Nuns4Fun Plays Bingo at Home This Easter

Vicki Quade's Easter Bunny Bingo: Jesus, Resurrection & Peeps! hops onto the small screen on February 25 to play to the masses while theaters are currently shuttered. This virtual improv endeavor is part of Chicago Theater Week, sponsored by the League of Chicago Theatres. It will continue streaming online until Easter Sunday April 4.

This particular production was filmed with a live audience on March 15, 2020 before the Royal George Theatre was closed during the pandemic. This is vital to the Bingo production because the nun's material is based on being interactive and playing off of the audience reactions every night.

Having seen another bingo show in an earlier version in person has allowed me to see the various differences between the two, both live and taped. The talented Kathleen Puls Andrade chats with the audience for over an hour and luckily, much of the in-person past production translates quite well without actually being there. The premise is that her character Mrs. Mary Margaret O'Brien is a former nun and is teaching a group of people the history of the holiday. Hot topics are discussed and along the way games are played with audience members who can win novelty prizes in the process.

This Nunn would have welcomed her wearing the habit, but that is saved for other shows made by Quade. Being a former nun does allow O'Brien to poke fun at some of the religious customs that have been inconsistent in the past. The trick is to have the audience think and be entertained while remembering their personal experiences with religion over the years. All types of denominations will be able to relate to the jokes, not just Catholic parishioners, but some terminology and source material was explained throughout when necessary.

Unless you have a bingo card to play along at home, viewers might lose focus, but thankfully, Miss O'Brien keeps things moving along quickly. Andrade manipulates the monolgue in the classroom while not being distracted by the audience around her. It's a skill that not everyone can do well. For those that don't enjoy interactive shows in the first place, this production is perfect for you as you can hide behind your virtual screen and not be put on the spot.

Another advantage to watching it at home is the communion can keep on flowing. So, pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back and be ready for some fun nun entertainment this spring.

Visit nuns4fun.com or call 773-388-0730 for tickets and make their future productions your new habit!