John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt: A Parable” is being mounted at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad through Oct 22.
Shanley’s 1994 play was originally staged off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club and transferred to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in 1995. It ran for 525 performances. It takes us back to the 60’s when suspicions might have aroused a Sister Aloysius but for most of the ‘Good Old Boys Club’ it was a blip on the radar screen.
No doubt Shanley, whose lightweight yet entertaining screenplay “Moonstruck” was a success in movie theatres, still had a story to tell about the actions of the church and how we as a society handle. them. This is no lightweight show.
Today it’s difficult to put aside the facts of the late 90’s with their breaking news admissions, accusations, and in and out of court settlements regarding the rampant pedophilia and cover up within the Catholic Church.
The environment in which this culture was hatched leaves us no choice but to draw the same conclusions Sister Aloysius did, as the facts unfolded at St. Nicholas. After the fact however, there were doubts about many things. Do the ends justify the means in finding answers? You be the judge.
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| Juliana Scheding and Kym Pappas |
But Doubt is much more than a case to be made of a Priest’s actions and how it was handled by the Church’s hierarchy. It is more about our own doubts and our own beliefs, suspicions, tolerances and fears. Nothing, as they say, is all black and all white. And I imagine the discussions continue.
The play won the Pulitzer Prize, four Tony’s and the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Play. It has since been made into a movie starring Meryl Streep. “Doubt: A Parable” starts off innocently enough. Father Brendan Flynn (Dr. AJ Knox)) is rehearsing his next sermon, “What do you do when you’re not sure, when you are lost, you are not alone.” he asks. It is about doubt and despair in which he concludes that when ‘One sees the truth, one does not doubt. When one veers off course, he is in doubt’.
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| AJ Knox as Father Flynn |
This could be both good and bad. For Father Flynn’s reality, it is an omen. Later on, we see him as he prepares for another sermon on gossip, he is still upbeat and on target in the message of his sermon. That’s understandable in the wake of what’s to follow and the you know starts to hit the fan.
Father Flynn, the antagonist, is one of the younger, newer priests in the Parish and well -liked by the students and young Novices. He’s like one of them. He has a good sense of humor, is easily approachable, plays basketball and is ‘modern’ thinking.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is Sister Aloysius, the protagonist. She is of the ‘older school’; conservative, not much of a sense of humor that’s noticeable and does not believe in coddling the children. “Their (the teachers) first duty is to protect the children, it is not the ‘teaching sister’s’ place to be complacent.”
The piece takes off innocently enough when the young and inexperienced Sister James (Juliana Scheding) is brought into the picture. She is concerned about one of her students who went home with a nosebleed. Sister Aloysius who pooh pooh’s the whole nosebleed thing, asks her how their only African-American student Donald Muller is faring. Unbeknownst to Sister James, Sister Aloysius is no fan of Father Flynn.
With some pretty extensive posturing by Sister Aloysius about her suspicions of sexual misbehavior on the part of Father Flynn, she engages Sister James, a wide eyed believer in showing enthusiasm in her subject matter, (contrary to those of Sister Aloysius) in a plan or plot to ‘keep her eyes’ on Father Flynn and report back to her on any changes in Donald’s behavior.
Sister James had mentioned earlier that Father Flynn was seen taking Donald into the Rectory by himself after basketball practice. It seems that when he returned to class, she smelled alcohol on his breath. Afterwards, he sat back at his desk and rested his head on his arms in a disquieting way, she observed. More determined than ever to get to the bottom of the Father Flynn annoyance, Sister Aloysius’ determination to have his tenure terminated continues with a vengeance.
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Sister Aloysius has drawn the lines of battle in her quest to rid the school of Father Flynn for the good of the school and the children, but finds it difficult to get Sister James on board as she soon learns. When she calls the boy's mother (Sherrell M. Tyler) into the school and tells her of her suspicions, Mrs. Muller doesn’t want any part fingering Father Flynn either. She confesses that her son is ‘that way’ and she just wants him to finish out the school year at St. Nicholas so he can get into a good public high school. His father beats him, she says through tears, and he would ‘kill’ him if there were any trouble. .Tyler presents a pitiful, yet determined picture of a Mother Bear protecting her young. “At least Father Flynn takes an interest in the boy," she tells Sister Aloysius.
Under the deft direction of Kristianne Kurner and a Brava and steadfast performance by Kym Pappas as Sister Aloysius, her persona is in expert hands as shown with tough, determined and unwavering attitude, body language and actions. Pappas’ Sister Aloysius moves the play while she walks the rocky but determined road to prove herself right.
She is one who persists in finding the truth and follows her instincts to this regard despite the lonely effort and devastating effect on others. Pushing back is the one whose career and reputation is on the line. Father Flynn is desperate as he finally pulls the pecking order card on Sister Aloysius.
When Father Flynn, portrayed by a nuanced and beautifully portrayed Knox realizes he is the subject of Sister Aloysius’ suspicions, he at first brushes it off, then takes notes to remember their conversations and confrontations (he’s too flustered to remember, he laments) and then proceeds to compose his sermon on Intolerance.
He later enlists the support of Sister James, who herself has come under the scrutiny of her superior for being too involved in her passion, that of teaching history. “Be more formal and cannier; not so warm”, advises Sister Aloysius. Wavering somewhat, the more he makes his case to her the more she is swayed toward believing there was no wrong doing on his part.
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| Sherrell M. Tyler |
Scheding shows just the right amount of lightness, agony and compassion as her journey through this horrible ordeal causes her, in the end, to tell Sister Aloysius that she’s having trouble sleeping. To that end Sister Aloysius, despondent by angst responds, “Maybe we’re not supposed to sleep well”.
As for Knox, his is a tough road to walk. While mildly trying to convince both Sisters and the audience of his innocence there is an absence of any rash answer or persuasive behavior on his part to make us believe him even if we wanted to. Either Shanley didn’t give him much to build on or Knox just wasn’t giving anything away: smart move of course under Kerner’s direction.
True, he first defends his friendship with the young student as in helping out a troubled child, to then denying any wrong doing or guilt except to say there is an innocent explanation, to then cautioning Sister Aloysius that she has no right to act on her own and she is not following church policy, but it doesn’t cut the mustard.
One gets the clear impression, as our options grow slimmer of no wrongdoing, that he is in fact guilty of sexually molesting the child.
After Father Flynn leaves St. Nicholas, Sister Aloysius learns that he has not only been transferred out but given a promotion at another Church Parish School, and is in charge of the school. It is clear that she is beginning to doubt even her own convictions in her faith, her God and her religion as she grasps her cross and sobs into her sleeve. So, firm is her conviction that she must prevent other children from the likes of Father Flynn, she appears broken but determined.
From the beginning of her suspicions it appeared that Sister Aloysius was a troublemaker and wanted things left as they were. In her quest to destroy that calm, pleasant, modern figure, Father Flynn, she seemed mean spirited, spiteful, power positioning and uncharitable. But evidently, she saw and felt things no one else bothered to and dug and dug until he made his own move to be transferred or be forced to answer more questions. Was she right? Was there doubt?
Somewhere one has to believe that there will always be a Sister Aloysius looking out for vulnerable children like the many whose stories broke our hearts as they were told to the public some years ago.
Shelby Thach’s designed the lighting focusing harshly on Sister Aloysius bringing out her no nonsense personality. Father Flynn was the only one whose dress (Kevane La’Marr Coleman) had any color. Christopher Scott Murillo designed set with three playing spaces defined by their use: the Pulpit (larger than life), Sister Aloysius’ office and an outside area where many decisions were made or confessed, Sound design; Marcus Rico with real crow like gawks which I also despise and props and assistant design Sofia Cassidy.
If you are interested in some real drama with a questionable outcome; one that you will find yourself in doubt more times than not, this is your play.
Enjoy.
See you at the theatre.
Doubt When: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Through Oct. 22.
Where: Conrad Prebys Theatre at the Dea Hurston New Village Arts Center, 2787 State St., Carlsbad
Tickets: $28-$48
Phone: (760) 433-3245
Photo: Jason Sullivan
Online: newvillagearts.org
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