Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You

Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You is a play by Christopher Durang first performed on December 14, 1979, at the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City. It was performed on a bill with one-act plays that included David Mamet, Marsha Norman, and Tennessee Williams. Elizabeth Franz first portrayed Sister Mary Ignatius and won an Obie Award for the role. Durang, who was raised Catholic, also won an Obie Award for writing the play.

The play revolves around a nun, Sister Mary Ignatius, explaining to the audience the basic tenets of Catholicism. She is assisted by her seven-year-old favorite student Thomas. From time to time she asks him catechism questions, and gives him a cookie for every right answer. Half-way into her speech, some of her former students, now grown up, enter to perform a mock Christmas pageant from their childhood days and reveal to Sister Mary the deep psychological trauma her teachings left on them. Sister Mary's unwavering dogma combined with the absurdist nature of the play add elements of biting comedy.

In 1981 the play was presented again, this time on a double bill with a new Durang one-act called "The Actor's Nightmare." Elizabeth Franz repeated her acclaimed performance as Sister Mary, and in "The Actor's Nightmare" she played the glamorous Sarah Siddons. 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. Others in the cast included Polly Draper, as the emotionally wounded girl who threatens Sister's life, Mary Catherine Wright as the unwed mother, Timothy Landfield as the polite gay one, and young Mark Stefan as little Thomas. The double bill — featuring "Sister Mary" — was presented at Playwrights Horizons in New York City, and was directed by Jerry Zaks. It was a critical success and moved to off-Broadway where it ran for two and a half years. 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.

In Los Angeles Elizabeth Huddle and then Lynn Redgrave played Sister Mary. Thomas was played by seven year old Chad Allen. In San Francisco, Sister Mary was played by Cloris Leachman, Lynn Redgrave and Peggy Cass.

The play's stark criticism of Catholicism eventually led to controversy. Some conservative Catholics were offended by the play's criticism of dogma, and in St. Louis and Boston major protests against the play occurred. Attempts were made to keep the play from being produced, though they were unsuccessful in stopping it in St. Louis or Boston. 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 that law was overturned in committee.

Phil Donahue devoted a full episode of his national talk show to the controversy, focused on efforts to close the play in St. Louis. Video clips of the Los Angeles production were shown during the program, and box office increased greatly in New York and L.A. after the program.

The play's large success in major cities very much stamped Durang as a notable satirist.

In many editions of the play, there is an afterword by Christopher Durang which explains many notes and errata on possible performances of the play.

Movie adaptation

The play was made into a movie Sister Mary Explains It All in 2001 for the Showtime network. It starred Diane Keaton, Laura San Giacomo, and Jennifer Tilly.

External links

• Official site
• Sister Mary Explains It All at the Internet Movie Database

See also

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