SISTER Returns to State Theatre This Saturday

Late Nite Catechism, written by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan, made its debut May 28th, 1993 at the Live Bait Theatre in Chicago, Illinois and since then has grossed over $100 million in box office receipts. It has been presented in over 400 cities around the world, has played 6 countries with over 3.5 million people in attendance. The show has raised over $4 million for retired Sisters and Catholic Organizations. For the first time in four years, Late Night Catechism returns to the State Theatre for ONE NIGHT ONLY.

The one-night engagement on the main stage is this Saturday, April 1 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $35/$30/$45 (VIP Teacher's Pet Seating and M&G) and can be purchased by visiting the State Theatre Box Office, 453 Northampton Street, Easton, by calling 1-800-999-STATE, 610.252.3132 or online at www.statetheatre.org.. Sponsored by WAEB AM 790.

Late Nite Catechism is, an uproarious piece of theater that takes audience members back - sometimes nostalgically, sometimes fearfully to the children they once were. The irrepressible Sister teaches an adult catechism class to a roomful of "students" (the audience). Over the course of the play, Sister goes from benevolent instructor, rewarding the "students" for correct answers with glow-in-the-dark rosaries and laminated saint cards, to authoritative drill sergeant. These abrupt mood swings are bound to strike a resonant chord with everyone who survived the ups and downs of going to school, with an omniscient authoritarian at the helm.

The Catholic Register (Toronto) said, "The show appeals to Catholics and non-Catholics alike since 'Sister' clearly explains religious references in lighthearted ways while maintaining a serious tone that isn't too preachy and far from being saccharine." The New York Times in 1996 declared "Late Nite Catechism speaks to an audience much broader than the membership of any one church."

Late Nite Catechism was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award in New York and won the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Lead Performance for Maripat Donovan. It is the longest running one woman show in Off-Broadway history and is such in the cities of Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, Scottsdale, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.

BETH BURNS (Sister) is a native Chicagoan and was raised North Side Irish Catholic. All of her sisters are named Mary, and her parents have earned credit in heaven for having named them so. Mary Beth has been playing the role of Sister in the Late Nite Catechism series for twelve years. She graduated from The Second City Conservatory Chicago in 1996, and went on to become a member of their national touring company. She has performed at many theaters around Chicago including: A Red Orchid, The Shattered Globe and Steppenwolf. She received her B.A. in Speech and Performing Arts from Northeastern Illinois University in 1990. Ms. Burns is a member of The Screen Actors Guild and has done a variety of commercials and industrial films. Television and film credits include: Chicago Fire, Empire and Contagion. In addition to performing, Mary Beth teaches Drama at a Montessori school in Evanston,Illinois. Her writing credits include the award winning film short, Old Maid. She's delighted to come to Easton and hopes you remember to spit out your gum before class starts.

For more information, visit www.latenitecatechism.info

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