Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You and the Actor's Nightmare

by Christopher Durang

Book Overview

THE STORIES: SISTER MARY IGNATIUS EXPLAINS IT ALL FOR YOU. Sister Mary Ignatius, a teaching nun who is much concerned with sin in all of its various forms, delivers a cautionary lecture to her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0822210355
• Release Date: October 1981
• Publisher: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
• Length: 72 Pages
• Weight: 0.24 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.8" x 0.3" x 5.3"

Customer Reviews

Dissolves the line between comedy and tragedy.

Christopher Durang writes the blackest of black comedies and tackles some of the most emotionally devastating issues in life, often wresting humor from the Catholic upbringing of the main characters, which has left them unprepared to deal with the tragedies of their lives. "Sister Mary Ignatius," which won the 1981 Obie Award, is his most controversial and most pointed indictment of the church. Sister Mary, one of twenty-seven children--"five became priests, seven became nuns, three became brothers, and the rest were institutionalized"--will not hear of any compromise, and mercy plays no part in her life. Four former students of Sister Mary arrive at her 25th anniversary celebrationto find her on stage expounding church dogma, answering questions from the audience, and telling doubting individuals that they will go to hell. The four former students have found that Sister Mary's view of the world has left them unprepared to face the devastating circumstances of their lives--abortion, rape, homosexuality, alcoholism, unwed motherhood, sexual abuse by a priest, thoughts of suicide, the suffering of a loved one from cancer. As they confront her with realities, the confrontation becomes increasingly emotional, and Sister Mary resorts to name-calling, screaming insults, and bullying. The climax is stunning and may offend some reader/viewers. The second play, An Actor's Nightmare, is much less a play than a soliloquy. When the lead actor in an unnamed play cannot appear, another actor, totally unprepared, is forced to take his place. The play brings a nightmare to life, as the unprepared actor, George Spelvin, recites lines from Noel Coward's Private Lives, switches to Hamlet, then to Samuel Beckett in an effort to keep from "drying up." As he becomes more emotional, he recites everything else he remembers--the Pledge of Allegiance, the Catholic Act of Contrition, The Lord's Prayer, and eventually his ABC's. Nightmare and tragedy infuse both these works, which also manage, through their ironies, to tap into the bleakest of humor. The characters evoke empathy, but Durang's quick pace and the outrageous disconnects among his characters keep emotional events from becoming maudlin. His weird wit always shines through. Mary Whipple

Hilarious Comedy

I recently read "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You". I thought that it was a hilarious modern comedy. It was one of the few plays for school that I have actually enjoyed. I think that Durang finds the perfect balance between modernism, comedy and absurdity. After reading works by other modern playwrites such as Ionesco, the more subtle nature of Durang's work was welcome. I recommend this play to anyone who has any knowledge of the Catholic church or even anyone who doesn't but wants a good laugh.

Durang's the greatest

I have recently been in a production of "An Actor's Nightmare" and I have to say that it's the best play I've ever read and will probably never be surpassed in the amount of fun I had performing as George Spelvin. Read this. It's well worth it.

The Actor's Nightmare was great!

I have not seen "Sister Mary," but I did have the priviledge of seeing a high school production of "The Actor's Nightmare" at a competition. Though the acting could have been better, it was obvious that this play is a winner. Go Durang!

These are two very hilarious plays!

The Actor's Nightmare is a crazy and fun play, especially for people who are actors themselves. George, the main character, suddenly finds himself on stage, only problem is, he thinks he's an accountant, not an actor!Sister Mary is an even more brilliantly written play. The performance of this show has been known to make people of certain faith groups leave the audience in disgust! However, I have NEVER read or viewed a more hillarious play! The gist is that a group of former Catholic school students come back to face their childhood nightmare. Sister Mary is disgusted to find out what has happened to her former students who are all grown up now and have very interesting, not so Catholic, lives. What will she do when all of their "Sins" are reveled? Find out!