As the final installment of the 2013-14 Southeastern Theater season, the popular Broadway play “Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley will bring the drama of a Catholic school in the Bronx to the Vonnie Borden stage. The play features a straight-forward plot following a small ensemble of characters that will leave the audience questioning the truth and doubting what they believe.
“Each year as a faculty, we sit down to pick a balanced season of theater,” said Chad Winters, a theater instructor and the director for [the] “Doubt” production. “I’ve always liked the play, and it is very current. John Patrick Shanley is a very successful contemporary playwright, so we thought it would be good to showcase one of his plays.”
After the Broadway play gained success in 2004, Shanley adapted his work into a screenplay and directed the Hollywood film version himself. The 2008 film “Doubt” featured Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius, Amy Adams as Sister James and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Flynn.
The Southeastern Theater production of “Doubt” will be performed on Tuesday, April 8 through Friday, April 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Vonnie Borden Theatre in D Vickers Hall. The entire production cast consists of Southeastern students and alumni. Danielle Demontluzin plays Sister Aloysius, Matt Carona plays Father Flynn, Felicity Prosperie plays Sister James and Kayla Turner plays Mrs. Muller.
Set in New York in 1964, the play centers around drama in a Catholic school. Sister Aloysius Beauvier believes that Father Flynn has been molesting 12-year-old Donald Muller, the only African-American student at the Catholic school. Sister Aloysius recruits young, naïve Sister James to keep an eye on the charismatic priest. At one point, Sister Aloysius addresses her concerns to the boy’s mother Mrs. Muller, who is concerned about other things. The play concludes with a dramatic confrontation between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn when she tries to learn the truth from him.
“This play will relate to everyone who sees it,” said Winters. “We all deal with doubt and often it will lead us into a dark place. We often feel alone or lost, but it’s something we all share as humans. Our doubts can bring us together if we realize we aren’t alone.”
The subject matter and ending of the play are known for making the audience doubt their current beliefs and convictions, and this production will offer no major twists to the story other than what the playwright intended. Winters hopes the audience will leave with questions after they leave the theater.
“This production is about doubt,” said senior Kayla Turner. “It’s about making choices and decisions and the consequences associated with each. It’s a very relatable piece. Students can take home a really good message from it.”