In Catherine Trieschmann’s Holy Laughter, an Episcopal priest finds the reality of leading a church in the Eastern Plains of Colorado to be radically and comically different from what she learned in seminary. As she wrestles with church finances, eccentric parishioners, changing sexual mores and her own doubting heart, Abigail struggles to make peace with the realities of contemporary church life.

Trieschmann also wrote last season’s hit comedy, The Most Deserving. While Holy Laughter is set in the church, ‘The play really has its fingers in some universal questions,” Treischmann says.

The cast includes Sadieh Rifai, Kelley Rae O’Donnell, Michael Santo, Kim Staunton, Chris Murray, Mehry Eslaminia and Chelsea Frye. The director is Shelley Butler. Video by John Moore and David Lenk.

Of working at the DCPA, Trieschmann says:  “My relationship with the Denver Center has changed my life — and my ability to afford child care, honestly while I write. Knowing I can write a complicated, female protagonist, and that this theatre is going to embrace that? These things have been incredibly encouraging to me.”

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THE SUMMIT SPOTLIGHT VIDEO SERIES:
Part 1: The Nest, by Theresa Rebeck
Part 2: The There There, by Jason Gray Platt
Part 3: Holy Laughter, by Catherine Trieschmann
Part 4: Fade, by Tanya Saracho

MORE COVERAGE FROM THE 2015 COLORADO NEW PLAY SUMMIT:
Photos: Week 1 of the 2015 Colorado New Play Summit
Matthew Lopez’s 2015 Summit Soliloquy video
Primer: Your guide to the 2015 Colorado New Play Summit
Summit cast lists: Familiar names and new names
Playwrights named for inaugural Local Playwrights Slam
2015 Summit to introduce inaugural Local Playwrights Slam
Colorado New Play Summit expands to two weekends; playwrights announced

Kelley Rae O’Donnell and Chris Murray have a laugh during ‘Holy Laughter’ rehearsal. Photo by Kyle Malone.