Doubt at Le Petit Theatre through May 18
After seeing its original off-Broadway production in January 2005, I wrote, “John Patrick Shanley provided gripping theater with his best play to date. In Doubt, a nun tries to determine whether a priest at her school has molested a young boy. If this Manhattan Theater Club production moves to Broadway, as is rumored, don’t miss it.”
Doubt would, of course, go on to a successful run on Broadway where it would win the Tony Award for Best Play as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama before being turned into an Oscar-nominated movie.
Twenty years later, Doubt remains no less trenchant and engrossing than when it premiered. As Sister Aloysius, the head nun and principal of St. Nicholas, a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, tries to determine whether Father Flynn may have had any improper relations with Donald Muller, the school’s first African-American student, Shanley provides no easy answers.
What does one do when you have only a strong suspicion of wrongdoing and no proof? Do you presume innocence? Or do you trust your instincts rather than allow something terrible to happen? What if, even if you’re right, something else terrible may still happen? Shanley creates, in this brilliantly written and constructed play, a world of discomforting uncertainty but riveting drama.
At Le Petit Theatre, Director Ashley Santos has provided a solid production, the second major one in New Orleans since its regional premiere at Southern Rep in 2007. If I felt the first few scenes were played a little too much for laughs, things eventually settled in nicely and, by its final moments, this Doubt was utterly mesmerizing.
Joan Long’s wood-paneled and stained-glass set smartly delineated the script’s three locales, the pulpit of St. Nicholas Church, its adjacent gardens, and, suitably occupying the center of the stage, Sister Aloysius’ drab but functional office. Nick Shackleford’s slightly surreal sound design ushers us into the world of the play and aptly conveys that something is not quite right there.
Having attended the production’s third performance, it seemed like the cast was, understandably, still discovering and settling into the play’s rhythms.
That said, as Sister Aloysius, Leslie Nipkow was already giving a tremendous, wholly realized performance. Properly starchy, Nipkow eschews creating a sympathetic portrait of this woman who has antiquated views on everything from writing implements to fingernail length to Christmas pageants–and that’s as it should be. What Nipkow does do, superbly, is to convey that the Sister does care, deeply if perhaps in her own way, about her charges’ well-being and that she will protect them like a lioness does her cubs.
Nipkow makes Sister Aloysius not only smart but wily, one who never shows her cards, and never backs down. And this actress, whom I’ve previously seen in only a couple of supporting roles, expresses more with a “Yes” or a “No” than many others do with lines of dialog.
David Lind and Leslie Nipkow in Doubt (photo by Brittney Werner)
David Lind’s Father Flynn is just as he should be–a big brotherly type who likes to be in charge, open & friendly until you challenge him, with just a hint of creepiness. Lind could’ve been just a little more nuanced, especially in his two long sermons/monologs, but otherwise made an accomplished New Orleans stage debut.
As Mrs. Muller, Donald’s concerned mother, Queen Shereen Macklin was simply superb. Though she has only one scene, it is one of the best written in dramatic literature, comparable to the Gentleman Caller’s classic tête-à-tête with Laura in The Glass Menagerie. As she conversed with Nipkow’s Sister Aloysius, Macklin etched a memorable portrait of a Black woman in the 1960s determined to protect her son and remain strong in the face of multiple challenges.
Only Elizabeth McCoy, as Sister James, a young humanistic teacher at the school, seemed to be miscast. McCoy has given outstanding performances as strong woman such as in Suddenly Last Summer and The Trojan Women, and even as a tougher than usual Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire last year; she’s less adept at playing softer women such as Alma in Summer and Smoke. An intelligent actress, McCoy makes all the right choices for Sister James, it’s just not in her wheelhouse to fully inhabit a gentle soul racked with conflict. (Fake tears didn’t help.) I would’ve loved to have seen Santos in this role which seems tailor-made for her talents.
As with any provocative drama, there are a few things I have my doubts, or questions, about–
–Were there such nuns as Sister Aloysius? I’m not saying there weren’t but you sure don’t hear much about them.
–Would someone such as her have doubts? Doubt features a well-known curtain line. When I saw the original production, it made sense. For some reason, it didn’t quite do so for me at Le Petit. I’m not sure if that was due to the slightest shift of emphases in this production or, more likely, in the 20 years since Doubt opened, revelations of thousands of abusive priests all over the world make it that much more difficult to doubt that the Father did what Sister Aloysius thinks he did.
–And most of all, would Father Flynn have been drawn to a boy like Donald Muller whose mother acknowledges he may be “that way”? It makes sense within the play, but watching Doubt this time, it struck me that it seems like the vast majority of those boys abused by priests were, if not straight, straight presenting. In fact, it’s a common joke/lament among my gay Catholic friends as to “why didn’t the priests abuse me, then we all would’ve been happy” (or alternately “wasn’t I cute enough?’; again, and I stress this, these are said jokingly). Perhaps the priests liked a challenge. Or perhaps because they were closeted gay men (perhaps who had been abused themselves), they wanted to have nothing to do with any youngster who exhibited any signs of effeminacy. I would love to know what Shanley thinks about this.
In any case, if in these uncertain times you’re looking for a play with a tidily resolved ending, Doubt may not be the show for you. If, however, you want thought-provoking drama excellently done, there’s no doubt you should head to Le Petit before May 18.
[For tickets and more info, go to https://www.lepetittheatre.com/events/doubt-a-parable]
New in New York
I was supposed to see Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends recently but that afternoon I got a text from the press agent saying that Lea Salonga would be out that evening and we’d have to reschedule. I’ll thus be sharing my thoughts on this new musical in a few weeks. (I did wind up seeing Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco Theatre) that evening which is a very sweet musical.)
In the meantime, there’s a small off-Broadway show that’s running through Memorial Day weekend that offers a balm from this topsy-turvy world. Adapted from the best-selling book of the same name, All The Beauty In The World (DR2 Theatre thru May 25) tells how Patrick Bringley went from working as a writer at The New Yorker to being a guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. And it’s Bringley himself who does the telling in this engaging one-man show.
Finding himself surrounded by “Hebrew prophets, Christian martyrs, and Greek gods”, Bringley delivers a wonderful meditation on art and how to look at it. He also treats us to observations on the museum visitors he encountered, as well as his fellow guards whom, in his telling, become distinct individuals rather than just uniformed art-protectors.
Patrick Bringley in All The Beauty In The World
As I began to wonder how Bringley would talk about art and his museum experiences for 90 minutes, the show’s scope widened to include tales of his family with a focus on his brother who would pass away at a too young age.
Part art history lesson, part memoir, All The Beauty In The World is very literary. That’s not at all a criticism; you just have to listen closely to Bringley for maximum enjoyment just as he encourages you to look closely at the various paintings that are projected on panels to fully appreciate them.
Somehow, Bringley, who wrote the play’s script, has created dramatic tension out of his narrative so that, with the help of Dominic Dromgoole’s well-paced direction, one’s attention never flags. If a few moments that seemed a bit precious could’ve been trimmed, overall, with its soupçon of audience involvement and sprinkling of meta-theatrics, All The Beauty In The World offers a brainy but heartfelt view from a singular perspective.
Bringley may not give an overly polished, actorly performance but instead delivers an authentic retelling of his life combined with gimlet-eyed observations of the museum world. If you’re looking for an alternative to the spectacle of Broadway, head down to Union Square to see this charming production. Unlike the permanent collection of the Met, it won’t be here forever. [More info and tickets at https://www.allthebeautyintheworldplay.com/]
The Berliner Ensemble’s production of The Threepenny Opera played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for just four days in April.
Kurt Weill’s score is as ravishing as ever with its series of unforgettable melodies. Under the direction of Adam Benzwi, the production gave a superb account of the music; one can only imagine that this is what it sounded like at its 1928 premiere.
Based on John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera, Bertolt Brecht’s book and lyrics, in collaboration with Elisabeth Hauptmann, with their biting view of capitalism and humanity, remain as relevant as ever though now, even those with full stomachs don’t always pay any attention to morals.
Yet, despite this, I found this Threepenny Opera directed by Barrie Kosky, one of Europe’s most acclaimed directors, to be unengaging, bordering on the soporific. I’m not entirely sure why.
Though I had just gotten in to NYC the night before, I had gotten plenty of sleep afterward. And I was certainly looking forward to seeing the show.
Partly, it might have been due to Kosky’s staging on Rebecca Ringst’s jungle gym of a set which was often too static to be engrossing.
Constanze Becker, Maeve Metelka and Tilo Nest in The Threepenny Opera (photo by Richard Termine)
Partly, it might’ve been because it was in German with the supertitles displayed on the side of the stage making for lotsa head-turning.
And partly it might’ve been because it was just too “Brechtian” with its well-known distancing technique. Watching this Threepenny, it struck me how presentational it is with little real emotion inherent in it. It could be that Kosky, unlike some American directors who highlight, as much as possible, the characters’ relationships, in being truer to Brecht blanched it of any emotional engagement, at least for me. Or, to put it another way, the emotional level was more or less the same for the whole three hour running time.
Am I happy I saw it? Yes, if only to have heard the grandly astringent songs again. Did I think it was better than Dennis Monn’s 2010 production at The AllWays Lounge featuring Becky Allen, Altercation, Pandora Gastelum, Monica R. Harris, Donald Lewis, Ratty Scurvics, and Chris Wecklein? Better not say–I don’t want Mack the Knife to come after me.
Curtain Up
After French Quarter Fest, Easter & all its parades, and Jazzfest, it’s time to head indoors again and enjoy some theatrical offerings. The following should keep you entertained through the 4th of July.
Looking for answers to life’s questions, big and small? Then head to Loyola’s Marquette Theater for the Crescent City Stage production of Tiny Beautiful Things (thru May 25), Nia (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) Vardalos’ adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s book which brought together the letters she received and the responses she gave to them in her advice column, Dear Sugar.
Michael A. Newcomer directs Rashif Ali, Helena Wang, Steve Zissis, and Tenea Intriago as “Sugar” in what promises to be “a raw and honest exploration of the human experience.” (https://www.crescentcitystage.com/tiny-beautiful-things)
Looking for clown traditions, pratfalls and hijinks? Then head to 1315 Touro Street, Friday thru Sunday, May 9-18 (doors at 7, show at 8, cash only at the door) for Clowns are Bananas!, writer/director Nari Tomassetti’s new and original work inspired by her days as a Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus clown.
The cast of Clowns Are Bananas!
In what promises to be funny and silly, Chris Wecklein is the Boss Clown overseeing the shenanigans of pranksters James Ryan, Amelia Lormand, David Whittenberg, Justine Evans, Hillary Neeb, and GroundScore. Expect balloons, a pie fight, and lotsa madcap hoopla plus music by the show’s very own clown band, Hannah and the Bananas.
Want more clowns? Then head to The Twilight Room at The AllWays Lounge for The NOLA Project’s Clown Bar 2, Adam Szymkowicz’s follow-up to his Clown Bar which The NOLA Project produced ten years ago. Two years have passed since the events of that immersive comedy and a clown-crime boss has gone missing. Foul play is suspected in the “seedy underbelly of clown crime”, so two cops from the “beige life” are enlisted to go deep undercover and solve the mystery.
Khiry Armstead directs Natalie Boyd, Keith Claverie, Benjamin Dougherty, Jessica Lozano, David Sellers, Joe Signorelli, Matthew Thompson, Alex Martinez Wallace, Megan Whittle and Kristin Witt. The pratfalls, hijinks and murderous mayhem run from May 13 through June 6. (https://www.nolaproject.com/cb2)
Clowns of a different sort can be found when the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane presents Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid. Ryder Thornton provides a new translation/adaptation of this classic farce where doctors plot and hypochondria runs wild.
Performances begin June 6 and continue until June 22. Anne-Liese Juge Fox directs a cast headed by Doug Spearman and Jessica Podewell. (https://neworleansshakespeare.org/products/the-imaginary-invalid)
The Shakespeare Festival continues its season July 11-27 with A Midsummer Night’s Dream. (https://neworleansshakespeare.org/products/a-midsummer-nights-dream)
If you’re in the mood for musical theater, you can go next door to Dixon Hall for Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University which kicks off its season with A Chorus Line (June 19-22). Jauné Buisson directs & choreographs the Michael Bennett/Marvin Hamlisch Tony and Pulitzer-winning tribute to those dancers who may not be in the spotlight but are a vital part of a show’s success. (https://liberalarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyric-theatre/ticketsevents/events/chorus-line)
A Chorus Line will be followed by two other “C” musicals, Stephen Sondheim’s Company, July 10-13, directed by Leslie Castay (https://liberalarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyric-theatre/ticketsevents/events/company), and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Carousel, July 31-August 3, directed & choreographed by Diane Lala (https://liberalarts.tulane.edu/summer-lyric-theatre/ticketsevents/events/carousel)
Another Tony Award-winner can be found in the Quarter when Le Petit presents Ain’t Misbehavin‘ June 5-22. Directed & choreographed by Donald Jones-Bordenave this Thomas “Fats” Waller musical revue features 30 songs–including T’ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do, Honeysuckle Rose and the title number–by or associated with the inimitable Waller. (https://www.lepetittheatre.com/events/aint-misbehavin-the-fats-waller-musical-show)
Yet another Tony winner can be found in the Quarter, or at least the edge of it, when The Wiz comes to the Saenger Theatre, May 13-18, in an all-new production (https://www.saengernola.com/events/the-wiz/). It will be followed by another “C” musical, Chicago, June 10-15, whose Tony-winning revival is in its 29th year on Broadway (https://www.saengernola.com/events/chicago/).
Over in Chalmette, The Company: A St. Bernard Community Theatre will be giving what I suspect will be the Parish premiere of Ragtime at their new home, The Azienda Theatre (800 W. Judge Perez Drive). Ragtime, with book & lyrics Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, runs from May 16 through May 24, and there’ll be complimentary wine & beer at every show. (https://cur8.com/14395/project/131754)
Another Lynn Ahrens/Stephen Flaherty musical will be playing on the Northshore June 14-29. Mandeville’s 30 by Ninety Theatre will be giving Lucky Stiff its first regional outing since NOCCA did it in 2012. Based on the novel The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo, Lucky Stiff is an offbeat murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, six million bucks in diamonds and a corpse in a wheelchair. 30 by Ninety Co-Founder Jason Leader directs. (https://30byninety.com/shows/lucky-stiff/)
And if you’re not interested in clowns, Shakespeare or Tony winners, but just want to enjoy pure dance, The Komenka Ethnic Dance and Music Ensemble presents its 43rd Spring Concert on May 31st and June 1st at Loyola’s Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall.
The show is an “around the world” tour through ethnic dance & music in two hours and will feature presentations representing China, India, Italy, Mexico, Transylvania, Turkey, and the 1970’s Disco Era as well as songs of Africa, Brazil, Bulgaria, the Inuit, and Polynesia. (www.tickettailor.com/events/komenka.)
Komenka’s Mexican Tamaulipas Dancers
