Sister Mary Ignatius: Lville’s Latest Reading Play Explained for You

Into the Woods, the Fall Musical that premiered during Family Weekend was a smashing success. In addition to large productions, however, play readings—better known as “Readers Theatre”—have been an important, yet sometimes overlooked, element of the theatrical process. Originating from 5th-century Greece, play readings are a way for stage directors to familiarize themselves with new scripts to help them decide what and what not to portray on stage. Formatted in a workshop manner, the play reading had selected actors sit collectively with the scripts in hand and “act” through the play in one sitting; the run usually contains voice modulations and characteristic flairs resembling the actual performance but otherwise requires little stage movement.

Lawrenceville’s Fall Play Reading Series is a student-led rendition of traditional Readers Theatre. Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You, directed by Prudence Dwyer ’26 and overseen by Director of Student Life and playwright Ian August, details the heavy, emphatic preaching of fictional protagonist Sister Mary as she explores the notion of death and forgiveness. Presented as a stout believer of Catholic faith, she defiantly defines what it means to “reach Heaven” and the “Amendments of God.” Yet, previous disciples of Sister Mary have come to question her supposed framework of faith and if it’s truly righteous to adhere to conventional and traditional doctrine.

 Christopher Durang, the playwright, was a local to New Jersey and notorious for his interpretational work on comedy. Influenced by New York  Broadway since childhood, Durang decided to pursue a career in playwriting early in his high school career and went on to pursue a B.A.in English at Harvard and M.F.A. in playwriting from the Yale School of Drama. Historically criticized for using characters with adverse mental or emotional conditions, Durang was raised in an alcoholic household and struggled with similar mental hardships; through his diverse collection of characters, he sought to bring comfort to himself and audience members who may relate to or connect with the experiences depicted in his plays. He first published Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You in 1980 at a local theater, earning Obie Awards for playwriting and performance, and he presented the play again on Broadway after many unsuccessful attempts two years later.

Over the past few weeks, a small group of students selected through audition have gathered to begin rehearsals for the play reading, which will perform  on November 14 and will be stage-managed by Charlotte Aitken-Davies ’27. This characters include Sister Mary Ignatius played by Irene Fu ’27, Thomas played by Vincent Jie ’27, Gary Sullavan played by Issac Moon ’27, Philomena Rostovitch played by Katharine Evans ’26, Aloysius Busiccio played by Mihajlo Gajic ’26, and Diane Symonds played by Anika Ponnambalam ’25. The atmosphere of initial rehearsals has been comfortable and casual, with a laid-pack pace and inquisitive discussions regarding certain characters’ diction and choices. For example, Dwyer ’26 pointed out that “there are definitely some [interesting] parts of the script… It is important to consider Sister Mary’s internal motivations in order to portray her persona and emotion [effectively] throughout.” Additionally, Jie  and Evans  added that they have wholeheartedly enjoyed getting into character during the first full read-through of the play because they were drawn in by the emotional rollercoaster the plot presented.

Growing up as an atheist, I have always treated religion as a spiritual fulfillment with an open mind and curiosity toward the works of diverse religious communities. Aside from participating once in an elementary school musical organized by an Asian-Christian church, my exposure and involvement with acting and religious life in general have been very limited. As such, assuming the role of Sister Mary Ignatius in the Fall Play Reading Series has allowed me a window into the world of faith (despite its potentially skewed representation of the recent Catholic society as a whole) and what it means to place personal trust in one higher deity. With the collaborative effort and practice of our cast and director in the weeks ahead, I hope to be more informed on global religions and learn to draw my own conclusions on the moral principles presented throughout the play. I profoundly hope that Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All for You becomes a piece that inspires and provokes critical thoughts from—both in terms of what it means to be a devout believer and what “God” means to individuals.

Come check out the Fall Play Reading Series on Thursday, November 14, for an engaging and reflective show!