ST. PETERSBURG — Doubt is a great play, and American Stage gives it a great production. Simple as that — John Patrick Shanley's parable on the crisis of the Catholic Church is must-see theater, directed by Todd Olson. I can't think of a recent play that brings together ideas, emotion and sheer entertainment value in such brilliant fashion, and all in one fast-paced 90-minute act performed without intermission. Here are observations from a compelling night in the theater.
In one corner: Sister Aloysius, principal of St. Nicholas Church School in the Bronx, played with an uncanny combination of severity and wit by Christine Decker. She's an old-school nun who comes down hard on poor penmanship and long fingernails but has the comic timing of Henny Youngman in a habit.
And in the other: Father Flynn, a charismatic guys' guy who is equally inspirational in the pulpit and on the basketball court. Eric Davis' New York Irish brogue is superbly subtle, the key to his thrilling, ultimately mysterious performance.
Shanley's master stroke: The action is set in 1964, right after Vatican II but years before the scandal of pedophile priests became known. What a tragic irony that Flynn, agent of change in an institution desperately in need of it, may be sexually exploiting a 12-year-old boy, the first black child to attend the school. His accuser, Aloysius, is a "fierce moral guardian" feared by all. Sister James (a charming Samantha McKinnon Brown), a young teacher, is a surrogate for the audience, her loyalties torn between Aloysius and Flynn.
Most provocative scene: When Mrs. Muller (Erica C. Sutherlin, playing her as a starchy church matron but with a vein of steel) says to Aloysius that her son is "that way" and may have invited any advances by Flynn,
Deft touch: The sound design (by Olson) features music by a boys choir. The segue from Flynn's angry phone call to the bishop to an angelic boy soprano is breathtaking.
Seen the movie? Sure, Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman were terrific in the movie (adapted and directed by Shanley), but don't sell yourself short by missing the play. Doubt is inherently theatrical, and the sparks really fly between Decker and Davis in the confined space. Scott Cooper's multilevel set is a brooding masterpiece with stained glass-like panels of Christ on the cross and other holy figures. Costume designer Adrin Erra Puente drapes Flynn in brilliant green and red vestments for his sermons.
In the end, is there any doubt? Yes, despite the scandal that we now know about and that stacks the deck against Flynn. The performances by Decker and Davis are that persuasive and evenly matched. Aloysius finally does confess her doubt, but that is not about the guilt or innocence of the priest, I don't think, but about her belief in the church and maybe even God.
John Fleming can be reached at fleming@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8716. He blogs at Critics Circle at blogs.tampabay.com/arts.
If you go
The John Patrick Shanley play runs through Aug. 16 at American Stage, 163 Third St. N, St. Petersburg. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday. $22-$35; student rush tickets are $10, 30 minutes before show. (727) 823-7529; americanstage.org.
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