Review: Sister’s Christmas Catechism at ACT Theatre
The ACT Theatre is brimming over with holiday specials this year. The delightful and funny Aubrey Manning returns to Seattle with Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of Magi’s Gold. If you did not have a chance to see her in the previous show, Late Nite Catechism at the ACT, this is another chance then to see this special Sister in action. This new play is written by Maripat Donovan who originated the role of Sister in Late Nite Catechism.
Once more the Sister is back in the classroom and the audience is the class and like any nun teaching in school, she knows how to handle the “students”. The Christmas lesson is the mystery of what happened to the Magi’s Gold that was given to Mary & Joseph at the birth of baby Jesus.
The first act of the show is Sister interacting with the audience. Sister calls on a lot of students from the audience and based on their name explained about a Saint if they happen to have the same name. When someone shows up late Sister takes notice and calls them out asking why they were late. Sister was able to quip and ad-lib about the Saint’s names and current events like any nighttime TV host.
Beginning the show are local choirs and performers singing holiday favorites set the tone for the holiday spirit.
The second act is the investigation of the missing Magi Gold and the Sister uses all the tools at hand; tools and techniques from her favorite TV show, Forensic Files. Sister even has her yellow crime tape. It is convincing and hysterical at the same time. She has to recreate the nativity scene and does so by selecting members from the audience. All of the major roles from Mary and Joseph, including the three wise men up to including shepherds, sheep and cattle and of course, an ass. Sister also provided all of the appropriate costumes for the cast to get into their roles on stage.
It’s nice to have Ms Manning back in Seattle and bringing this funny holiday special to the audience.
Sister’s Christmas Catechism plays now through January 3, 2010 with ticket prices ranging from $30-$35. For more info and tickets, visit www.acttheatre.org.
– Ethel W.
