Sister's Easter Catechism

I make it to New Century Theater, at 6th and Hennepin, infrequently, so I was excited to tuck into this small local space for a show on Friday. Sister's Easter Catechism was my first experience with the Late Night Catechism series and I had zero information to provide my friend who came along ("There's a nun. Pretty sure it's a comedy.").  I appreciate the company of brave souls willing to dive into such things.

The show's premise is that Sister is giving her motley crew of a catechism class (aka The Audience) a lesson on the history and importance of Lent and Easter.  There are jokes about the Protestants, especially the Lutherans, and public schools, but the bulk of the humor involves pointing a laughing finger at Catholicism and the terror of young children in the company of a strict nun.  As a result, the Catholics in the audience were near tears in their laughter, perhaps out of joy, perhaps out of flashbacks to their own strict Sister. The non-Catholics, including myself, were delighted, as well, but I'd hazard a guess that the heartiest of guffaws came from Catholic bellies.

The structure of the show is simple, a lesson the first half, and questions/answers and the final test in the second half.  This requires a good deal of audience participation, both volunteer and not-so-volunteered, as Sister points out those in the audience not fit for her catechism class (deep V-necks, ladies?!).  The first half of the show uses this structure expertly, flowing quickly between stories and jokes, supplying plenty of smiles.  The second half does rely a bit more on the audience participation and that is always a crapshoot. Questions to the Sister took a political turn in our show, but the Sister did a great job keeping things light and friendly. There were those in our audience who liked hogging the spotlight, telling their own jokes, etc., which I fault in part on the cheap alcohol available throughout the show. That can be frustrating for other audience-members but it's also a situation that would likely be different show to show. Actress Kimberly Richards does a deft job at reigning in the more obnoxious audience members, but having a healthy dose of patience, light-heartedness, and understanding about the show's structure is recommended.  

The show was plenty full of laughs and the Sister makes sure to keep it pretty safe for young ears.  There were a handful of young teens in the audience and they participated as fervently as the adult audience, so this could be a fun family activity with pre-and young teens.  The show runs through March 31st.  Chew gum at your own risk. 

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