“None” nun Patti Hannon has gotten used to being called “Sister.”

“None” nun Patti Hannon has gotten used to being called “Sister.”

Sister’s Christmas Catechism — The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold: Patti Hannon as the strict Catholic nun, Sister, instructs audiences in the Nativity and the puzzle of the Magi’s gold.

Late Nite Catechism: AriZoni award-winning actress Patti Hannon plays a fiery Sister who teaches the audience everything she knows about saints and sinners.

The usual Christmas fare not ringing your bell this year?

Patti Hannon, the actress who stars in the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts long-running improvisational comedy “Late Night Catechism,” will be the featured guest for an artist-in-residence dinner Sept. 19 at Lon’s at The Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley.

There’s no doubt that Patti Hannon is the East Valley’s most popular actress. About to celebrate her sixth anniversary as Sister in the irreverently reverent one-nun comedy show “Late Nite Catechism” at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, she continues to break the record for longest-running Valley stage production.

So, a nun walks into a theater. No, really. It’s not a joke. Not yet. It’s Patti Hannon, star of the long-running “Late Nite Catechism” shows at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts. For the holiday season, though, she’s moved her wacky class in Catholicism to the nearby Theater 4301 for “Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold,” a staged classroom Christmas party with songs, a living Nativity and loads of laughs.

I admit, I'd been putting off seeing Sister's Christmas Catechism, the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts' annual holiday hopeful over at Theater 4301, after early reviews were less than glowing.

Nuns aren’t known for their ebullience. Donning the habit normally means taking the rosy out of the rosary. So what’s Patti Hannon doing acting pleasant?

A razor-tongued nun who rules her classroom with an iron fist creates an unforgettable living nativity in an effort to figure out who swiped the gold given to the Baby Jesus in the hit comedy “Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold.” Starring longtime “Late Night Catechism” actress Patti Hannon, each show involves the audience as Sister’s pupils and is different from the one before it.

A packed house turned out for the privilege of being abused by a ruler-wielding nun as "Late Night Catechism," the longest-running play in Valley history, celebrated its third anniversary Friday night at the Scottsdale Center of the Arts. And they came not only from Scottsdale, but from the farthest points of the the Valley.

Mark your calendar: The 2011 Get Out Performing Arts Expo will be held Saturday, Sept. 10, at Mesa Arts Center.

Scottsdale's hit interactive comedy, "Late Night Catechism," is back this season with a new sequel: "Late Nite Catechism III: 'Til Death Do Us Part." In it, tart-tongued Sister (AriZoni Award-winning actress Patti Hannon) delivers hilarious lessons on love and marriage and her own outrageous version of "The Newlywed Game." The iron-fisted nun teaches her pupils (the audience) everything she knows about sins and saints, doling out rewards and reprimands with lightning speed, every weekend.

Tickets go on sale Sunday for Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ 2011-12 season. The venue’s new lineup features more than 100 dance, jazz, music, theater and comedy performances. Among the highlights:

Tickets go on sale Sunday for Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ 2011-12 season. The venue’s new lineup features more than 100 dance, jazz, music, theater and comedy performances. Among the highlights:

Tickets go on sale Sunday for Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ 2011-12 season. The venue’s new lineup features more than 100 dance, jazz, music, theater and comedy performances. Among the highlights: