Seattle Theatre Review: Doubt is in the Air at Taproot

Everything you've read and heard about John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer-winning Doubt: A Parable is true. Riveting, meticulously constructed, and shockingly topical perfectly describle this instant masterpiece. Receiving its second Seattle production, after Seattle Rep's Northwest premiere in 2006, Taproot's engrossing new mounting is pitch perfect. Director Scott Nolte gets everything right in this strong new staging. A game cast of four create a powerful evening of theatre at its most vibrant. This Doubt leaves its audience talking well after the curtain comes down. Plays as carefully constructed as this one don't come around often. Each line, each movement leads its viewer to new clues about a tough-as-nails nun's allegations of molestation against a highly respected Priest. Set in the Brox in 1964, following the assasination of John F. Kennedy, this 90-minute barn burner builds in intensity until its harrowing finale. Shanley and director Nolte never force the playgoer into deciding who is right and who is wrong. In fact, Doubt is less about its hot-button storyline and more about the feelings these types of allegations stir up. The center of Mark Lund's astute scenic design is a large mural of a church with pieces missing. This disjointed backdrop is the centerpiece of a production that makes a point to meet its subject head-on. Director and cast never shy away from the harrowing content of Shanley's masterwork. Known mostly for his comedies, like Moonstruck, Shanley here reveals a sharp wit paired with keen dramatic instincts. Nolte's intelligent staging understands this. He uses the Taproot's intimate space to evoke emotions that seemed lost in larger venues. This is a Doubt for the ages. A thrilling production that utilizes sociopolitical ideas pioneered by artists like Augosto Boal. I have seen many productions that have left me speachless. Taproot's Doubt achieves the rare task of making its audience dialogue afterward. It is safe to say that what happens offstage after the play is as important as what takes plance onstage.

Nolte has assembled a superb quartet of actors that breath life into an already pulsing play. Pam Nolte's Sister Aloysius, a role created by Tony-winner Cherry Jones, is a central performance full of remarkable moments. Her Aloysius is guarded, manipulative, calculated, and deeply flawed. Nolte never backs away from the dark sides of one of the greatest female roles out there. Her scenes are filled with an intensity rare to the stage. Each movement is perfectly crafted in the performance of a lifetime full of remarkable creations. William Kumma is a solid Father Flynn. Faced with the most mysterious of characters found in Doubt, Kumma carefully constructs a portrait of a man struggling to move forward in a church steeped in tradition. The scenes between Nolte and Kumma are the best of the lot. They spar against each other in a battle of egos, ideas, and unthinkable truths. The duo, well aware of the sectrets they hold, never allow us in too close. We are never forced into any conclusions. The mysteries of Doubt are present throughout. Jesse Notehelfer offers a complex performance as Sister James. Notehelfer and Nolte's scenes are the most mysterious in a production full of appropriatly peculiar moments. She shines as a woman whose good character is seemlingly manipulated against her. . Faith Russell offers a powerful Mrs. Muller. As the Mother of the boy central to Sister Aloysius' claims, Russell's brief but powerful scene has her reaching an intensity achieved through a connection to character. Probably the trickiest of a piece full of tricky tasks, Russell must take herself to unthinkable places. The four gifted performers offer the strongest ensemble in recent memory.

Doubt remains a challenging theatrical experience in its second stunning production in two years. Shanley's award-winning play remains necessary viewing for anyone interested in the strength and weakness of the human soul. Audiences will have a chance to see Doubt on the big screen later this year with Meryl Streep as Aloysius, Phillip Seymour Hoffman as Father Flynn, Amy Adams as Sister James, and Viola Davis as Mrs. Muller. Taproot has quietly asserted itself as a force to be reckoned with in this esential revival. This is a chance in a lifetime to view yourself thrugh the eyes of people struggling with their faith. This layered Doubt is not to be missed. An important and necessary trip to the theatre that unfolds unlike anything before it.

Doubt plays through April 26 at the Taproot in Greenwood. For tickets visit http://www.taproot.org. They follow with Over the River and Through the Woods by Joe Deprito running May 16-June 14.

Top: Pam Nolte (Sister Aloysius) and Jesse Notehelfer (Sister James)
Bottom: William Kumma (Father Flynn) and Nolte
Photos by Erik Stuhaug.