Doubt

Saturday night was the next performance in our Triad Stage season pass, and it was the play "Doubt" by John Patrick Shanley. This play has won both a Pulitzer and a Tony award. It was just 90 minutes with no intermission, and was truly one of the better plays we have seen at Triad Stage in some time.

Doubt. How does one accept doubt in their lives? How does one react with instances of doubt? Does one tackle the underlying fear, or do they stubbornly reject any doubt and blindly drudge on? This was the story of a New York Catholic school in 1964. A progressive priest longingly looks forward to the radical changes of Vatican II, opening up the church and school to the community. A gruff and "old school" nun principal clings to old time beliefs and regimens, holding on to isolationism. A young new nun teacher struggles with her own zeal for teaching and her superior's requests to become more rigid and cold. The mother of the school's only African-American student just wants her son to "make it until June" to graduate and make it to high school.

The prinicpal doubts the motives of the progressive priest. The young nun doubts her skills as a new teacher after repeated interactions with the principal. The priest doubts the principal is adept to lead the school into a new era. The mother doubts whether or not her son has been taken advantage of by the priest, the only man who has acted as a mentor to him.

The only one without doubt is the principal concerning the suspected priest-child sexual liaison. Or is she indeed as doubt-free as she thinks she is?

This was great. The four actors really excelled in their performances; so much so that it inspired us to contact Triad Stage and let them know that this play was one of the best ones we have seen there. Outstanding.