MEDIA ADVISORY

Mayor: Jennifer P. Dougherty

Who: Weinberg Center for the Arts Press Contact: Erin Cech
2003-2004 LIVE! Season 301-228-2860 phone
301-228-2837 fax
What: Late Nite Catechism ecech@cityoffrederick.org

When: Friday, September 26, 2003 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 27, 2003 at 7:30 p.m.

Where: Weinberg Center for the Arts
20 West Patrick Street
Frederick, MD 21701

Tickets: $12, $20, $28
Reserved Seating
Box Office: 301-228-2828

Weinberg Center Presents Off-Broadway Comedy Classic
LATE NITE CATECHISM

One Catholic schoolteacher plus one blackboard equals divine entertainment when the Weinberg Center for the Arts presents the off-Broadway comedy smash Late Nite Catechism in two upcoming performances-Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

The one-woman show, starring Amanda Hebert as Sister, combines stand-up comedy with Catholic rhetoric-and the result is an uproarious piece of theatre that has audiences from all religious backgrounds rolling in the aisles. The irrepressible Sister teaches an adult catechism class to a roomful of “students” (the audience). Over the course of the play, Sister goes from benevolent instructor, rewarding students for correct answers with souvenirs, to authoritative drill sergeant. She doles out glow-in-the-dark rosaries one minute, and confiscates lipsticks and candy at the next.

Amanda Hebert has been performing the role of Sister at the Le Petit Theatre in the French Quarter of New Orleans, LA since 1999, and has been intermittently performing on the national tour of Late Nite Catechism for the past two years. A favorite at theatres in the New Orleans area and beyond, Hebert is also an established stand-up comedienne and winner of the 1995 Jay Leno Comedy Search.

Playwrights Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan, both of Chicago, wrote Late Nite Catechism in 1993. Donovan originated the role of Sister and is now touring with the show internationally. For her work in Late Nite Catechism, Donovan was nominated for the coveted Outer Critics Circle Award in New York for outstanding solo performance. She was also nominated for two Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle Awards for writing and performance, and she won the LADCC for Best Solo Performance. Quade, an award-winning journalist and photographer, was also nominated for the LADCC Award and boasts the writing credits for Room for Advancement (1994), Mr. Nanny (1997), and the book for the musical Lost in Wonderland (1998). Her new book I Remember Bob Collins is receiving rave reviews.

Tickets for Late Nite Catechism at the Weinberg range from $12 to $28, reserved seating. Group rates are available. Individual tickets and series subscriptions for the entire 2003-2004 Season are now on sale. Patrons can “create their own series” by choosing at least five or more performances, which will result in a savings of up to 20% off individual ticket prices. For more information, please visit www.weinbergcenter.org or contact the Box Office at 301-228-2828 (228-2838 TTY). The Box Office is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m., and one hour before performances.

The 2003-2004 Season marks the sixth anniversary of LIVE! at the Weinberg programming, which has established the historic theatre as one of the region’s premier presenting facilities. BB&T is the proud corporate presenter of the 2003-2004 Season, with Maryland Public Television and KEY 103.1 serving as media presenters.

The Weinberg Center for the Arts, a municipal facility of the City of Frederick, is located at 20 West Patrick Street in downtown Frederick, Maryland. The theatre opened in 1926 as the Tivoli, the grandest of three downtown movie palaces, and was donated to the City of Frederick in 1978. Today, the 1,160-seat Weinberg Center offers an array of professional LIVE! series, including smARTS!, dance, music, theatre, family performances and films, and classic movies. In addition, the Weinberg Center makes performance space and professional services available to a variety of community arts groups, civic and business organizations, and other arts promoters. For more information, call 301-228-2828 or visit weinbergcenter.org.