Lauren Hance is a playwright, producer, director, and performer. We talk about The Holy O, Hance’s interactive one-woman show coming to the Omaha Fringe Festival in August, as Hance’s character Vera considers becoming a Catholic nun through the funny, troubled, and moving stories of the women in her life. Hance also talks about being raised in the Christian purity culture of 90s America, her evolving faith, and balancing the creative arts with spiritual beliefs.

Lauren Hance’s plays have been produced from coast to coast, and her career encompasses most areas of theatre. She earned her degree in Theatre from Abilene Christian University and a Master of Arts in Theology with an emphasis in Theology, Arts, & Culture from Fuller Theological Seminary. Her interactive one-woman show The Holy O shares the story of Vera, a vivacious and possibly lost woman, who is contemplating becoming a Catholic nun but has never considered celibacy one of her virtues. Vera’s situation is complicated by the onset of visions and rapturous prayers, leading to the audience becoming characters from her past and saints in her present.