SISTER'S EASTER CATECHISM Comes To Montalvo

Montalvo Arts Center invites audiences to celebrate the Easter Season with the sinfully funny Late Nite Catechism: Sister's Easter Catechism, led by America's beloved ruler-wielding nun.

Part audience participation event, part spontaneous stand-up routine, Late Nite Catechism is a laugh-out-loud series of shows inspired by the 1960s-era Catholic school experience. Its various iterations have reigned for years off-Broadway and in Las Vegas where audiences have been schooled with side-splitting humor. From pet heaven to the significance of those adorable baby chicks, Sister's Easter Catechism will answer the time worn questions of the season like "Why isn't Easter the same day every year like Christmas?" and "Will my bunny go to heaven?"

Late Nite Catechism: Sister's Easter Catechism will be presented 7:30pm, Saturday, April 4, 2020 in the Carriage House Theatre at the Montalvo Arts Center, 15400 Montalvo Rd., Saratoga. For tickets ($52 Reserved; $58 Premier) and more information, the public may visit montalvoarts.org or call 408-961-5858 (Monday through Friday, 10:00am-4:00pm).

Applauded by The New York Times for being "hilarious, well-written, and inspired," Late Nite Catechism is one of the longest running shows in Chicago and US theater history. The original Late Nite Catechism, created by Maripat Donovan and Vicki Quade, premiered in Chicago in 1993 and Off-Broadway in 1996, with Donovan in the role of the Sister. Its sequels include Christmas Catechism, Til Death Do Us Part, and Sister's Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven? Since debuting, Late Nite Catechism has been presented in over 410 cities around the world, grossing over $100 million in box office receipts. Proceeds from the shows support retired nuns, many of whom did not have access to Social Security or other retirement plans in the past since they did not earn salaries.

This production will feature Barbara Manning schooling the audience. Since 1998, Manning has been playing the role of Sister in different productions of Catechism. She spent more than 10 years playing that role in Seattle, making it one of the city's longest-running shows. That same decade, Manning was honored by the Sisters of The Holy Names with their prestigious Blessed Mother Marie Rose Award, and by Seattle with an award from the Women in Film for lifetime achievement. In New York, Manning studied with Uta Hagen, whose credits include film, commercials, industrials, soaps, and television; as well as national tours, Off-Broadway, regional theater, and cabaret. She has produced and directed both plays and musicals, including her critically claimed revue, Women in Tune, in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Manning proudly wrote, directed, and performed for Oprah Winfrey's Stars of Tomorrow. She also starred in Taos: The Movie, which was chosen as the official film of New Mexico, and narrated the critically acclaimed documentary short film A Trip To Nowhere, which exposed the extermination of Polish citizens during WWII. In 2014 she worked with director, Debbie Allen on How To Get Away With Murder.

For nearly 60 years Montalvo Arts Center's Carriage House Theatre Concert Series has presented world-class talent in an intimate indoor setting, becoming a treasured series for performing arts fans in Silicon Valley. Housed in the 316-seat Claire Loftus Carriage House Theatre, the series features a diverse array of artists from a variety of genres from classical to jazz to R&B, rock, plus theatre, comedy, and more. Guests have the option to arrive early and mingle in Montalvo's Project Space ArtBar, where wine, beer, and other beverages are available for purchase before the show.

Montalvo Arts Center is a donor-supported nonprofit institution whose mission is to engage the public in the creative process, acting as a catalyst for exploring the arts, unleashing creativity, and advancing different cultural perspectives. Located in Silicon Valley's Saratoga Hills, Montalvo occupies 175 stunning acres and is home to the Sally and Don Lucas Artists Program (LAP), the Carriage House Concert Series, and a robust arts education program.

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