Discount Price: $7.50
Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: Normal ship time within one day
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 812.54
EAN num: 9780822210351
ISBN number: 0822210355
Label: Dramatist's Play Service
Manufacturer: Dramatist's Play Service
Page Count: 71
Printing Date: 1999-06
Publishing house: Dramatist's Play Service
Sale Popularity Level: 225350
Studio: Dramatist's Play Service
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
Christopher Durang writes the blackest of grey comedies and tackles some of the most emotionally devastating issues in life, often wresting humour 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
Rated by buyers 
-
I had seen this play years ago when I was living in Austin, remembered it fondly, so I picked it up back in December while I was working on my own one-act play (which I have now finished and feel quite pleased with). Durang spears the Catholic faith without mercy, and this would be hard to watch if it also wasn't so funny. And while Catholics may have the most problem with some of this, other literal beliefs might be surprised to find themselves reflected in Sister Mary and her unwavering trust in herself. Since my play was a satire as well, I tried to take as much constructive evidence from this that I could use.
The other play in this volume is okay. Clever enough, I think it would be more effective on stage. It could be that I could visualize Sister Mary having seen a production of it, while I came at An Actor's Nightmare cold.
Rated by buyers -
INCREDIBLE
---> READ NOW
Rated by buyers 
-
If you think Sister Mary Ignatius is a fun, tongue-in-cheek romp through Catholic nostalgia - be aware it is not NUN SENSE or LATE NIGHT CATECHISM. It is anti-Catholic, insuluting to the Blessed Virgin Mary, and its few laughs end in tragedy. My 14 year old daughter felt the same as I did. It does make a thought-provoking statement about the effect Church teaching (in the wrong hands) can have on gays, lesbians and women, but the Christmas pageant shows contempt and irreverence for something sacred to millions of the world's Catholics. Anyone who produces this play on will not be able to avoid controversy. Definitely NOT for school production.
Rated by buyers -
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.
Find other books like this one:
