Open Book Theatre Company Presents DOUBT

The news out of Philadelphia about the decade-spanning sexual abuse and coverup in the Catholic Church hadn't been released when Doubt was chosen to be part of the Open Book season, but it proves to have been a timely choice. In the play Sister Aloysius, a Bronx school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of impropriety. What follows is an engaging examination of the grey areas between suspicion, certainty and doubt.

Director Wendy Katz Hiller explains "I've loved the play Doubt since I first read it in 2005 after it had won the Tony and Pulitzer for Best Play. I loved the way it raises more questions than it answers and that it has multi-faceted characters grounded in the real world. Although the play deals with possible sexual abuse by a priest, it connects to many different topics in today's world, from claims of sexual harassment to the way people find their faith tested. The play is set in 1964, but the topics are timeless and the writing is both poetic and real."

The play was originally performed 3 years after the Boston Globe exposed the sex abuse scandal of the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. It has remained a favorite at theatres across the country because it's so well written, and the gaps between certainty and doubt are always rife for examination. It is not a play that advocates for or against the Catholic Church, but rather calls the audience to examine their own biases. In a 2007 op ed for the Boston Globe the playwright John Patrick Shanley wrote "There is a tendency in our time and perhaps throughout time to simplify. We all want it simple. We want to know what to do. A great communicator is one who can break it down for you -- "Just give me the bottom line." "Cut to the chase." Well, life and morality and governance, adequate citizenship, is not about "the chase." Just as having a spiritual life is not about making up your mind once and for all. True spirituality is present, it's alive and observant."

Katz Hiller is excited about staging the show in the intimate Open Book space. "As viewers we are right in the scene as these characters struggle with their own doubts and beliefs. I've chosen to work with the thrust stage so that the audience members are actually experiencing different points of view--just what the script is about. There are many different ways of seeing the same situation."

Open Book Theatre is known for staging plays that spark conversation. All of the Sunday performances are followed by a discussion with the artists. Regardless of whether you attend the discussion or just talk about it in the car on the way home, Doubt is sure to give you much to examine.

Individual tickets are only $25 for general admission, $20 for seniors, and $15 for students, with all tickets for the opening night gala at $30 each. Tickets can be purchased online at openbooktc.com. More information can be found online or by calling 734 288-7753.

The show features Maggie Gilkes as Sister Aloysius , Meghan VanArsdalen as Jamess Sister, Joe Sfair as Father Flynn, and Krystle Dellihue as Mrs. Muller. Directed by Wendy Katz Hiller. Scenic Design by Bradly Byrne, Lighting Design by Harley Miah. Stage managed by Jillian Joie Dahl

Photo Credit: Jan Cartwright