If the Pope were to see Casey Kurtti’s “Catholic School Girls” at Edge, he would walk out early with a red face. The play is a satire loaded with laughs and tears, both at the expense of Catholic education.
The Beatles and the Supremes were in. The Cold War was a fact. The Space Age, feminism and the sexual revolution were gathering momentum. The times were 1962-1970; and for much of America, they were times of accelerating change.
But not so, not entirely, for four Catholic girls attending St. George’s in Yonkers, New York. For them, the times were about growing up in a changing world while coping with inflexible doctrine, discipline and nuns who ruled with an iron hand.
It is into that mix that playwright Kurtti casts a comic eye with a feeling heart.
The story told is the story lived by the four “Catholic School Girls” — their pranks, rebellions, jealousies, silly preoccupations, fears and leftover resentments stemming from an educational system that rewarded them for conformity and punished for individuality. But also there is their irrepressible humanity, which comes through, not necessarily the worse for wear. It is a solid story, replete with comedy, drama, satire and, to a point, forgiveness.
The sensibility involved is feminine in scope and developed by four female actresses, each in a dual role of schoolgirl and nun and both from the perspective of a schoolgirl reflecting back on her experiences in the classroom.
Pathos characterizes Diane Duff-Croop’s Maria Theresa; a classroom misfit who is bullied by a violent father and picked on by classmates and nuns.
On the other hand, there are only two ways to get Duff-Croop’s Sister Mary Germaine off your back. Do what she says or get away from her.
Theological considerations drive Adrienne Littleton as Elizabeth; a conscience-searching soul who starts out devouring Catholic doctrine, renounces God when confronted with death’s cruelty and develops from there. Littleton’s Sr. Mary Thomasina, however, remains steadfast and strict in point of view.
Hillary Mencke’s Wanda is teacher’s pet and classroom tattletale. Her Sister Mary Agnes is a pitifully senile profile of a nun too sweet to retire. In both roles, Mencke’s contribution shows signs of flamboyance and flair.
Outspoken, mischievous, charming and quick-witted complete Ksenia Popova’s Colleen. As for Popova’s Sr. Mary Lucille, you don’t want to mess with her. She beat a male student’s head against a blackboard for insubordination.
In this world Jews crucified Jesus. Public school is a joke. Sin is original, venal or mortal and a fact of life. The nuns hit up the students and their families for money to keep the Church from going broke, habitually. Prejudices, stereotypes and platitudes swarm like mosquitoes.
Yet, for all the confusions, cruelties and rigidities, this production, under the direction of Roger Kelley, does manage a kind of overall, bittersweet nostalgia.
In the real world, this “Catholic School Girls” is hard to see as education tailored to the times. But, theatrically, it will make you think some, feel some and maybe laugh a lot. Folks who went to Catholic school might well relate to it personally.
Reactions? Comments? E-mail Dale Burrows at grayghost7@comcast.net.
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