grease" set, and is loaded with much comedic material for the nuns to work with).

I must apologize for this picture, taken from the back of the balcony: the set is actually quite lush, as all WOH sets typically are. In the first act, someone seated near the first row was taking flash photos of the action, a big no-no in a live performance. At intermission, WOH's Chris Taloff tasked every WOH Guild usher to keep a strict watch for cameras in the audience.

While Chris lay down the law, I went to the balcony, and accidentally used a flash to take this photo. Embarrassed, I took a second flashless photo with the digital camera and scurried downstairs, but I must have shaken while taking it, because it came out all blurry. Then, to add to my embarrassment, Pam asked me to remove the screw from her AutoLock Keychain bob, so she could replace the battery: I lost the screw and yet we were still unable to open the bob (I've never dealt well with tools or technology).

In any event, forced to choose between a crappy photo and a blurry photo, I chose to present the crappy photo here.



OK, it's not a fireman...here's what I REALLY see in the WOH wall!