Doubt
Amy Ryan, Zoe Kazan, Liev Schreiber (Joan Marcus)
By Fern Siegel (Posted 3/8/24)
Sexism and patriarchy are obstacles to justice — especially when upheld by the Catholic Church. Since Doubt concerns a suspected pedophile priest, the power dynamic is telling.
The strong Broadway revival of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, now at the Todd Haimes Theater, is enhanced by a quartet of exceptional actors.
It is a rare person who stands up for principles, but that’s what Sister Aloysius (Amy Ryan) is prepared to do. She’s the principal of St. Nicholas in a working-class Bronx neighborhood. The no-nonsense nun is suspicious of liberal reforms (it’s 1964) but morally resolute.
The stern sister is worried about Father Flynn (Liev Schreiber), the amiable priest. Flynn is a recent arrival to the school, his third assignment in five years. He claims to be progressive — but is happy to rely on an archaic system to protect himself.
On learning from Sister James (Zoe Kazan as a naïve young nun) that Donald Muller, 12, the school’s sole Black student, returned from a meeting with Flynn with alcohol on his breath, Sister Aloysius shifts into action.
However, as someone who respects the rules, she’s acutely aware the church will not support her. Instead, it has a sordid history of shuttling, rather than removing, abusive priests. Since Flynn is so affable, Sister James is filled with doubt, even as the older nun embraces certainty.
The situation is complicated by Donald’s mother (Quincy Tyler Bernstine). She’s convinced her son’s only chance at survival is the school. Without hard evidence, admittedly difficult to obtain, and understanding all situations have a price, she responds to the accusation: “It’s just till June.”
Doubt explores how easy it is for the powerful to prey on the powerless. Because the older nun, unlike the younger man, is less likable, the deck is stacked. She has to maneuver within a flawed system, calling Flynn’s bluff to protect her charges. Is Flynn a maligned innocent or adept at evading guilt? Is certainty a given? Sometimes, one relies on gut instinct.
At a tight 90 minutes sans intermission, this iteration is expertly performed. It’s set 60 years ago, but as the systematic abuse by priests and coverup within the Catholic Church has become widely known, Doubt’s relevance remains.
Scott Ellis directs a top-notch cast. Amy Ryan is a standout, but she’s joined by an excellent Schreiber. Kazan nicely balances a desire to please, with struggling to maintain a sense of purpose. Bernstine is a remarkable study in restrained anguish.
Shanley’s plays include Outside Mullingar and Danny and The Deep Blue Sea, recently revived off-Broadway, while his screenplay for Moonstruck won an Oscar. But Doubt is of special note. It exists as a reflection and condemnation of a religious order that fails to uphold the morality Sister Aloysius deems imperative.