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Health & Fitness

Sister Strikes Again!: Late Nite Catechism 2 at the Long Wharf Theatre

Sister Strikes Again in New Haven.

I had the pleasure of attending a performance at the Long Wharf Theatre Stage II in New Haven. I have never been to the Long Wharf before but when my niece invited me to take an extra ticket for Sister Strikes Again!: Late Nite Catechism 2 by Maripat Donovan, I decided to check it out. 

The Stage II theatre is intimate and encouraged the audience participation that is essential to this show. The actress that played Sister, Nonie Newton-Breen, was dressed in full habit and ran a tight ship in her classroom/theatre. And what a convincing parochial school classroom it was, complete with the appropriate religious decorations and furniture. So what was in Sister’s lesson plan?

“Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the classroom... Sister is back with NUN-stop laughs. With the blessings of the archdiocese, Sister has assembled banners, filmstrips, mimeographed handouts, historical facts, and hysterical insights as she conducts her class in an overview of Heaven and Hell, comparing them to a Catholic version of Chutes and Ladders. Sister also offers her personal list of sins for the new millennium. (In case you were wondering, tattoos, body-piercings, and botox injections are high on her list.) With all the wit, wisdom, and wackiness of the original, Sister Strikes Again! is bound to bring back former students and make millions of new converts.”

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Click to view an interview with Sister

Pity the poor group that arrived after the show began. Sister was NOT happy with them. The female patron showing too much skin? She was wrapped in Sister’s sweater, put on backwards no less! Everyone got their own personal copy of Sister’s version of the Ten Commandments to study at intermission and included things like not “scheduling Mass attendance around the NFL, NBA or PGA” and not “doing one’s children’s homework or projects.” Sister actually had a “class list” on her desk and called names of patrons in the house to answer questions. No matter whether they knew the answer or not, all were rewarded with appropriate religious prizes.

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Everyone in my group laughed throughout the evening. People of every faith would enjoy this piece, although everyone who was called upon in this audience turned out to be Catholic. As a former Catholic schoolteacher, I loved it. While parts of the show were clearly scripted, Sister, a Second City Theatre veteran, did an excellent job of riffing off the members of this particular audience and even took questions at the end. She also collected for local nuns as we left the theatre. The show runs through August 21.

The Long Wharf is a less than 30 minute drive from Naugatuck; it is set far back in the lot, which “confused” my GPS a little, and had plenty of free parking. Loads of seagulls reminded us that we were indeed on the wharf. I have heard that the Main Stage is much larger…the large groups of ladies entering that side came to enjoy Menopause the Musical. The next season on the Main Stage includes Molly Sweeney, Ain’t Misbehavin', It’s a Wonderful Life-A Radio Play, Macbeth 1969, February House, Bell, Book & Candle, and Sophie’s Choice.

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