RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - Rise Up Theatre Company’s fourth production this year, Nunsense, begins. The lights dim, the River City Concert Band led by conductor Tom Seaton strikes up, background conversations fade away.  The musical comedy pulls in the audience immediately with exuberant singing, dancing, story-telling and well-organized pandemonium.  The original production, written by Dan Goggin, opened in 1985 and became the second longest running off-Broadway show.

In this production directed by Gian Montesini, the five nuns are played by Chris Cay Stewart (Reverend Mother), Robert Hansen (Sister Mary Hubert), Courtney Conklin (Sister Robert Anne), Crystal Neher-Evans (Sister Mary Amnesia), and Laura Johnson (Sister Mary Leo).  A surprise appearance occurs at one point by stage manager Sunny Crego, and the audience is also drawn in. Director Montesini is originally from Brazil. He has been in this country for 30 years working in Information Technology and now lives in Rocklin.  “IT is what pays the bills,” Montesini said, “(but) this is a passion – art.  I’m a musician, actor, director.  I started three theater companies in the Sacramento area; I’ve aways been involved since I arrived here 30 years ago, in community theater.  (It’s) fun and community and friendship, and almost all my relationships from friends to marriages have been from the theater.”

“I’m excited that we’re having more options for local theater and local art,” said Rancho Chamber CEO and president Diann Rogers.  “Every community needs community theater . . . It makes a great date night, too.  My husband and I made a nice evening date night out of going to that.”

Rise Up Theatre artistic director and president Courtney Conklin founded this 501(c)3 nonprofit organization after being delayed by the onset of the pandemic.  Now the biggest challenges, Conklin said, are space and money, with money being largest.  “A theater can only fund themselves 40% of the costs, the other 60% is from sponsors and volunteers, and in-kind donations,” Conklin said. “It is very difficult, but I have a wonderful support system . . .I’m only a portion of it; I’m just guiding and taking a lot of guidance from others, too.”

Conklin said that having a theater company is not just all she thought it would be, it is more!  “I feel like I’ve become a person who wants to advocate for a lot of other art groups as well as the theater.  I think we are stronger together, and I never imagined I would be somebody who was collaborating with a concert band, and collaborating with an art studio . . . It is so worth it, it’s beyond worth it,” Conklin said. “It is really hard, it’s really difficult, it’s stressful, it’s tiring, but when we hear the audience laugh and clap and we know we’re bringing joy to people, it makes it all worth it.  All of it.”

Nunsense will be at the MACC from July 29 through August 14, Friday through Sunday for each weekend.  Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m. with Sundays beginning at 2 p.m.  Doors open half an hour before each performance, which has two acts, Act One lasting one hour and Act Two 40 minutes, with a brief intermission in between.  General admission is $17, and is $15 for students, seniors and military.  For online tickets go to www.riseuptheatreco.com. In-person cash tickets may be purchased at the door or at the MACC during regular business hours.

To volunteer with Rise Up Theatre Company, or for more information, e-mail [email protected].