Hark, the herald angel
by
Michael Dresdner
Shh!
Better be quiet and sit down! Sister is in the house.
Yes, go
ahead and rejoice, because Centerstage has brought Sister’s Christmas Catechism, the
seasonal version of the deservedly popular Late
Night Catechism, to its stage. And yes, it is every bit as hilarious,
entertaining, and flat-out delightful as its, ahem… “sister” show.
You have
not seen any of the Catechism
series? Shame on you. Ok, sit up straight, hands in your lap, and I’ll explain
what you’ve missed.
Sister
is delightfully portrayed by Nonie Newton-Breen, a smart, sassy, schoolmarm in
nun’s garb who transforms the theater into a Catholic classroom and the
audience into her highly interactive class. Weaving a wealth of real and
fascinating canonical history into a non-stop barrage of humor and faux
cynicism, she finds willing victims in the audience to harass, reward and
involve. The upshot is that everyone feels like part of the festivities (a few
more than others) and we all have a wonderful time.
Catholics
get to relive their childhood experiences through a veil of spot-on humor,
which I am sure is as cathartic as it is rib-tickling. Non-Catholics get the
joy of peeking behind the veil of a world both strange and frequently
lampooned. Either way, it is a win-win.
Sister
used the period before recess (or intermission, if you insist on calling it the
first act) to locate her best victims and get everyone both laughing and caught
up on the history of Christmas and Saint Nick. There were prizes for right
answers and withering gibes for those who fell short of her high standards.
After
recess, she set up a Nativity play. Using bags of often garish and always
cleverly chosen thrift shop finds, she dressed a Joseph, a Mary, three Magi, a
drummer boy, a shepherd, an ass, an ox, a sheep, and a small, halo-graced angel
crafted from a child in the audience.
The
sheep, for instance, was convincingly decked out in a white fuzzy throw rug, a
matching toilet seat cover hat with office clip ears, black socks on her arms,
and a black cup clenched in her teeth for a snout. Magi sported everything from
table runners and brocade slip covers to a clever hat made of a blender cozy.
Watching
her dress her audience assistants, and seeing their reactions, was a show in
itself, but that wasn’t enough. She then had them go through the motions,
accompanied by song and story, to recreate a living nativity scene, and
ultimately solve the mystery of the missing Magi gold. The music, which Sister
also controlled with an iron hand, came from an on-stage barbershop quartet in
matching outfits made up, apparently, of people who just happened to be in the
audience.
Every
minute of the evening was joyous, hilarious, and captivating, thanks in small
part to a good-natured audience, but mostly to Newton- Breen’s considerable
skill.
In
short, Sister’s Christmas Catechism
is an absolutely delightful way to spend an evening. Now, here are the dates of
future shows in which you can indulge, so pay attention; there will be rewards
in heaven for those who get the answers right.
Sister’s Christmas Catechism
Dec. 5 through Dec. 22, 2012
Centerstage
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