Charles Busch to Premiere The Divine Sister

Theater for the New City will present The Divine Sister, a new comedy written by and starring Charles Busch. The developmental production begins on performances on February 6, 2010, playing through March 7 at Theater for the New City's Cino Theater space, directed by longtime Busch collaborator Carl Andress.

In addition to Busch, the show will star Julie Halston (Broadway's Hairspray, Twentieth Century), Alison Fraser (Broadway's Gypsy, Romance/Romance), Amy Rutberg (off-Broadway's Our Leading Lady, TV's As The World Turns), Jennifer Van Dyck (Broadway's Hedda Gabler, off-Broadway's The Third Story) and Jonathan Walker (Broadway's Twentieth Century, off-Broadway's The Third Story).

The Divine Sister is described as an outrageous comic homage to nearly every Hollywood film involving nuns. Evoking such films as The Song of Bernadette, The Bells of St. Mary’s, The Singing Nun and Agnes of God, the play tells the story of St. Veronica’s indomitable Mother Superior (Busch) who is determined to build a new school for her Pittsburgh convent. Along the way, she has to deal with a young postulant who is experiencing “visions,” sexual hysteria among her nuns, a sensitive schoolboy in need of mentoring, a mysterious nun visiting from the Mother House in Berlin and a former suitor intent on luring her away from her vows.

As a playwright, Busch's resume includes the Tony-nominated The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset, Shanghai Moon, The Third Story, Psycho Beach Party, Die, Mommie Die! and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom. He is the subject of the documentary film The Lady in Question is Charles Busch.

The creative team includes scenic and graphic design by B.T. Whitehill, costume design by Fabio Toblini, lighting design by Kirk Bookman, sound design by Jill B.C. Du Boff and original music by composer Lewis Flinn.