[NEohioPAL] Review of "Doubt: A Parable" at Rabbit Run Theater

[Bob Abelman]

Poignant parable unfolds at Rabbit Run

Bob Abelman

 

News-Herald, Chagrin Valley Times, Solon Times,

The Morning Journal, Geauga Times Courier

Member, American Theatre Critics Association 

 

This review will appear in the News-Herald on 6/24/11

Doubt reigned supreme in the 1960s as Americans tried desperately to make sense of a world in flux.

The conservative norms of one decade were giving way to the liberal freedoms of another.  Opposition to a war, resistance to the draft, and the civil rights movement divided the nation.  Vatican II attempted to bring the behaviors and beliefs of the Church into the 20th century, leaving many Catholics doubting the sanctity and security of this sacred institution.

Playwright John Patrick Shanley sets his drama Doubt: A Parable, currently on stage at Rabbit Run Theater, smack in the middle of this period and shrouds the personal doubts of his characters within the cultural, political and social turmoil of the time. The result is a riveting, award-winning (Pulitzer Prize, Drama Desk, and Tony) drama with start-to-finish intrigue.   

The play takes place within the seemingly cloistered confines of St. Nicholas Catholic School in the Bronx, New York.  The old-school school principal, Sister Aloysius, suspects young Father Flynn of having an inappropriate relationship with one of the students, an eighth grade boy who happens to be the only black child in the school.  Although she has no proof, she engages in a ruthless campaign to out the Father and oust him from his position of authority.

The Sister and Father have been at philosophical odds since his arrival at the Parish, raising doubt about her motivations. She is an unlikable, inflexible, and inaccessible soul, furthering our sense of distrust and deepening the potential for maliciousness.  

Yet, knowing what we now know about the existence of such inappropriate behavior in the Church, doubts arise about Father Flynn's innocence.  Although he holds fast to his virtue and moral fortitude, certain statements and specific behaviors seem to betray him.  He protests, but does he protest too much?

This is a wonderfully woven, marvelously layered mystery and, under Ann Hedger's astute direction, the pendulum of doubt swings one way and then the other with subtle precision.  

Nancy Shimonek Brooks is spellbinding as Sister Aloysius.  She captures all that is cunning, caustic and disturbingly stoic about this character, yet Brooks gives credence to Sister Aloysius' unflagging conviction.  This is one in a series of masterful performances that Brooks has brought to the Rabbit Run stage. 

David Malinowski plays the middle ground in his portrayal of Father Flynn, choosing ambiguity over vacillating depictions of strength and vulnerability.  This is an effective way to keep the audience guessing about whether Flynn is priest or predator, but it is a less interesting counterpoint to Brooks' Sister Aloysius.  

Evie Koh plays Sister James, the novice nun in charge of the eighth graders.  Her role is pivotal in the manufacturing and reinforcement of doubt in this production.  It is never clear whether she reluctantly confesses her suspicions about the Father to Sister Aloysius or whether Sister Aloysius has planted the seeds of doubt.  It is never clear whether Father Flynn convinces her of his virtue or takes advantage of hers.  Koh carries the weight of this responsibility with grace, charm and a genuine sense of innocence.  She is delightful to watch.

As the boy's mother, Mrs. Muller, Maria Thomas Lister is tasked with offering her son's perspective and representing the unfortunate status of black women during the turmoil of the 1960s.  In just one scene, she transitions from acquiescence to outrage, and does so beautifully.   

Ray Beach's set design is a testament to the power of understatement.  There is just enough furniture and scenery to create the required locations for this play-an office, a garden, a pulpit.  However, with superb lighting by Clayton Sandham, there is just the right amount of furniture and scenery to create the necessary dramatic effect.   

Hedger's direction keeps this weighty, wordy one act play moving at a quick and steady pace. This is appreciated but, in the process, some of the beats that allow for the drama to build and take hold are missed.  The pendulum of doubt swings so swiftly that there is little time to reflect on one extreme before the dialogue has moved on to the next. 

Consequently, be prepared to engage in a lively discussion and debate on the drive home.  Doubt continues to reign supreme long after this production of Doubt is over.      

Doubt: A Parable continues through June 25 at Rabbit Run Theater, 5648 W. Chapel Rd., in Madison Township. For tickets, $17 to $19, call 440-428-7092 or visit www.rabbitrunonline.org.  
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