BWW Reviews: SISTER'S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM - The Mystery of the Magi's Gold Is Pure Fun At Stages Repertory Theatre

What do you get what you put a nun on a stage in a classroom setting, throw in some Christmas carols, some clever homemade-by-the-seat-of-your-pants nativity costumes and an audience of willing (and maybe not so willing) volunteers? A night of hilarity. Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold is a Christmas gift to theatre-goers looking to infuse some humor into their holidays. Christmas can be funny! And Denise Fennell is very, very funny as Sister, pontificating on the details of Mary and Joseph's experience, tutoring her class (we, the audience) in Catholic rigamarole and culture, and awarding hilarious little "prizes" for good students with the right answers.

Fennell is a gifted comedienne and dives head-first into the role of Sister, a down-to-earth nun who teaches her class with comedic candor and unexpected quips. Sister's Christmas Catechism works very well in the Stages Arena Theater. In the relatively intimate setting Fennell is easy to hear, even amidst the continuous laughter from the audience, and it is surely continuous. Fennel has a warm stage presence and manner, and she embraces the audience in her skillful performance.
Most of the show is scripted by writer and actress Maripat Donovan, with Jane Morris and Marc Silva. But there is plenty of leniency here, and Fennel's improv skills are admirable. Audience jibing is all in good fun, never abrasive, with the feeling of an eccentric, "tough love" kind of mothering. You get the sense that Fennell honors Catholicism while poking gentle fun at it at the same time. And if you're not Catholic? That's okay, she assures us, no one's in trouble.

The second act largely centers on a mystery- who stole the Magi's gold? Sister grabs audience members to portray the traditional nativity characters, and then things get really funny. Sister is very creative in putting together makeshift costumes, and the effect is a rag tag nativity that brings to mind elementary school Christmas plays, with the same tendency toward effortless hilarity. In the end, we are led to the answer of the mystery through Sister's nifty, if simplistic, crime scene investigative skills.

Watching Catechism is like stumbling onto the set of the Carol Burnett Show, with that same kind of generous spirit and sense of play. Tis the season to laugh and be a kid again. Get your tickets soon!

For tickets, go to: http://stagestheatre.com/shows/#sisters-christmas-catechism

Up next? Denise Fennell will be starring in The Search For Intelligent Life In The Universe. This production opens at Stages Repertory Theatre January 20 and will run through February 15, 2015.

Photo courtesy of Stages Repertory Theatre

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