Gift Theatre Company presents DOUBT: A PARABLE Review

The lights come up on Father Brendan Flynn. The room is completely silent, and he slowly stares down the audience. The other three actors sit in chairs in line with the audience, creating the sensation that we are all a part of the community about to receive Father Flynn’s sermon. The room remains quiet, and finally, Flynn releases the first line of the play:

“What do you do when you’re not sure?”

The sermon is about doubt – in faith, and in life. Father Flynn’s sermon not only opens the play, but also asks an important question for the audience to consider as the piece unfolds. A lot of accusations get thrown around over the course of the story, and audience members along with the characters are asked to think about who they believe. What do we do when lack proof? What do we do when we feel lost, and what do we do when something feels wrong? Before the rest of the play begins, Father Flynn leaves his church with one last piece of comfort:

“When you are lost, you are not alone.”

The Gift Theatre Company presents Doubt: A Parable

Written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Ensemble Member John Gawlik, Doubt takes place in the Autumn of 1964 at St. Nicholas Church School. Following the opening sermon, we meet Sister Aloysius Beauvier (Mary Ann Thebus), the Principal of the school, who brings Sister James (Cyd Blakewell), into her office to discuss Father Brendan Flynn (The Gift Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton). Sister Aloysius is concerned about Flynn’s practices, and plants a seed of suspicion in the young teacher. If Sister James ever notices anything that feels off between the pastor and her students, she is asked to report it directly to the principal. Though Sister James is skeptical at first, she soon finds that this small seed grows, and the details she reports to Sister Aloysius blow into a story far larger than anything she anticipated.

Clever Writing

Shanley creates a thought-provoking story about the dangers of doubt and suspicion, and how the smallest fragments of truth can tie together into a string of details that are impossible to truly confirm or deny. While the script lives in the world of a tense drama, there is also a fun comedy that helps ease the audience into the story. Part of the brilliance for this writer is that Shanley never quite confirms or denies whether Father Flynn is innocent or guilty. Shanley instead focuses on the path of rumors, highlighting how they can blind even the most trusting of individuals. Much as the audience becomes part of the congregation in the opening sermon, our close proximity to the action in this intimate space places us in a position of judgement along with Sister James.

In addition to comments on doubt and religion, Shanley raises difficult questions about gender roles, and the difficulty women find in asserting themselves in the Church. In the second scene of the play, Sister James asks Sister Aloysius why she is bringing the concerns about Father Flynn to her rather than the bishop. Sister Aloysius is honest, and admits that “men run everything” – if she has concerns, she needs proof. In order to get that proof, she may have to blur the lines. In the end Shanley creates a story that explores blame on all sides – while some audience members may disagree with Sister Aloysius’ choices, it is also possible to understand how she may have felt she no place else to turn.

Gift Theatre Assembles Powerhouse Ensemble

Moments in this production are so intense you may feel uncomfortable.

During a confrontation between Sister James, Sister Aloysius, and Father Flynn. Flynn asserts his power through taking a seat at Sister Aloysius’ desk, forcing her to sit next to him, and Sister James to stand just behind them. The power dynamics are bare. The scene is full of pregnant silences in which so much is said with few words. This writer does not want to give away the contents, but Thornton showcases a strong sense of comedic timing through the light jokes at the top that slowly transition into frustration and anger. Thebus holds a commanding presence, and Blakewell plays a fun counterbalance to the older sister, showing just how uncomfortable Sister James feels in the situation.

Full of tension and challenging writing, this writer certainly feels this is a production to experience. Shanley wrote Doubt: A Parable in 2004, yet The Gift Theatre Company’s production proves that these questions on doubt and suspicion are every bit as relevant.