Shanley's DOUBT Comes To Toronto 2/24-3/29

DOUBT, A PARABLE by John Patrick Shanley, was the recipient of four Tony awards, the 2005 Pulitzer prize for drama, the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for best new play, the Drama Desk Award, the Outer Critics Circle Award, the Lucille Lortel Foundation Award, the Drama League Award and the Obie Award.

Recently released as a major motion picture, critics everywhere are saying that DOUBT is essentially better suited to the stage. Even Meryl Streep hesitated before accepting her role as Sister Aluysios due to this reason, according to CNN.

Thus Centaur is proud to bring DOUBT to the Montreal stage with a top-notch cast that includes Lucinda Davis in her Centaur debut, Alain Goulem whose Centaurcredits include, Forever Yours, Marie Lou, Long Day's Journey Into Night and Moon for the Misbegotten, among others Brenda Robins, who was last seen at Centaur in the Masques-Award-winning production of The Beauty Queen of Leenaneand Lina Roessler, also in her Centaur debut.

We hope that Montrealers will also be seduced by this "passionate, exquisite and potent drama". (Newsday)Set in 1964 in a Bronx Catholic school, Doubt centres around an older nun, Sister Aloysius (Brenda Robins), who does notapprove of teachers offering friendship and compassion over the discipline she feels students need in order to face the harsh world.

When she suspects a new priest (Alain Goulem) of sexually abusing a student, she is faced with the prospect ofcharging him with unproven allegations and possibly destroying his career as well as her own. To help build her case, sheasks for help from an idealistic young nun (Lina Roessler), who finds her faith in compassion challenged, and the protective mother (Lucinda Davis) of the accused boy, the first black student ever admitted to St. Nicholas.

DOUBT was originally produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2004, and then produced on Broadway in 2005. JohnPatrick Shanley is the author of numerous plays including Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, Dirty Story, Four Dogs and aBone, Psychopathia Sexualis, Sailor's Song, Savage in Limbo and Where's My Money?

He has written extensively for TVand film and is the author of Moonstruck for which he won an Academy Award for original Screenplay.DOUBT, A PARABLE is directed by Micheline Chevrier, with Set & Costume design by Pierre-Etienne Locas, LightingDesign by Jock Munro and sound design by Peter Cerone.

It is stage managed by Melanie St-Jacques with apprenticestage manager Stephanie Link and assistant directed by Robin Henderson.CRITICAL ACCLAIM FOR DOUBT:"Riveting, exceptional theatre!." -Liz Smith

"A terrific, marvellous new play with astonishing theatricality." -Associated Press

"That rarity of rarities, an issue-driven play that is unpreachy, thought-provoking and so full of high drama...Mr.Shanley deserves the highest possible praise." -Wall Street Journal

"Well-written roles that crackle with intelligence and rhythm. Doubt is a superbly told yarn."-The New Yorker

FEBRUARY 24 - MARCH 29, 2009

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