(James
Alexander as Father Flynn & Fiona Ramsay as Sister Aloysius)
Which is the stronger emotion – doubt or
instinct? And if instinct offers a more positive response to the problem in
hand, how does doubt fit in?
Presented by Thinskin, Doubt: A Parable, was one of the finest drama pieces on the 2013 Witness
Hilton Arts Festival.
John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer prize and
Tony Award winning play is set in 1964 in the fictional St. Nicholas Church
School, in the Bronx. It is a beautifully-written and thought-provoking play
that offers a strong vehicle for the talented cast under James Cuningham’s
solid direction.
The only gripe I have with this
presentation is that the caps of the nuns’ habits masked the sides of their
faces, effectively distancing us from the important emotions playing on their
features. I understand that the design of the caps (rather like Voortrekker
bonnets) were taken from a real religious order but they didn’t work for me in
a stage context.
Fiona Ramsay gives a searing performance as
the inflexible Sister Aloysius who is firmly convinced that Father Flynn, a
young priest teaching at her school, is having an inappropriate relationship with
Donald Muller, one of the schoolboys. Added to the problem is the fact that the
boy is St. Nicholas’s first African-American student.
Sister James, a young nun played with
youthful passion and spirit by Janna Ramos-Violante, makes a statement about
the child’s behaviour after he had spent some time alone with the priest. This sets
Sister Aloysius firmly on the trail to discrediting Father Flynn and having him
removed from the school in disgrace.
Faniswa Yisa gives a good performance as
Donald’s mother, who isn’t much help. As far as she is concerned, Donald is
only at the school for another few months and she’s more concerned that he
moves to his next institute of learning without any negative baggage.
James Alexander gives such an uncluttered
and sincere performance as the popular Father Flynn that the audience begins to
doubt Sister Aloysius’s rigid stance. Is he guilty … or not? The play leaves audiences
to make their own decision. – Caroline Smart
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