Gripping drama at Summer Rep
by Christopher Key

Theologian Paul Tillich once said, “Doubt is not the opposite of faith. It is an element of faith.” He might well have been describing Doubt, A Parable, the third show in this year’s Summer Repertory series at Mount Baker Theatre. In keeping with the other two shows, this one is set in the 1960s. Doubt, however, is not about the lighter side of that revolutionary decade.

John Patrick Shanley won a Pulitzer Prize for his script about crises of faith in a Bronx parochial school. It ran for 525 performances on Broadway and was later made into a movie starring Meryl Streep, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams, all of whom received Oscar nominations. While it is set in 1964, it is informed by the sex scandals that have rocked the Roman Catholic Church over the past 20 years.

Gretchen Krich delivers a terrifying performance as parochial school principal Sister Aloysius who is every schoolchild’s worst nightmare. It would be very easy for Krich to succumb to stereotypes and turn the role into a caricature. She resists that temptation admirably and gives us a human being who is as formidable as a steamroller and about as sensitive when she believes God is on her side. Which is most of the time. She eventually reveals her humanity, but I won’t spoil that moment for you.

Western Washington University teacher Patrick Dizney plays Father Flynn who is earnestly trying to implement the reforms introduced by the Vatican II Council in 1962. He thereby runs afoul of Sister Aloysius to whom change is anathema. Dizney wears a clerical collar and priestly vestments as though he earned them. He’s more convincing than many of the real-life priests I have known and is perfectly cast as the man who may be a saint or who may be a sexual predator. Playwright Shanley leaves that for the audience to decide and Dizney’s performance enhances that doubt.

Caught in between the irresistible force and the immovable object is Sister James, beautifully portrayed by DeLisle Merrill. The multi-talented WWU student is also the costumer for all the Summer Rep shows. Merrill completely captures the agony of an idealistic young nun who wants nothing more than to be a great teacher and who is sucked into a conflict that tests her faith. The results of that test are left to the audience’s imagination.

Another Western student, Rashawn Scott, delivers a brief, but powerfully moving performance as the mother of an African-American child who may or may not have been victimized by Father Flynn. The role helps define both the conflict in the school and the larger conflict over integration. She brings an amazing subtlety to a part that might also descend into caricature in the hands of a less talented actor.

Doubt, A Parable courageously takes on some of the most difficult issues faced by religion. Is it our purpose as spiritual beings to seek certainty or is it about asking the right questions? And are we being unfaithful by asking questions in the first place? Frankly, I love shows that leave the audience with more questions than answers because that makes us think. That’s what great art is supposed to be about and this show fulfills that description very well. Director Mark Kuntz is finally getting the audiences that this series deserves, so you’d best get your tickets now. The $18 price is an incredible bargain for theatre of this caliber and you can call the MBT box office at (360) 734-6080 or see www.mountbakertheatre.com for a complete schedule.

# # #

This entry was posted on Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 11:17 pm and is filed under Theatre. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.