| Advertisement |
|
Local Guides
|
|
|
DOUBT: A PARABLE
|
by
BRIAN MORTON
March 11 - 17, 2010 |
American playwright John Patrick Shanley’s 2004 Pulitzer Prize winning drama Doubt: A Parable is the next production on Theatre Aquarius’ 750 seat main stage. The play is a powerful drama that asks significant questions about trust, faith and our obsession with finding an absolute truth in a world that often refuses to provide such a resolution.
In the wake of many true life church scandals involving the betrayal of vulnerable parishioners by clergy, Shanley’s play has a resonance that is undeniable. The script cleverly does not spell out whether any abuse has actually occurred; it is the audience that must decide what has happened based upon evidence that is unclear. It is therefore quite dependent on your point of view, whether you think that the characters are behaving correctly or not.
Set in the Bronx in 1964, Doubt is a tautly constructed four–hander that follows an accusation by Sister Aloysius, the head nun and principal of St Nicholas School, about the possibility that a popular and articulate new priest, Father Flynn, may have an unnatural relationship with a 14–year–old boy.
Marcia Kash directs Theatre Aquarius’ version of John Patrick Shanley’s play, with lovely and impressive design work by Patrick Clark. The cast includes Catherine Bruhier (of the TV show “Due South”), Soulpepper Theatre founder and Shaw Festival veteran Stuart Hughes, and newcomer Sophia Kolinas. Nicola Lipman, who comes to Aquarius after sellout performances in Les Miserables at Vancouver’s Arts Club theatre, plays the central role of Sister Aloysius, bringing an air of keen inquiry to the onstage proceedings.
There is much that occurs onstage that still remains understated by the characters – it implies much more then it shows the audience. This is precisely what gives the play much of its power: that a viewer must actively take sides and form their own opinion of what may or may not have happened between the priest and his student.
Most of us are likely most familiar with the 2008 film version that starred Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, though Doubt is very much a work for the stage. It is entirely to their credit that our local professional regional theatre has brought such a fine production to our community.
I expect that it won’t take long for the word to get out about this play, so if you want to catch it, best grab tickets quickly before it sells out. (In fact, Aquarius has had a mighty fine season in 2009–2010 with several productions, including last month’s Tuesdays With Morrie and the Holiday musical White Christmas setting all–time box office records for the company.)
It remains to be seen whether this momentum for Theatre Aquarius can carry forward into next year’s subscription sales. I think it is more than likely that it will, given such interesting play choices for 2010 – 2011, such as The 39 Steps, Educating Rita and Buddy Holly: The Musical. There is much that should find favour with Hamilton audiences – at least if you want my opinion.
[BRIAN MORTON]
DOUBT: A PARABLE
Theatre Aquarius
@ The Dofasco Centre for the Arts
Until March 28th
www.theatreaquarius.org
905.522.PLAY
|
Share on
 |
No comments yet... be the first! |
|
