IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE EXPOSES "INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF OUR PERPETUAL HELP" WITH HUMOR

Private family matters occupy the mind of Linda O’Shea as she remembers her chaotic and comic life in 1973 in her close-knit Irish-Catholic home in Boston. As an excellent narrator, Autumn Eliza Sheffy’s Linda shares confidences freely and fondly with the audience candidly as a series of dominoes, poised to fall in an increasingly ill-fated but humorous cascade. Will the O’Shea family’s reputation survive these devastating moments of “Catholic guilt” that is also known as Jewish or Methodist or Baptist guilt?

Settle down at Ivoryton Playhouse until Sunday, October 26 for a hearty helping of the intimacies of Linda’s teenage years in Katie Forgette’s delightfully honest portrayal "Incident at Our Lady of Our Perpetual Help.” It all begins when her mom Jo, Amber Quick, requests Linda take on the task of educating Linda’s spunky, mystery film loving younger sister Becky, Maggie Hamel, on the facts of life, including puberty’s surprises, the dangers boys represent and those pesky birds and bees.

When the parish priest accidentally learns of this private conversation and its overwhelmingly accurate details, he threatens the previously sterling reputation of the O’Sheas. Jo's sister Terri, Rebecca Jones, who has issues of her own to resolve, doesn’t hesitate to jump in the fray. Meanwhile the head of the household, dad Mike, a commanding and demanding Rod Brogan, becomes a triple treat playing himself, a nosy gossiping neighbor Betty and Father Lovett. Unseen upstairs is Mike’s mom who is the queen of complaints. Jacqueline Hubbard directs this initimate and entertaining visit with the O’Sheas.

For tickets ($26-64), call Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at Ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Secrets explode, hopes are unexpectedly endangered, blackmail is threatened, twists and turns are welcomed, as the O’Sheas band together to survive unscathed.