‘Nunsense A-Men!’ Features Brandon High Graduate as Mother Superior

The all-male cast of the M.A.D. Theatre production of Nunsense A-Men! features Rick Faurote, a Brandon High graduate and two-time grandfather, as Mother Superior, a role the community theater veteran said gives him a chance to "stretch myself a little bit."

Playing the Reverend Mother Mary Regina, a former circus performer, tightrope walker, who can't resist the spotlight, "is a blast," Faurote said. It's a great role for doing what he likes to do best on stage, which he said is "to make people happy and to hear their laughter."

M.A.D., the Music, Acting, Dance Theatre of Tampa, opened the show Feb. 7 at the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Art's Shimberg Theater, at 1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa.

Remaining show dates are tonight, Feb. 16, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and are available online at www.strazcenter.org.

The spotlight of the show, directed by Tony Gilkinson, who also is in the show, is on what Faurote calls, "nuns with a purpose." It "begins when the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters," according to a review posted online at BroadwayWorld.com.

"To finance the burials, the nuns stage a variety show benefit highlighting the unique talents of Reverend Mother Regina, a former circus performer; Sister Mary Hubert, the Mistress of Novices; a streetwise nun from Brooklyn named Sister Robert Anne; Sister Mary Leo, a novice who is a wannabe ballerina; and the delightfully wacky Sister Mary Amnesia, the nun who lost her memory when a crucifix fell on her head."

• See Broadway World Review: Nunsense A-Men! - A Blessing in Disguise
• Read more about M.A.D. Theatre Presents NUNSENSE, Now thru 2/17 by tampa.broadwayworld.com

Faurote, who graduated from Brandon High in 1977, said he first performed the year before, at the school, as the title role in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Since then, Faurote has performed innumerous times with local community theater troupes, including Plant City Community Theater, Stagedoor Performing Arts, the Village Players of Valrico and groups as well in Largo, New Port Richey and Tampa.

"I took about 10 years off to raise my kids, being a coach and a chaperone and a dad," Faurote said. "They've all done theater and some are still doing it. It's a bond that goes beyond the [every day]. To show them something I love, and to see them love it just as much as I do, is just so cool."

Most of Faurote's credits have been in comedic and musical theater productions, with a few nods to the serious, as when he played the older brother, Biff, in Death of a Salesman.

Nunsense A-men! is Faurote's first show with M.A.D. Theatre and his first time on stage in a professionally outfited grand theatre.

"M.A.D. is very professionally outfited, the only thing 'community' about it is its name," Faurote said. "They've accepted me in as a part of the group and I've learned a lot."

One thing he didn't have to learn is what he knew already, that it's a really neat thing to be able to make people laugh.

"If people are laughing, they're not sad," Faurote said. "They can leave behind the crap in their lives for a couple of hours while they're here in the theatre."

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M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa Cast For "Nunsense A-men!"
(From BroadwayWorld.com review)

• Rick Faurote, "as the Irish-accented, disciplinarian, Reverend Mother, Mary Regina.
• D.J. Holt, "as the wise-cracking, Brooklyn born, Sister Robert Anne.
• Marcus Blake, "as the bewildered, naive, Sister Mary Amnesia.
• Kevin Lara, "as the young novitiate," Sister May Leo.
• Tony Gilkinson, the show's director, as Sister Mary Hubert.

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Have you seen the M.A.D. Theatre of Tampa production of Nunsense A-men!? Give your review in the comment box below. Have you seen Rick Faurote on stage in a community theater production? Send him your kudos, as well, in the box below.

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