A Confessional of a Recovering Catholic
Written and Performed by Julie McNamara
Presented by the New York City Fringe Festival
Wed April 1 at 8:10pm, Sat April 4 at 5:20pm, Sat April 11 at 7pm & Sat April 18 at 7pm, 2026.
As a non-religious human brought up Catholic, there was no way I wasn’t covering this show. Boy, was I so right.
Julie McNamara has crafted a testament for all of the folks out there who have had their own conflicting journey with catholicism. A “Confessional” of a Recovering Catholic: The Musical, is an intelligent, personal, and finessed creative piece that radiates relatability for anyone brought up in a church, but especially females.
The reins of patriarchy and perfection tug on every moment of Julie’s tales. If you’re Catholic, you’re expected to be perfect. But most Catholics sin every single day of their lives. They’re human. Isn’t God supposed to love us? Not punish us for making mistakes? Aren’t we all his children? Isn’t his love unconditional?
The Catholic guilt of not being enough flows through every segment of the show. It bleeds through the expectation of keeping the mouth shut, through puberty, talk of sex, affairs, sexual awakening, crippling anxiety, and simply apologizing for things that shouldn’t be apologized for.
We see McNamara kneel to the ground, hold the rosary, make the sign of the cross and say this one sentence over and over again: “even though it’s hard, God, I have to get it right.” If that doesn’t sum up the Catholic world, I don’t know what does.
I’ve lived that life. And in many ways, Julie was telling my story. This show is truly a delight and sparks the question “Why do we not question?” Isn’t curiosity the pathway to enlightenment?
McNamara’s piece speaks volumes, and you really should go see it for yourself. If there’s one thing you’ll do right, it’s going to see this one-woman, humor driven, smartly written, piece of theatre.
Click HERE for tickets.
Review by Amanda Montoni.
Published by Theatre Beyond Broadway on April 4, 2026. All rights reserved.
