Theatre Calgary’s new production a winner
The sermon begins with the parable of a man lost at sea forced to rely on nautical experience to read the stars and find his way home in the dark. As the journey stretches on the sailor begins to doubt his instincts his knowledge and the path he has chosen. It is this tale that guides the audience of Doubt through the murky waters of truth uncertainty and the purgatory that lies between.
In this riveting and direct delivery Father Flynn (Trevor Leigh) converts the audience into a captivated church parish hanging on every word in search of overriding moral guidance. As the title emphasizes this 90-minute one-act play is its own parable and ensures its audience members become part of the moral quandary by connecting them directly with the characters.
Set in the Catholic church and school of St. Nicholas in 1964 Doubt weaves an intricate and ambiguous tale of a priest Father Flynn under suspicion of molesting one of his pupils Donald Muller. His accusers are the unwavering principal Sister Aloysius played by Nancy Palk with a delicacy that betrays her character’s softer heart and the naive and floundering teacher Sister James (Tova Smith).
Abrupt and abrasive to the point of comedy Sister Aloysius is determined to extract a confession from Father Flynn who adamantly denies the charges. Leigh’s performance as a man accused is so convincing in its balance of gentle sincerity and indignity that at times the audience will find it nearly impossible not to empathize with his plight. Caught in the hell of uncertainty is the tormented Sister James who longs to believe in the good of man and laments the loss of her innocence saying “It feels as if I’m less close to God.” Initially presented as irritatingly submissive Smith is careful not to allow her portrayal of Sister James to descend into a flakey caricature. Rather she brings honesty and purity to the most dynamic player onstage and the audience comes to develop real affection for her. When Sister James confesses to Sister Aloysius that she’s been unable to sleep since the accusations arose the response is curt but experienced: “Maybe we’re not supposed to sleep so well.”
It is this hardened perspective that makes Sister Aloysius such a powerful force — observant suspicious and above all experienced. She is all too familiar with the darker side of human nature. She coaches Sister James to be confident in this experience and to allow that knowledge of human nature to be the moral guide that will guard against deception. On the surface the characters are simple paradigms but as the story unfolds the depth and complexity of each personality is revealed.
Penned by Bronx-born playwright John Patrick Shanley Doubt was first performed onstage in New York in 2004 and quickly garnered critical acclaim including four Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for drama. It was also adapted into a major motion picture starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman collecting five Golden Globe nominations and another five Oscar nods this year. It’s no surprise that Calgarians flocked to Theatre Calgary’s opening performance.
Injecting authenticity into Calgary’s stage version is the use of the original Broadway set designed by John Lee Beatty. Although some minor modifications were made to fit the set to the Max Bell stage a discerning audience would certainly spot the sophistication made all the more alluring by the spectacular lighting design of Scott Henderson which is both ethereal and haunting.
It is the dualistic atmosphere created by the lighting effects — so heavenly and yet so tortured by dark possibilities — that frames an uneasy struggle for the truth. The question of what lengths to go to in pursuit of the right course of action and what consequences to accept are further muddled by the fact Donald Muller is the school’s only black student and his mother’s (Lesley Ewen) reaction to the accusations of molestation is hardly conventional. To her credit Ewen reveals her character’s shocking response with such conviction and deliberate pacing that we are forced to accept the shades of grey that have spawned her own dilemma. Adding to these complications are the political realities of the patriarchal hierarchy of the Catholic church and the struggle between the progressive ideas of Father Flynn and the traditionalist views espoused by Sister Aloysius. Both are suspect. Did Father Flynn make abhorrent transgressions or is Sister Aloysius blinded by her disdain for Father Flynn’s methods?
Since the play is a parable we expect a firm resolution but the last words uttered by Sister Aloysius only confirm an earlier musing of Father Flynn: “The truth makes for a bad sermon — it’s too confusing and there’s no clear resolution.”
In the end we must proceed as did the lost sailor and Sister Aloysius. In times of doubt we must trust our personal experience and our own moral compass to lead us home.
