Stray Dog Theatre sticks to its tradition of providing theatergoers an alternative to holiday standards and pushes the idea over the edge with the darkly comic Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You. Crisp direction by Gary F. Bell and a talented cast keep the laughs coming as the tension builds. The play, a searing takedown of religious doctrine as a means of exclusion, control and dehumanization, is perhaps even more effectively disturbing today.
In 1979, in a small auditorium somewhere in the heart of the U.S., Sister Mary Ignatius delivers a talk and answers audience questions. Feeling self-assured, she riffs through questions of philosophy, religion and social norms, following her own incomplete knowledge. A flip chart illustrates her points while young Thomas, a precocious Catholic student, assists. Sister occasionally asks Thomas to answer, handing him a cookie when he’s correct while casting a superior scowl towards the audience.
The oversized wreath hanging from the backdrop is the only holiday cue until four former students arrive in costume to perform the nativity pageant they learned in sister’s class. Sister Mary doesn’t recall the invitation but agrees to let them proceed. The play takes on a darker and more serious tone after the performance as each student reveals the scars and trauma they experienced from the church, delivered by the nun. Sister Mary remains disdainful and unmoved by their stories and circumstances until one of the former students pulls a gun.
Sarajane Clark is self-righteous, haughty and absolute as Sister Mary Ignatius. She’s glib and charming at the top of the show, with a rigid if not always accurate adherence to the bible, a sharp reproving tongue and surprisingly quick reflexes. Tommy Pepper is earnest and eager to please as young Thomas, a boy comfortable being sister’s pet and enforcer. Rachel Bailey is a heartbreaking Diane Symonds, with a story that reveals tragic vulnerability and a need for compassion. Eileen Engel is a sympathetic Philomena, a single mom scarred by the slaps and bullying she suffered. Sean Seifert is in a similar state as Aloysius Benheim, with lifelong bladder problems because he was never allowed to use the bathroom. Stephen Henley rounds out the cast as Gary Sullivan a conflict adverse gay man who tries to deescalate things. He avoided Sister’s notice in class, but his husband wasn’t so lucky.
Bell and the cast expertly handle waxing and waning tensions while delivering consistent laughs and keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, but this show may be triggering for some. Outrage at the religion-based abuse of women and children and doctrines used to marginalize, exclude and persecute others is punctuated with a gun, and shots are fired. These scenes feel more realistic and unsettling in 2023.
Written in 1979, the seemingly prescient Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You is a dark and savagely funny play with themes and undertones relevant in a post-Roe United States with almost unfettered access to guns. Stray Dog Theatre makes a bold choice, executes it well and gives audiences plenty to laugh at and think about long after the curtain.
Written by Christopher Durang. Directed by Gary F. Bell. Presented by Stray Dog Theatre (2348 Tennessee Avenue, 314-865-1995, straydogtheatre.org) through Saturday, December 16. Tickets are $25 to $30.
