Portland'5 presents "Late Nite Catechism Las Vegas: Sister Rolls the Dice," the latest spin-off of 1993's off-Broadway hit.
"Late Nite Catechism Las Vegas" takes the form of an actual catechism - a lesson in the doctrine of the Catholic Church, usually in question and answer form - where the audience is the "class" and the Sister discusses topics ranging from magic tricks to table games and the dangers of drive-through marriage chapels.
Late Nite Catechism Las Vegas: Sister Rolls the Dice!
Jan. 26-28, 2018
Winningstad Theater
The premise of the show is the convent needs a new roof, so in an attempt to raise funds the order decides that Sister - whose gambling experience begins and ends with running the Church Bingo for 25 years - is to organize a Las Vegas night with the help of the class.
Audience members are invited to take active part in the performance, as Sister will call on - and chastise, if need be - her "students" to recall doctrine and terminology. A lucky few may even be asked to come up on stage to demonstrate their knowledge!
Fundraising figures prominently into the story of "Late Nite Catechism," both on the stage and off. After each show, audience members are encouraged to donate money which goes to supporting retired nuns and local Catholic orders.
The funds raised are entirely discretionary -- the recipients are free to choose how the money is spent. "I wanted to honor those women. So we have said, ‘You can do anything with this money. It can be your Häagen-Dazs fund.’ They’ve bought handicapped vans. They’ve redone bathrooms," said Vicki Quade, one of the creators of the original show. “We’ve gotten pictures of big-screen TVs, with notes saying, ‘Thank you.’ ”
The original "Late Nite Catechism" debuted in 1993 in Chicago's Live Bait Theater, written and produced by Quade and Maripat Donovan. The show was a success, and has since been presented in more than 400 cities in six countries, and raised more than $4 million for retired nuns and Catholic organizations.
"Late Nite Catechism" is the longest-running one-woman show in off-Broadway history.