Reviewed by Judy Richter
John Patrick Shanley has said that the second act of
his Pulitzer Prize-winning "Doubt" takes place on the way home. He's right,
for his 90-minute, one-act drama leaves audience members with a great deal to
think about, discuss and debate, but they still can't be sure of any definitive
answers. The playwright sows the seeds of doubt throughout this gripping drama,
which is being so well staged by TheatreWorks.
Co-directed
by dramaturg Vickie Rozell and artistic director Robert Kelley, this four-person production is
perfectly cast and benefits from the intimacy of the Lucie Stern Theatre. The touring
production that reached San Francisco in November 2006 had no such advantage in
the cavernous Golden Gate Theatre.
The
action takes place at St. Nicholas, a Catholic school and church in the Bronx
in 1964, but its underlying theme of possible molestation by a priest is right
up to date. The school's principal, Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Kimberly King) is from the old school -- cold,
rigid, strict. She's so set in her ways that she abhors ball point pens,
tolerates cartridge pens and prefers fountain pens. One of the teachers, Sister
James (Kristin Stokes), is warm, young and enthusiastic. Father Brendan Flynn (Cassidy
Brown) is more
like Sister James. He's young and energetic, taking a real interest in the
students and coaching the boys in basketball and life. Sister Aloysius thinks
he might be taking too much interest in one of the boys, Donald, the school's
first and only black student. She voices her fears to the boy's mother, Mrs.
Muller (Tamiyka White), who implies that Donald has gay tendencies. She's also pleased
that an adult male is showing him kindness because his father often beats him,
and she doesn't want the principal interfering.
Even
though Father Flynn denies any wrongdoing, Sister Aloysius persists. She feels
she has to pursue action herself because of the church's male hierarchy. She
believes that if she were to complain to the monsignor, he would side with the
priest and she might be transferred. She also admonishes Sister James to be
more formal with her students, causing the young woman much confusion.
"She's taken away my joy of teaching," Sister James tells the priest.
Nothing is ever proved conclusively. Instead, one must try to assess the
situation from slight clues and actions that have more than one possible
interpretation.
King
is the epitome of the stern taskmaster, her face seemingly expressionless in
the fact of others' strong emotions. Stokes as Sister James is a refreshing
contrast to her principal, more easily expressing her emotions. Brown as the
priest comes across as easy-going and dedicated, but his character knows how to
defend himself, too. White as Mrs. Muller has only one scene, but it's a
powerful one that merits applause when she leaves the principal's office after
defending her son and the priest and condemning the principal.
The
artistic team makes strong contributions with sets by Tom Langguth, lighting by Steven B.
Mannshardt and
sound by Cliff Caruthers. Costume designer Jill Bowers doesn't have much latitude with the black
religious garb, but she sets a contrasting tone and establishes the era with
Mrs. Muller's red, Chanel-style suit complete with pillbox hat -- right out of
the early '60s when Jackie Kennedy was a style-setter.
In
the end, one still has many questions, many doubts, thanks to Shanley's
skillful writing and this solid production.
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