- The production was directed by Jerry Zaks, set design by Karen Schulz, costume design by Willaim Ivey Long, Chalfont, photo by Susan Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You follows as the second act, and is the production’s comic powerhouse. Her lecture is interrupted midway by four ex-students of hers, who have come to put on a beloved Christmas pageant, written by Sister’s favorite student who joined a cloistered nunnery. Sister Mary’s belief is stronger in its visionary mania than the ravaged Thomas was played alternately by seven-year-old Chad Allen and 10-year-old Shane Butterworth. At a Christmas lecture, a nun named Sister Mary Ignatius explains to the audience the basic tenets of Catholicism. as educator. The Actor’s Nightmare) was: The Playwrights Horizons production subsequently moved with the same cast to an open off-Broadway run at the Westside Arts Theatre, where it played until January 29, 1984. Sister Mary, one of twenty-seven children--"five became priests, seven became nuns, three became brothers, and the rest were institutionalized"--will not hear of any compromise, and mercy plays no part in her life. Weland. is one of the most ferociously funny young American dramatists, and, - Durang reveals himself to be as angry as Lenny Bruce and nearly as In Boston, Elizabeth Franz recreated her role, taken over by Kathleen Diane reveals that she has brought a gun to kill Sister, something the other three were not aware of. The production was directed by Jerry Zaks, set design by Brian Martin, light design by Marie Louise-Moreto, costume design by Madeline Cohen. It is not one of those “hahaha look at the crazy nun” things, Durang is very clear about that in his notes to the actors. It is a beautiful story. For this reason, it is recommended that you present the play set back in time in the early 1980s. for film/tv writing    Sister Mary (reads) Are you ever sorry you became a nun? power as her moral certainty reaches a climax of insanely logical A bigoted, fanatical nun comes face to face with the lives she ruined through her teachings when a quartet of her traumatized former students return to perform at … and part of the 1970s, but changed after that. File MS-3-23, Box 9, Folders 12-13 - Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You by Christopher Durang : [script] Personal archives of David Renton; Scripts; Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You by Christopher Durang : [script] As the run went on, other actresses took over the role of Sister: Nancy Marchand, Kathleen Chalfant, Mary Louise Wilson, Lynn Redgrave, and Patricia Gage. (This means that the ex-students would have been Sister’s students back in the late 50s or early 60s.) is a manic imagination possessed by Christopher Durang that makes him the In the 1980s this was one of Durang’s most popular plays. (Playwrights Horizon). [note: In Los Angeles, the play was revived in 2004 at the ARK Theatre Company in a production directed by Susan Lee Johnson.[1]. Tickets : ( 702 ) 363-6784. Frank Rich of New York Times wrote, "only a writer of real talent can write an angry play that remains funny and controlled even in its most savage moments. Durang’s writing I’ve seen to date…  Sister also takes questions from the audience (“Why is St. Christopher no longer a saint, and did anyone listen to the prayers I prayed to him before they decided he didn’t exist?”), and tells disturbing and mysterious stories of her family background. Does that mean that people who ate meat on Fridays back when it was a sin are in hell? Only a writer of real talent can write an angry play that remains funny and controlled even in its most savage moments. so that she could have Durang Thomas was played by eight-year-old Ariel Shafir and eight-year-old Solomon Cheifer. Plus rights    Mary After the pageant, it becomes apparent that the four have strayed from her teaching; Diane has had two abortions (the first one from a rape at age 18), Philomena is an unwed mother, Aloysisus is an alcoholic who beats his wife and is thinking about suicide, and Gary is a homosexual. human. Sister Mary Ignatia (1889-1966) Born Della Mary Gavin in 1889 in Ireland, Sister Ignatia worked with Dr. Bob to help admit alcoholics into St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio, starting in 1939. I am never sorry I became a nun. On cue Thomas recites answers to catechism questions and is rewarded with cookies. despite his resisting of Jesuit hellfire pedagogy young Stephen Dedalus is The play darkens as the true motive of one of the ex-students becomes clear. Filmed Feb 2010, Los Angeles CA. 69 likes. Author: Sister Mary Ignatius God Is Enough We sisters are often asked to explain what our life as consecrated women is like. They reveal that they were never asked to come in and merely wanted to embarrass Sister. Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You was presented off-Broadway by Playwrights Horizons in New York City, this time on a double bill with Durang’s There is a lectern, a potted pal, a chair to the side for Sister to sit on. With Diane Keaton, Brian Benben, Wallace Langham, Laura San Giacomo. 62 p., [1] leaf of plates : 20 cm. is a manic imagination possessed by Christopher Durang that makes him the Sister Mary Ignatius, a teaching nun who is much concerned with sin in all of its various forms, delivers a cautionary lecture to her charges.One of them, a precocious little boy named Thomas, can quote the Ten Commandments on cue, and each time he does so Sister Mary rewards him with a cookie. Diane was played by Carolyn Mignini, Brenda Currin, Madi acting The author's Durang, who was raised a Roman Catholic, won an Obie Award for the play as did Elizabeth Franz for her role as Sister Mary Ignatius. students    It starred Diane Keaton, Laura San Giacomo, Jennifer Tilly, and Wallace Langham. plays had done nothing more than bring this extraordinary work to life, it the Artist as a Young Man, where It is one of those grand moments when an unbridled talent finally And he wrote this satiric play, looking back somewhat amazed at the complexity of the dogma he was taught as a child. Sister Jeff Brooks played the accountant in that play who shows up at a theatre and is told he is the understudy and must go on; and in Sister Mary, he played the troubled alcoholic ex-student Aloysius. Website : www.starktheatre.com . Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You was first presented off-off Broadway by the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City on a bill with one act plays by David Mamet, Marsha Norman, and Tennessee Williams on December 14, 1979. a hysterically funny, bitter, anguished, out-of-control moral comedy that        Elizabeth Franz’s performance is nothing short of devastating. She joined the Sisters of Mercy on 1 February 1939, aged 17, taking the name Ignatius, and lived at the school for the remainder of her life. Some conservative Catholics were offended by the play's stereotyping, and in St. Louis and Boston, major protests against the play occurred. Video clips of the Los Angeles production were shown during the program, and box office increased greatly in New York and Los Angeles after the program. Cook Thomas was played by Guy-Paris Thompson, Evan Sandman, Damon Dukakis, Vaughan Sandman, Timmy Geissler. She begins her time with the audience addressing the cold, hard facts of Catholicism, from the parameters of Purgatory to immaculate conception. - Durang also goes into detail about why Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You is an especially bad play to try to update, and , in doing so, illuminates much about the background of the play as well as the recent history of Catholicism. [citation needed]. She thus needs Marinaro   full length plays  First Communion, one act plays, performance She was the daughter of Patrick and Catherine Farley: 1850 Census, Marshall County, W.Va. FARLEY (1599) Patrick, 45-M, Farmer, $1000, Ire.   Mary Ignatius Hayes, O.S.F., also known as Mother Mary Ignatius of Jesus (1823 – 6 May 1894), was an Anglican religious sister who was later received into the Catholic Church and became a Franciscan sister. Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 2019-10-17 06:33:02 Boxid IA1674615 Camera In San Francisco, Sister Mary was played by Cloris Leachman, Lynn Redgrave and Peggy Cass. [Sister It was a critical success and moved to off-Broadway where it ran for two and a half years. Directed by Marshall Brickman. She surmounted obstacles to personally care for thousands of alcoholics over the next several decades, both in Akron and later at St. Vincent Charity Hospital in Cleveland. Sister Mary Ignatius Davies played a major role in the genesis of ska and reggae, the genres which have put Jamaica on the musical map. Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You was first performed on December 14, 1979, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City. the emotionally wounded girl who threatens Sister's life, Mary Catherine Wright as Philomena, the unwed mother, Timothy Landfield as Gary, the polite gay one, and young Mark Stefan as little Thomas. send you to hell (“murder, sex outside marriage, highjacking a plane, masturbation”); and she is assisted by her sweet and obedient student, Thomas, age seven. With his latest, and most highly praised play, ''Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You,'' Mr. Durang has come up with a ferociously funny attack on parochial-school education. rationalisms that oppose it. guest Reading wide-ranging questions from file cards supposedly submitted to … → shows what he is capable of doing. Studio Theatre Production. The Actor's Nightmare (30 minutes approximately) Conceived as a companion piece to the author's award-winning short play Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it all for You (and providing for doubling by the same actors), this hilarious spoof details the plight of a stranger who is suddenly pushed on stage to replace an ailing actor. The truth of this play is very much tied to the time in which it was written.   table If the Ensemble Studio Theatre’s What gives Durang’s play its ultimate kick is the sense that work. She explains, sometimes with impatience, about the Immaculate Conception (“which is NOT to be confused with the virgin birth!”); she tells us what sins Durang was raised as a Catholic, and went to Catholic schools for grammar school and high school. then Peggy Cass. It was performed on a bill with one-act plays that included works by David Mamet, Marsha Norman, and Tennessee Williams. Mary Lou Schroeder 60 years Sister CLICK HERE TO SHARE Your Story of Sister Mary Lou A BLESSING TO SHARE Perhaps this blessing is foremost in my mind because it is daily present: I thank God that I can minister “to the 2’s and 92’s”...the phrase coined by Sr. Catherine Stewart, OP, when she lived with us. Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You was first performed on December 14, 1979, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City. Elizabeth Franz as Sister Mary Elizabeth Franz repeated her performance as Sister Mary, and in The Actor's Nightmare, she played the glamorous Sarah Siddons. Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You" is After her real – and insane – personality is revealed, she still remains all too frighteningly The Actor’s Nightmare, on October 14, 1981. Also, it was more than usually significant in Durang’s career and “feels” full length in its impact. (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Ensemble some of Sister Mary Ignatius’ character is based on her irritation at The play was written and performed in 1980–81. acknowledge the implications of its attacks. Sister Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You is actually a long one act, but it is sometimes performed by itself, which is why it is being included in the Full Length Play section. The stage is simple. The audience has recently been introduced to Sister Mary, an older, READ MORE - PRO MEMBERS ONLY Join the StageAgent community to learn more about this monologue from Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and unlock other amazing theatre resources! There The cast was: This production had a limited run of three weeks. Things could’ve been so different, and all we can do is be humbled by the goodness of God and thank Him with our entire lives that at those moments we … [3], The play's stark criticism of Catholicism eventually led to controversy. lighting design by Paul Gallo, sound design by Aural Fixation, production stage manager was Esther Cohen. would be justification enough. This article is about the 1979 stage play. The acting throughout is fine – I was particularly taken by Jeff The cast (which doubled in Sept 13,14,15,20,21 & 22nd: The first show of KT's … The play ends with Thomas pointing the gun at Aloysius while explaining the perfections of God, Diane and Gary's dead bodies on the floor, and Sister asleep. In the play’s second scene, Sister Mary Ignatius answers questions on Roman Catholic theory and practice. incisive: he has, for the first time, dared to let the laughs drop for book, Durang Actor’s Nightmare], They each have their own reason for hating her; Aloysius was refused bathroom privileges frequently and now has bladder problems, Philomena recalls being hit by Sister for being a poor student, Gary is there on behalf of his boyfriend Jeff, and Diane had believed Sister until her world came crashing down when her mother died of breast cancer and she was raped the same day. The plays…are a joy and deserve to become a hit of the season. grew up in. There were also many productions of Sister Mary Ignatius around the country. to be placed in time so that she would have been a nun for a fairly long Sister grabs a gun from behind her lectern and shoots Diane in self-defense. Mary Ignatius must be completely sincere, whether or not you think she is bonkers or not. “myrmidon” means “an unquestioning follower”]. Half-way into her speech, four of her former students, Gary Sullivan, Diane Symonds, Philomena Rostovich, and Aloysius Benheim, enter dressed as St. Joseph, The Virgin Mary, and two halves of a camel. Durang won a 1980 Obie award for writing the play, and Ms. Franz won a 1980 Obie award for her performance. One of them, a precocious little boy named Thomas, can quote the Ten Commandments on cue, and each time he does so Sister Mary … Download Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You Study Guide Subscribe Now Sister Mary Ignatius, a nun and fifth grade teacher at what she calls Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow School. It is a beautiful story. (Ensemble Studio Theatre), Gregory Grove, Ann McDonough Sister Mary was on the 10 best lists of the New York Times, the New York Post, and Time Magazine, and received almost universally glowing reviews. Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You was first presented off-off Broadway by the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City on a bill with one act plays by David Mamet, Marsha Norman, and Tennessee Williams on December 14, 1979. There is also an easel on … Jerry Zaks’s direction gives color and nuance to the play, and   bio  Barnes, New York Post myrmidon. (Ensemble Studio Theatre). Meet Sister Mary Ellen (Mary Ignatius) Howard – 60-Year Jubilarian Posted on June 8, 2020 June 11, 2020 by Rachael Bertone Mary Ellen Howard’s choice to enter the religious life wasn’t entirely supported by her father, who responded to her declaration of vocation with “You’re not the type. Aloysius was played by Christopher Durang, Brian Keeler, John Short. Mark Stefan, Elizabeth Franz Though much of the Catholic Church’s dogma (especially as regards sexuality) has remained the same, the manner of teaching in Catholic schools has changed, as well as its monolithic nature. It was performed on a bill with one-act plays that included works by David Mamet, Marsha Norman, and Tennessee Williams. He writes . Then she points to drawings of heaven, hell and purgatory. Enter Sister Mary Ignatius, dressed in an old-fashioned nun’s habit. (reads) It used to be a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays, and now it isn't. [2] Lynn Trenning of Art Savant wrote that "the script is brilliant in its grasp of the ironic inconsistencies between Catholic doctrine and practical reality" while noting in her review of the original off Broadway production by the Off-Tryon Theatre Company that the lead's "too gentle demeanor failed to convince me she was the Sister Mary Ignatius who terrified children into obedience". Sister Mary (Rena Cherry Brown) is a nun, a nun with big opinions and a short fuse. Sister Mary Ignatius Farley was born Jane Farley (also spelled Farrelly) in Marshall County, (West) Va. on December 5, 1841. Elizabeth Franz as Sister It has the sting of a revenge drama, even as it rides waves of demonic laughter. Council challenged and tried to change. 1960s and part of the 1970s, but changed after that. The classic treatment of this theme is Joyce’s A Portrait of jolliest maverick of the younger American playwrights. The object of his lacerating laughter is the Roman Catholic Church second round of Invitational short Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You confirms that Christopher Durang is just such a writer". Elizabeth Franz was marvelous as the acid-souled Sister Mary Ignatius, and Mary is his most ferociously funny the liberal Ecumenical Council and how it had changed the Church she is one of the most ferociously funny young American dramatists, and Sister Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You runs Dec. 15-18 at Denny & Lee's Magic Studio, 5115 Industrial Rd., Las Vegas. The Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You Community Note includes chapter-by-chapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. THE STORY: Sister Mary Ignatius, a teaching nun who is much concerned with sin in all of its various forms, delivers a cautionary lecture to her charges. grown to love the old-fashioned, stricter Church that the Ecumenical . Durang’s "Sister She also shoots Gary, proclaiming that she has sent him to heaven, as he went to confession earlier that day. Click here to read Essay on Updating. Notable ones were in Los Angeles starring Elizabeth Huddle as Sister, later taken over by Lynn Redgrave and Valerie Curtin. And it is only after attempted murder, self-defense, and an additional murder (for “good reasons”) that Sister is able to continue on with her lecture. In Los Angeles, Elizabeth Huddle and then Lynn Redgrave played Sister Mary. accused by a friend of being “supersaturated with the religion in which "Sister Mary Ignatius," which won the 1981 Obie Award, is his most controversial and most pointed indictment of the church. [His] most consistently clever and deeply felt work yet. Or what? part of his play in order to make his audience squirm. Others in the cast included Polly Draper, as Diane. During this run of Actor’s and Sister Mary, many actors took over the roles. the figure of Sister Mary accumulates a terrifying comic The four remind Sister that she had asked them to come in and perform the pageant they once performed in her class. . Gary was played by Jeffrey Hayenga, Mark Herrier, Kevin O’Rourke. The play was made into a movie, Sister Mary Explains It All, in 2001 for the Showtime network. Brooks as the beleagured and confounded Hamlet [in the curtain raiser The The pageant is clearly the work of an innocent child’s brain, but sounds slightly off with adults presenting it. Clive stands as a rebuke to all “bad taste humor” which refuses to In 1981, the play was presented again, this time on a double bill with a new Durang one-act, The Actor's Nightmare. ← Previous Post: ‘After a prayer meeting, when evangelical leaders laid their hands on him, Trump allegedly said: ‘Can you believe that bulls***?Can you believe people believe that bulls***?’ | Next Post: Habemus Chrysalis! The teaching and dogma that the play satirizes was true in the 1950s and Durang, who was raised a Roman Catholic, won an Obie Award for the play as did Elizabeth Franz for her role as Sister Mary Ignatius. The double bill — featuring Sister Mary — was presented at Playwrights Horizons in New York City and was directed by Jerry Zaks. The role of Sister Mary was later played by Nancy Marchand, Mary Louise Wilson, Kathleen Chalfont, Lynn Redgrave, Patricia Gage. She then points the gun at Aloysius, who needs to go to the bathroom, before handing it to Thomas to take a nap. Philomena was played by Deborah Rush, Alice Playten, Cynthia Darlow, Winnie Holzman, Angee Cockcroft. "Sister Mary Ignatius" confirms that Christopher Durang is just such a writer. Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, photo by Charles Ann Lippert in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You by Christopher Durang. In St. Louis, two state senators attempted to pass a law penalizing theatres that did not promise not to present plays people might find offensive, but after much publicity, the bill failed in committee. -  Frank Rich, The New York Times. She points to drawings of the earth, moon and sun. Ms. Franz is brilliant. an ingratiating child actor, Mark Stefan, as Sister Mary’s youthful Sister Mary Ignatius, a strict and zealous nun, has just learned that READ MORE - PRO MEMBERS ONLY Join the StageAgent community to learn more about this monologue from Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You and unlock other amazing theatre resources! - time throughout the 1950s (and even late 40s?) Mary] struck me as the best piece of her death by St. Ignatius Province Archives including biographical information and descriptions of her art works, exhibits, and memorial efforts such as Galerie Trinitas on the College of Great Falls campus. Sister Mary Ignatius is giving a lecture. Sister is of indeterminate age, though probably anywhere from 45 to a vigorous 65. Sr. Joseph Andrew Bogdanowicz: Sister Mary Ignatius, thank you. Sister Mary Ignatius sweeps on stage, in full habit, and talks at us for 10 pages in an uninterrupted (VERY FUNNY) monologue. Our Lady of Peace School, And afterward, as Sister chats with her unexpected visitors, her attitude darkens and darkens as she realizes all of these students have fallen away from the church’s teachings – one is an unwed mother, one is gay, one has had abortions. .. . Born Della Mary Gavin in 1889 in Ireland, Sister Ignatia worked with Dr. Bob to help admit alcoholics into St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio, starting in 1939. Terry Curtis Fox, Village Voice (on Ensemble Studio Theatre production). Rights: Dramatists Play Service, home  Phil Donahue devoted a full episode of his national talk show to the controversy, focused on efforts to close the play in St. Louis. jolliest maverick of the younger American playwrights. Born Mary Davies in Innswood, Saint Catherine Parish, Jamaica, Davies was baptised at the St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church in Spanish Town, and went to the St. Catherine Elementary School. New Providence, New Jersey, Cast: 3 male, 3 female, 6 total. work    Actor's Nightmare/Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, Panama City, Florida. Terry Curtis Fox, Village Voice (on Ensemble Studio Theatre production), There   published plays  From time to time, she asks him catechism questions and gives him a cookie for every right answer. Extent: .42 linear feet (1 box) BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE Sister Mary Trinitas (3539) 1 was born Rosalba Marie Morin on June 18, 1908 in Crookston, interviews & essays    After her family moved to Kingston, she attended Mico Elementary School and later the Alpha Academy, the girls' high school attached to the Alpha Boys School. Points to drawings of the most ferociously funny work when an unbridled talent finally shows what is., many actors took over the roles ate meat on Fridays back when was! By Guy-Paris Thompson, Evan Sandman, Timmy Geissler but sounds slightly off with adults presenting it is... 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