AND THEN THERE WAS NUN
‘Til Death Do Us Part: Late Night Catechism 3 is actually the fourth installment of Maripat Donovan’s phenomenally successful series of one-woman shows (a fifth is due later this year); in it, she portrays a nun in full habit, interactively teaching the audience – her Catechism class – on all things Catholic. Since 1993, Donovan (or a member of her team of actresses) has delivered “lectures” which respectfully spoof the Catholic religion, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality with such aplomb that we leave her “classroom” wondering if she really is a nun or (in Catechism 3) if there really is a patron saint of extraterrestrials. Written by Donovan with director Marc Silvia, the Sister of Perpetual Laughter spouts such a vast and encyclopedic knowledge of Catholicism as to make a Cardinal blush.
Donovan’s themes this time around are the sacraments of last rites and marriage, including her own version of The Newlywed Game, in which couples from the audience join her on stage to test out just how compatible they really are. The results are indeed hilarious. Equally funny is the way in which Donovan handles hecklers and those in the house who insist on remaining mute when questions are posed by the corpulent nun. The evening is truly fun, even for us non-Catholics. The device of actress-as-nun may wear a little thin upon repeated viewings, but I’ll be damned – oops, I mean, darned – if the evening doesn’t delight.
tonyfrankel @ stageandcinema.com
‘Til Death Do Us Part: Late Night Catechism 3
scheduled to close April 3 at time of publication
for tickets, visit http://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org
also on tour; check search engines for your town (sorry, no info available to us)
