''Late Nite Catechism'' (1993) is a solo

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

play Play most commonly refers to: * Play (activity), an activity done for enjoyment * Play (theatre), a work of drama Play may refer also to: Computers and technology * Google Play, a digital content service * Play Framework, a Java framework * Pla ...

about a fictional

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...

, written by Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan. The show itself is a form of

participatory theatre Participatory theatre is a form of theatre in which the audience interacts with the performers or the presenters. Participatory theatre is often used with very young audiences, allowing babies and toddlers to join in with the action. Despite a lon ...

where the actress playing the nun is the only person on stage, and members of the audience become members of the nun's school class. Funds from the play help to support retired nuns in need. The authors discovered that when Social Security was implemented in the United States, the Catholic Church opted out for nuns. This has since changed and social security is in place. However, the raising of funds for the local monastery is always offered to each presenting organization. If the offering is taken at the end of the performance, the actresses encourage everyone in the audience to give generously. As of December 2012, the ''Late Nite Catechism'' franchise had collected over two million dollars for retired Sisters. Donovan originated the role of Sister. For her work in ''Late Nite Catechism'', she was nominated for the

Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...

in New York for outstanding solo performance. She was also nominated for two Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle Awards for writing and performance, and won the LADCC for Best Solo Performance in 1999. Quade wrote the original 60-page draft in three weeks, and over time the authors revised the material. Quade produced the show in Chicago, and in 2000, was nominated for a Los Angeles Drama Circle Critics Award. ''Late Nite Catechism'' is currently produced by the New York-based company Entertainment Events, Inc. They took over the aspect of production in 1999.

Legal issues

In 2011 Entertainment Events, Inc. prevailed in arbitration proceedings with Quade. The company claimed breach of contract and copyright infringement, over a 1995 licensing agreement. Under the ruling, Vicki Quade is not permitted to produce ''Late Nite Catechism'' or her sequels outside of her Chicago territory - a 50-mile radius. This prohibition applies even if the character in the sequels is called "Mother Superior." In addition the arbitrator has awarded Entertainment Events, Inc. with damages sought.

References

External links

* {{iobdb title, 449
OFFICIAL WORLD WIDE LATENITE CATECHISM WEBSITE

Review at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

American plays Comedy plays