There’s a line of dialogue in Santa Maria Civic Theatre’s presentation of Doubt that neatly sums up the play’s complex storyline: “Sometimes things aren’t just black and white.” A retort follows: “And sometimes they are!”
The words are exchanged between the principal of a Bronx Catholic school in 1964 and the mother of a child who’s a student there. The principal, Sister Aloysius (Dixie Arthur), is a strong-minded woman who wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she’s faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues, the amiable Father Flynn (Alen Benson), who’s suspected of having less-than-honorable intentions with students—and one boy in particular. Sister Aloysius is determined to find concrete ground even as she runs up against obstacles in the form of her firm beliefs, church reporting protocol, denial of wrongdoing, lack of support for her theory, and eventually her own doubts about things.
Sister James (Angela Hutt-Chamberlin) is innocence perfected. She offers a shining light in a play featuring some emotionally heavy discussion. Hutt-Chamberlin plays the naïve nun sweetly, but the role isn’t a light one. Her character serves to offset that of the stern Sister Aloysius. Without the sweetness of Sister James, Sister Aloysius wouldn’t seem as bitter.
Arthur steals the show in her portrayal of the cold and unrelenting nun. Her Sister Aloysius believes the children need leadership, not warmth and friendship. She believes in the strict structure of church, and she believes Father Flynn is up to no good.
Though her character offers nothing that should win audiences’ affections, Arthur does win admiration. Playing a difficult character with such believability, she makes you afraid to clear your throat in the tiny theater for fear of rap on your knuckles.
Arthur really shines during several confrontation scenes, one of which she shares with Mrs. Muller (Nicki Barnes), the mother of the child in question. Just when you think the mystery will be cleared up, you get thrown for a whopper of a loop. Muller and Sister Aloysius butt heads over several allegations, until Mrs. Muller schools Sister Aloysius in why people make the decisions they do and how individual life experiences and beliefs shape those decisions. The scene is a heated and emotional debate about the black, white, and gray areas of life. The dialogue will surprise you by opening your mind to the impossible perspectives other people may hold.
The most moving and gut-wrenching confrontation, however, comes between Sister Aloysius and Father Flynn. Benson, not Father Flynn, holds his own with Arthur in this tense confrontation. Both actors are brilliant, exposing anger, confusion, desperation, and sorrow. This scene alone rolls you through a wave of emotion. Benson takes turns at giving Father Flynn anger, outrage, anxiety, desperation, and even tears at the prospect of the allegations, while Arthur portrays Sister Aloysius as immovable, unsympathetic, and aggressive as she makes it clear she’ll never relent. The scene will leave you emotionally drained.
Though the play is set in a Catholic school, it isn’t about religion. It’s more about why people believe the things they do, why they take the actions they do, and how outside factors shape those inner beliefs. The play uses the allegations against Father Flynn as a vehicle to explore those concepts. The result is a breathtaking look at how we differ in our belief of what’s right and wrong, and the Santa Maria Civic Theatre presents this play with amazing talent.
There’s ultimately no answer to the question about Father Flynn’s integrity, however. Evidence presented leads to different possible conclusions, and no doubt everyone will struggle to come to his or her own conclusion at the play’s end. But that’s neither here nor there. The story is really meant to raise the questions about why you would come to your conclusion.
Part study in moral uncertainty and part old-fashioned detective drama, Doubt was written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by superbly by Stuart Wenger. It runs through the end of February. m
Arts Editor Shelly Cone an undoubtedly be reached at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 10-17, 2011.