Class is in Session!  Thirty-one years after “Late Nite Catechism” delighted Boston audiences for a phenomenal 18-month run, Sister returns to The Hub to teach students of all ages a thing or two about life.

 

In “'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism,” Sister turns her attention to the Sacraments of Marriage and the Last Rites.  Performances run through Nov. 22 at The Charles Playhouse.

 

After previously lecturing countless students about saints, venial sins, limbo, and everything else they may or may not remember from catechism class, Sister has shifted gears to become the world's most unlikely couples’ counselor. So, hang on.  (Sittin’ in the last row won’t protect you!)

Newton native (and powerhouse actress, comedian, writer, and producer) Denise Fennell will be playing Sister at most performances.

She recently told Boston Irish, “I grew up with an Irish Catholic father and an Italian Catholic mother. Believe me, those are two very different kinds of Catholic! There was guilt, grudges, and God! 

“My dad grew up in a hardcore Irish Catholic family and was incredibly proud of his Irish heritage. I loved that side of my family. So many amazing aunts, uncles, and cousins, and always plenty of laughs!

“My Auntie Kay is amazing. Even on summer vacation, she made sure my cousins got to Sunday Mass. You could take the Irish Catholic out of Boston, but you weren't getting her out of church!

Denise began her career here in Boston playing in the interactive comedy “Tony n' Tina's Wedding.”

“All these years later, I'm performing at The Charles Playhouse, right next door to All Saints Church, where ‘Late Nite Catechism’ first played Boston. It's pretty amazing how it all comes full circle.

“I love performing for Boston audiences. They're quick, wicked funny, and have absolutely no problem challenging Sister on just about anything.”

Luckily for those audiences, the good Sister will remain in Boston for the holidays, following up “’Til Death” with “Sister's Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi's Gold” playing The Charles from Nov. 27 to Jan. 3.

 

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Karen Killeen

 

At the Huntington, Harper Lee’s enduring, Pulitzer Prize–winning classic has been adapted for the stage by Aaron Sorkin (“The West Wing,” “A Few Good Men”). 

When upstanding lawyer Atticus Finch seeks justice for a wrongfully accused man, he’s tested by the limits of his virtue and the uneasy work of forgiveness in a world that’s ruptured.  Performances run through Nov. 8.

The cast includes South Dublin native Karen Killeen as Scout.  Karen is returning to The Huntington after her acclaimed performance last season in “The Hills of California.”  

Karen told Boston Irish, "I am thrilled to be back working at The Huntington on such a landmark American story. The cast that (director) Loretta (Greco) has assembled is a wonderful group of people who are giving their whole hearts to this exciting new adaptation. While in Boston this time, I definitely want to check out the Museum of Fine Arts!"

The cast also showcases Karl Kenzler as Atticus Finch. His Broadway credits run from “Oedipus” to “Fiddler on the Roof,” “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Mary Poppins,” “Twelve Angry Men,” and “The Heiress.”

 

While studying for his MFA at New York University, Karl created a one-man show called “Fire in the Head,” detailing his ancestors' emigration from Ireland to America during the Irish Potato Famine.

 

Karl told Boston Irish, “Boston has welcomed me with all the warmth of a small town. Yesterday, I had my first real day off and I celebrated with a lobster roll and a Sam Adams . . . And of course, when my family comes to visit, we’ll squeeze in some college tours for my daughter.”

 

The “Mockingbird” company also features Aimee Doherty, Liam Craig, Ken Cheeseman, Benjamin Izaak, Patrice Jean-Baptiste, Jesse Garlick, Lewis D. Wheeler and Jackie Scholl. 

 

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Boston actors Maureen Keiller, Paula Plum, Richard Snee, Cheryl Singleton, and Kiki Samko will participate in a staged reading of the new play, “Rivals In The Clay.”  

Written by arts journalist Terry Byrne, directed by Myriam Cyr, and set in Rome, the play tells of a group of 19th century female American sculptors who, with the help of renowned Boston-born actress Charlotte Cushman, share studios, models, patrons, and lovers. 

Challenging the male-dominated art circles of the time, the women ultimately risk exposing their own secrets as they strive for recognition in a world that fails to respect the female artist.

Presented by School Street Sessions in The Kennedy Room of the Omni Parker Hotel, the performance on Oct. 24 (3 p.m.) is free to the public, with registration. RSVP at annestarr11@gmail.com.

 

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The Boston true-crime drama, “The Getaway Driver,” will play Central Square Theater from Oct. 29 – Nov. 22.

 

Set in 1970, “The Getaway Driver” tells of two women bound by one life-altering moment.  College student Katherine Ann Power was politically motivated and joined an activist group to protest the war. She also drove the getaway car following a Brighton bank robbery during which Boston Police Officer Walter Schroeder was killed.  

While Schroeder’s daughter, Clare, would grow up in the shadow of her father’s murder, Power disappeared and spent decades on the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Years later, when Power resurfaced seeking redemption, she had to confront Schroeder and the past that shaped their lives.

 

Written by Deborah Salem Smith and Charlie Thurston, “The Getaway Driver” is a rolling World Premiere presented in partnership with Trinity Rep and Northern Stage.

 

Rebecca Gibel, left, will play Katherine Ann with Rachael Warren, right, as Clare.  

Rebecca is a resident actor at Trinity Rep, where notable roles include Desdemona in “Othello,” Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors,” Lizzie Bennet in “Pride and Prejudice,” and Sheila in “The Prince of Providence.” She is perhaps best known for playing Joanne Biles in the Best Picture Oscar winner, “CODA.” She has also narrated more than 200 audiobooks.

Rachael has been a member of the Trinity Rep company since 2002.  You may have seen her in such shows as “Next to Normal,” “The Winter’s Tale,” “Sweeney Todd,” “Ragtime” “Dublin Carol” and “My Fair Lady.”  She earned her MFA at the A.R.T. Institute at Harvard.

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Theatre Uncorked will present Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy, “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” from Nov. 12 – Nov. 22 at The Black Box Plaza Theater.

Set in a remote cottage in rural Ireland, this riveting Drama Desk and 4-time Tony Award winner centers around a manipulative, abusive mother and her 40-year-old spinster daughter, trapped in a cycle of co-dependence and fear.   

Boston Conservatory graduate Parker Jennings stars as Maureen, the daughter, with award-winning Sehnaz Dirik as her mother, Mag. 

McDonagh weaves together light-hearted humor with an ominous undercurrent as the toxic mother-daughter power struggle plays out to a chilling end.

The cast is rounded out by Tim Hoover and Peter Tome.

“The Beauty Queen of Leenane” premiered at the Druid Theatre Company in Galway in 1966.