Sister, ‘Catechism’ make raucous return to Boston

By Rich Fahey

BOSTON  — She’s back. So spit out the gum, sit up straight and prepare to deliver a precise definition of a sacrament.

Thirty-one years after “Late Nite Catechism” first arrived in Boston, Sister is back to terrorize – oops, entertain and instruct – theatergoers. And class is back in session.

In 1995, “Late Nite Catechism” began an 18-month Boston run at All Saints Church, literally next door to the Charles Playhouse. This fall, Sister returns to that same corner of Boston for a 12-week engagement at the Charles Playhouse that began Oct. 15 and runs through Jan. 3, 2027.

The run will feature two favorites from the “Late Nite Catechism” series: “’Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism” and, for the holiday season, “Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold.”

Fittingly, the Sister in question is also marking a homecoming. Denise Fennell was born in Cambridge and grew up in the Newton Corner neighborhood of Newton. She is one of us, and that informed everything she did onstage at a recent performance.

As Sister, Fennell’s rapier-sharp improv skills are off the charts. When she starts to interrogate the “students” at St. Bruno’s Adult Catechism Class, no one is safe, including you cowards in the back row.

She was momentarily flummoxed when she unveiled one of the “students” as a theater reviewer but quickly recovered, frequently admonishing the reviewer for the rest of the show to “not print that.”

By the intermission of a recent performance, Sister knew almost all of the class by name, their marital/dating status, religious affiliation, etc. She then proceeded to work the room during intermission, chatting up the “students” and thanking those who participated in class activities.

There are some simple rules to follow. While you do have to raise your hand to get permission to go to the rest room, no permission is required to go up to the bar.

And those students who perform well under questioning will benefit from Sister’s considerable supply of “merch,” including scapulas, glow-in-the-dark Rosary beads, miniature replicas of Jesus and one-of-a-kind Mass cards. It is all in great, good fun and groups are especially welcome to attend.

“Late Night Catechism” is a theatrical phenomenon that has grown dramatically since Boston audiences first took their seats in Sister’s classroom. What began as a single show has become a nine-title theatrical franchise that has entertained more than 12 million people around the world.

In this latest installment, Sister has turned her attention to the Sacraments of Marriage and the Last Rites. After teaching countless students about saints, venial sins, limbo, purgatory and everything else they may — or may not — remember from catechism class, Sister becomes the world’s most unlikely couples counselor.

Her lessons include her own decidedly unconventional version of the Newlywed Game, plenty of audience participation and the kind of sharp, quick-witted classroom comedy that has made Sister an audience favorite for decades. Couples are welcome. Singles are safe. No one should assume sitting in the back row will protect them.

“’Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism” will run through Nov. 22.

For the holidays, the theme will switch to “CSI”: Bethlehem.

As the holidays approach, Sister changes the lesson plan with Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold. Part catechism class, part holiday comedy and part mystery, the show finds Sister tackling a question that has puzzled historians for centuries: Whatever happened to the Magi’s gold?

Using her own highly unconventional investigative methods, Sister retells the Nativity story as only she can, enlisting audience members along the way and ultimately creating a living Nativity unlike any other. The result is a holiday celebration filled with audience participation, surprises and Sister’s singular take on one of the most familiar stories ever told. Performances run from Nov. 27 – Jan. 3, 2027.

Again, Sister left the neighborhood in 1996 and it only took her 31 years to come back. And class is most decidedly back in session.

“’Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism” runs through Nov. 22 at the Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton St., Boston.

“Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold” runs at the Charles Playhouse from Nov. 27 – Jan. 3, 2027.

For Ticket information, BroadwayinBoston.com