Producing Organization- Manhatten Theatre ClubThey don’t miss the mark very often.
But their Doubt is mired in uninspired direction and unconvincing performances that fail to locate anything deeper than the surface of Shanley’s script.
Then again, for all its acclaim, it may be that Doubt: A Parable doesn’t run very deep in the first place. "- Kevin Gardner
Producing Organization- Water Tower Theatre 
Producing Organization- Tricycle Theatre Company
Venue- The Tricycle Theatre
Location- Kilburn High Road, London
When- November 2007- January 2008
Director- Nocolas Kent
Artistic Designer- John Gunter
Lighting Designer- Rachael McCutcheon
Review Capsule
1) "Shanley's brief, aphorism-heavy four-hander is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, when the golden age of certainty had passed away with JFK. Even the seemingly indestructible monolith of the Church is being assailed by modernisers. Intriguingly, Sister Aloysius, apparently the most hide-bound, is the one least willing to subscribe to the time-honoured notion that members of a religious order should close ranks to protect their own. Although she lacks evidence, "experience" tells her that Father Flynn (Pádraic Delaney) is behaving improperly and she wants him out. "-Fiona Mountford
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/theatre/review-23423275-not-doubtful-enough-by-half.do
2) "It’s an intense play that works because of the solid individuals at its centre - the modernising, tough-talking Bronx priest Father Flynn, the naïve, virginal Sister James, and Sister Aloyisius, the suspicious, world-weary, controlling elder of the community. Added to this is Nikki Amuka-Bird as the headstrong mother of the boy, who, as the audience’s advocate, voices our doubts about the accusations." -Jeremy Austinhttp://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/review.php/19000/doubt-a-parable
Producing Organization- Syracuse StageWhere should adults draw the line between being a friend and being an authority figure in their relationships with children? Is practical the same thing as easy? How does one strike a balance between morals, common sense, and idealism?" - Angela Newman
Producing Organization -Olney Theatre Company
Producing The Play
Production Problems Posed by the Text
One if the problems that would need to be addressed by anyone interested in producing the play is the question of who’s the victim? Is there one? And also the doubt versus certainty dilemma. The characters of Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius are both strong protagonist. The way the script is written ;there is an equal balance of “doubt” on all sides of the proposed issue. Father Flynn has a very personable and likeable personality whereas Sister Aloysius runs the school with an iron fist, which one will come off more appealing to the audience? I think to make this show work that has to be a fine balance of both so that one does not appear to be “winning”. One of the other problems that would need to be discussed is the scenic design, the script does not call for many pieces so the designer could virtually do a number of things. When discussing the set I think it would be important to discuss beforehand how simple does it need to be to stay true to the setting and time. It is a Catholic Church in the Bronx so a very bright colorful set would not be accurate but rather something more subtle and stone like. Also another big issue is the fact that the play is almost all dialogue driven, with little action. The actors and the director would really need to dive into how they could make the conversations interesting and the audience captivated.
Production Problems Posed by Our Context:
If we were to produce this play at Sam Houston State University depending on which space used, we may encounter different problems. The first problem or issue that would have to be addressed, even before auditions or even choosing this play, is the age of the characters in this script. The young nun and possibly the mother may be fine but how could you address Sister Aloysius’ casting? Being produced in a college theatre this would be very important to address. If produced in the Showcase Theatre I think there needs to be a discussion of how comfortable the audience will feel when being close to the action, this could work for or against the production. On the other hand the Mainstage Theatre might make the audience feel too disconnected to the story.
Other Productions’ Solutions:
For the issue of the two protagonist in the play, either the producing organizations nailed it or completely missed the mark, leaving the audience unpleased. One critic that viewed the production of “Doubt” that was produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club commented on the bare set saying “…Collins' lighting subtly bring brick walls with a stained glass window into focus. This becomes a permanent backdrop. The principal's office, a church garden between the nuns' and priests' quarters, and a gym locker room are rolled on and off stage without the slightest awkwardness or artificiality.” This would be a great way to approach the scenic design of the show and this production received great reviews by many. On the issue of the age, I was unable to find many reviews where this play was produced at a college level. Although I did find a information from the TCU performance that was recently produced it said little about the problem in casting. I was able to look at some of the pictures from the production and to my surprise they did not even use makeup or other effects to help with the age of the characters. The college students looked incredibly young in the pictures, especially Father Flynn who resembled more of a freshman in high school.
Critical Response:
The majority of the reviews I read the critics’ loved both the script and the production being viewed. Very few were displeased with it, and if they were the main reasons were due to conflicts with the acting and not so much the script itself. The production by the Manhattan Theatre Club, as mentioned above, probable received some of the best reviews. This script not to anyone’s surprise also one a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Awards in acting and for best play.
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