Accidental Church Lady: A Three-Act Comedy Show

Accidental Church Lady is a three-act, one-woman comedy show from Sheila Chester—comedian, storyteller, and high-functioning overachiever raised by Midwestern church ladies who could run an entire town and still say, “Oh, it was nothing.”

This show isn’t about faith. It’s about ambition—where it comes from, how it drives us, and what happens when it finally runs out of places to prove itself.

Act One starts in Sheila’s church-lady upbringing: perfection disguised as “service,” competition disguised as kindness, and a cultural rule that you must be impressive… but humble about it.
Act Two moves into fertility struggles and parenting—where ambition becomes survival, control becomes a coping strategy, and the pressure to “do it right” turns both heartbreaking and hilarious.
Act Three ends on a women’s canoe trip where dignity is optional, control is impossible, and the river delivers some of the biggest laughs of the night.

Sheila weaves live acoustic guitar throughout the show, using music between acts to give the room space to breathe without losing momentum. It’s funny, honest, fast-paced, and deeply relatable—comedy with a storyline and a punchline that sticks.

Come for the laughs. Stay for the “oh my god, same” moments.