'CATECHISM' SEQUEL SECOND TO NUN.Byline: - Evan Henerson SISTER KNOWS scriptures. Sister is kind at heart, mean of stare. Sister admonishes more than she chides. Wickedly. And, above all, Sister is quick-witted and thinks on her feet. Engage her at your own risk. You will not get the last word. Returning to a familiar habit for ``Late Nite Catechism catechism (kăt`əkĭzəm) [Gr.,=oral instruction], originally oral instruction in religion, later written instruction. Catechisms are usually written in the form of questions and answers. 2, the Sequel,'' Catholic school savvy writer/comedian Maripat Donovan establishes herself once again as a kind of good will ambassador of naughty wit. There must be lines that employers of Catholic humor humor, according to ancient theory, any of four bodily fluids that determined man's health and temperament. Hippocrates postulated that an imbalance among the humors (blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile) resulted in pain and disease, and that good health was are afraid to cross without really enraging a certain sector of their audience. With Donovan, the line is not - and never has been - a tightrope. She'll zing but she won't twist the knife. As in her now venerable franchise ``Late Nite Catechism'' - which other troupes still perform around the Southland - Donovan is a no-nonsense nun who goes simply by ``Sister'' and who is pressed into service teaching an adult catechism class. ``Catechism 2'' reviews how we reach Heaven and avoid the other place. Sister has a chart, a film, visual aids visual aids Noun, pl objects to be looked at that help the viewer to understand or remember something and rewards for correct answers. The best material, of course, come from her ``students'' in the audience, many of whom manage to laugh their guts out even while being thoroughly humiliated hu·mil·i·ate tr.v. hu·mil·i·at·ed, hu·mil·i·at·ing, hu·mil·i·ates To lower the pride, dignity, or self-respect of. See Synonyms at degrade. . If Donovan and director Marc Silvia are working from a script, the confines of structure don't peek through. It's a safe bet that poor Frank Sinatra (``See, 'Sin' is right there in his name'') gets his catechismic comeuppance come·up·pance n. A punishment or retribution that one deserves; one's just deserts: "It's a chance to strike back at the critical brotherhood and give each his comeuppance for evaluative sins of the past" at every session. And the second act review and clarification of the Ten Commandments Ten Commandments or Decalogue [Gr.,=ten words], in the Bible, the summary of divine law given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. They have a paramount place in the ethical system in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. is a scream. But as previously stated, Donovan earns her considerable comic mileage from her guests. On opening night, it was a practitioner of metaphysical science who earned Sister's caustic curiosity. And woe to those talkers toward the back who Sister was forced to separate. With new blood every night, it's easy to see why a performance like this is habit forming. Evan Henerson, (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson(at)dailynews.com LATE NITE CATECHISM 2, THE SEQUEL - Three and one half stars Where: El Portal El Portal may refer to different places in the United States:
When: 8 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 7 p.m. Sunday; through Oct. 31. Tickets: $35 to $45. Call (818) 764-2400. In a nutshell: The return of Maripat Donovan, L.A.'s Own Sister of Perpetual Humor. |
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