BWW Reviews: Gripping DOUBT from Theatre 9/12

John Patrick Shanley's Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play "Doubt" is and intense and stunning piece of work to be sure but it's far from bullet proof. In order to fully realize the power of the play you need four amazing actors willing to dive into the conviction and vulnerabilities of the characters. And while I've seen better (how can you compete with Cherry Jones on Broadway?), Theatre 9/12's current production may start off to an uneven start but it ultimately amounts to a solid and engaging piece of theater and is completely worthy of the script.

If you haven't seen the play or the movie then you are denying yourself some of the most remarkable and meatiest dialogue out there. Set in a Catholic Middle School in the 1960's, "Doubt" examines the certainties and insecurities of four people. As Principal of St. Nicholas School Sister Aloysius (Therese Diekhans) runs things with a no nonsense attitude and a firm hand. So when she begins to suspect an improper relationship between Father Flynn (Michael Oaks) and the only negro student in the school she enlists the aid of the naïve young Sister James (Kate Alden) to help her uncover the truth. But what is the truth? Sister Aloysius has no proof and Father Flynn proclaims his innocence but also refuses to divulge everything. Even when she drags the student's Mother Mrs. Muller (Rachel D. Pate) into the investigation, the certainty of the situation becomes even more elusive.

Director Charles Waxberg does an admirable job of keeping the suspicion and uncertainty alive even as the actors are insisting on their truths. However even though I felt all the end points were hit in the piece I missed some of the journey of the characters and would like to have seen more of that.

As I said the cast dives into their roles. Diekhans has the strength and blind conviction the role demands but could still have used a bit more variation in her delivery. Oaks also keeps an amazing strength throughout and his eventual devolution into desperation while still keeping the final outcome at bay is stunning. Alden does a fine job as the innocent caught in between these two forces of nature and retains a kind of sweetness even while finally letting her own opinions fly. And Pate takes a powerhouse of a scene and makes it her own. It's the only scene for Mrs. Muller in the play and it's so incredibly powerful that it garnered a Tony and an Oscar for the women who portrayed it and Pate jumps into it with both feet and gives a stirring portrayal of a Mother just trying to do right by her son at any cost.

All in all this is a superb and gripping production of a seminal piece of theater and deserves attention. If you've never seen the play before then you really need to get out to this one as it's a completely solid production of the work. And even if you have seen it, this is a wonderful reintroduction to the piece.

"Doubt" from Theatre 9/12 performs at Trinity Parish Hall through August 4th. For tickets or information visit them online at www.theatre912.com.

Photo credit: Michael Brunk

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