Doubt, a play for uncertain times?

          The Clarion University Theatre presented “Doubt: A Parable” last weekend at the Marwick-Boyd Little Theatre. The show ran from the 11^th to the 15^th.

          The play by John Patrick Shanley is a drama set at a catholic school in the 1960s. It’s a story about a nun and her suspicion of the priest of her parish. Sister Aloysius accuses Father Flynn of inappropriate conduct with one of the boys in the school. Shanley keeps the truth of the matter ambiguous.

          Rob Bullington directed the play. He had also directed another play of Shanley’s about ten years prior, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. He says Shanley is one of his favorite contemporary playwrights.

          Part of Bullington’s decision to choose Doubt was practicality. He wanted a play that would work within the limits of available cast and personnel for the semester.

          “Right now, we’re a little short. Our enrollment in our department is down a little bit and we don’t have a lot of skilled labor to build scenery,” Bullington said. “So, we can’t do huge sets.”

          He compared the story to something like a detective drama. Little pieces of information from both sides are revealed throughout. He said it was captivating enough that there were times you could hear a pin drop in the audience.

          He felt the cast was wonderful taking on difficult roles. The students had the challenge of portraying characters older than themselves. Sister Aloysius in particular, was significantly older than Lindsay Victoria Smelcer, who played the role.

          “It was more important to us that I was playing her attributes instead, but it was kind of incredible and cathartic,” Smelcer said regarding Aloysius’ strong convictions. Smelcer also holds strong convictions. The ability to express doubt through the character gave her a chance to show a vulnerability she never had the chance to show in normal life.

          Tree Layton Zuzzio also found a connection to his character, Father Flynn.

          “I have friends in the priesthood who are worried about this too. They’re fearful for their position,” Zuzzio said. He could also see how love for a congregation might be mistaken for a less appropriate emotion.

          “It’s up to the audience to decide if I did it or not,” Zuzzio said.

          Though Bullington didn’t pick the play to make a statement, he thought there was a certain timeliness to it. In today’s world where he feels belief has become stronger than fact, Doubt still holds some relevance.