Never has adult catechism class been so much fun. “Nun orders are a lot like gangs,” Sister Diana Carl said in the cathedral-like Overture Center for the Arts. This new show, “Late Night Catechism” drew a diverse audience of agnostics, devout Catholics, Lutherans and those simply amused by religious satire.

The one-man show has a simple premise: treating the performance like a catechism class, meaning the audience gets Sister Carl’s full attention. Fueled largely by the strict Catholic school environment, this attention mostly comes in the form of improvised criticism.

“Let go of each other for just a couple of minutes” Sister Carl said to a groping couple in the crowd. After their reprimand, the couple was instructed to stand up and apologize by saying “thank you, sister, for taking an interest in me.” Whether it was the pressure of the audiences’ stares, or the glare of the sister’s eyes beneath her generous habit, the audience complied with her wishes.

To fully appreciate the ironic humor of “Late Night Catechism,” a background in the Catholic Church or school surely helps, but it is not necessary. An interest in any religion also added to the hilarity, as the quick-witted sister left no religion untouched.

“Unless every one of you is Baptist, you can stop clapping,” the sister said to her laughing, applauding audience.

Another frequently targeted group were public school students.

“I’m sorry your parents didn’t love you enough to send you to private school,” Carl said.

After an audience member said that a “C stood for kindness,” Carl quickly retaliated with another dig at public schools:

“Saying C is for ‘kindness’ would be an A+ answer in public school; you can’t correct them because it’s stifling their creativity,” Carl said.

While Sister Diana has talking points for every performance, the show itself is led by the audience participation and their own personal stories about Catholic school. As you can imagine, audience members were drilled and praised throughout the show for having good, Catholic names — the sister nearly cried when she heard the name Mary Kate Josephine, calling it a “Catholic trifecta.”

Just as in school, the nun cajoled the audience in to participation by offering prizes, such as a glow in the dark rosary, saint cards or a mini statue of the Virgin Mary.

While religious satire tends to tread thin ice in the Bible belt, Carl performed in a way that neither insulted the Catholic faith nor praised it. The “Late Night Catechism” class both celebrated and poked fun at some of the more unusual Catholic practices, such as the tradition of burying Joseph upside-down, facing the house, to help the sellers get their asking price.

The audience-inclusive style of “Late Night Catechism” captures the attention of all in attendance as a simultaneous fear and hope they are the next to be called out by Sister Carl. Better still, the improvisational nature of the show feeds off individual experiences of the audience, ensuring a fresh performance each time.

For this reason, “Late Night Catechism” is sure to attract regulars throughout its duration. Sister Carl’s stand-up style adult catechism class is both refreshing and hilarious for all ages and religious backgrounds. Don’t miss some good, clean fun at “Late Night Catechism” at the Overture Center before class is over.

“Late Night Catechism” plays at the Overture Center from July 14 through July 26.