Theatre Review: "Doubt" at Castle Craig Players

Review by Nancy Sasso Janis

Castle Craig Players has chosen to produce the play “Doubt: A Parable” by John Patrick Shanley as part of their 30th Anniversary Season. The play was the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play. “Doubt” continues at their Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse through March 19.

The play is set during the civil rights era at St. Nicholas Catholic School in the Bronx, New York in the autumn of 1964. In this powerful drama, Sister Aloysius, the school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with the school’s first black student.

Aloysius begins a crusade to rid the church of him—jeopardizing her own career as well as his. As the play unfolds, ideas of compassion, innocence, tolerance and certainty are tested, forcing the question the playwright himself posed: “What is lost and what is gained when the world changes?” I will not ruin the ending, but rest assured that the title of the play figures into the outcome for the characters and the audience as well.

Director Oliver Kochol (“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike”) helps the four actors breathe life into their well-drawn characters. Kochol said, “This show challenges audiences to think critically about what is being presented to them and take everything into consideration. Doubt and uncertainty can be an uncomfortable feeling, but sometimes patience is needed to arrive at the truth.”

The multi-talented Todd Santa Maria plays the progressive parish priest that is at the center of the plot. Santa Maria has performed, directed and choreographed with theater groups in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York. The actor may appear a bit younger than the middle-aged character, but he possesses the acting ability to command the role.

Pamela Amodio plays Sister Aloysius, the rigidly conservative member of the order of the Sisters of Charity that is the principal of the Catholic school. The “second career nun” values a stern hand over progressive education.

As a former educator, I found it hard to listen to her opinions about arts education and how to be an effective teacher, but I understand that her views are critical to the plot of the parable. It is also important to remember that the playwright intended this piece to be a parable, defined as a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle.

Amodio portrays well both the sternness and dry comedy in the character. She has many years of experience in community theater as an actress, director and stage manager. (Maddie McAuliffe, who worked on “Fun Home” and “Secondo” at TheaterWorks Hartford, is the stage manager of “Doubt.”)

Kelsey Alexander makes an impressive Castle Craig debut in the role of the young nun that teaches the eighth grade students in the school. Alexander has worked in the anti-violence field for ten years.

Alicia Saunders has a brief, yet important appearance as Mrs. Muller, the mother of the only black student in the school. Saunders, a graduate of The University of Bridgeport, has a quiet strength in her role.

Jennifer Del Sole served as assistant director on this show that she hopes will become another jewel in the Castle Craig crown. Melanie Del Sole is the show’s producer. Dusty Rader, who holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching from CCSU, did some fine work with his lighting design, as the lights indicate the change in scene. The set has three distinct sections of the school campus and nearby church. Religious garments and consultation were provided by Mo Peitler-Lederman.

Shanley is a Bronx-born-and-bred playwright and the Academy Award-winning author of “Moonstruck.” After an Off-Broadway and Broadway run, the play was adapted as the feature film “Doubt.” It starred Meryl Streep as Sister Aloysius and Philip Seymour Hoffman as Father Flynn and was nominated for several Academy Awards.

The play is presented with no intermission and runs about 90 minutes. It runs through March 19. Castle Craig Players is located at 59 W Main St. in Meriden.Tickets at https://bit.ly/3Bg4Y3x

Coming up next at Castle Craig will be “The Marvelous Wonderettes Dream On” opening on May 5.

Nancy Sasso Janis is a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle (ctcritics.org).