Donald V. Calamia (![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} critic_don) wrote,@ 2008-04-02 13:58:00 |
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And the nominees are, in order of appearance:
BoarsHead Theater,
Jonathan Courtemanche, director
Detroit Repertory Theatre,
Charlotte Leisinger, director
Performance Network Theatre,
John Seibert, director
Before I get into the specifics of each production, I must once again reiterate that all three are among this season's finest efforts, and the artists involved in each should be extremely proud of their work. And because of that, to choose which was “best” is much more difficult than you can imagine. It all came down to ‘the little things” that made one production stand out just a little higher and stronger than the others.
THE BOARSHEAD:
This was the first of the three productions to launch, and it set the bar quite high for the other two.
This is the production I often called “The Black and White DOUBT” or “The No Doubt About It DOUBT” because everything about its tone was either black or white – there was no waffling in its point of view, no middle ground, no shades of gray. In other words, there WERE no doubts in this DOUBT.
That was especially true of Nancy-Elizabeth Kammer’s Sister Aloysius. She was a woman on a sacred mission – possessed, almost – and nothing or no one was going to stop her. And for the first 88 and a half minutes of the play, she had us totally convinced that she knew she was right; at no time did the audience ever see the slightest crack in her tough exterior.
Likewise, once Michael Joseph Mitchell’s Father Flynn discovered what the nun’s mission was, he was bound and determined to defeat her. There was no doubt about that, either.
Their confrontations were especially well executed.
In fact, of all three DOUBTs, this was by far the slickest; it was the smoothest-running production of any play I’ve seen in a long time. And what made that somewhat of a surprise was the show’s pedigree: It was the first major play ever directed by Jonathan Courtemanche. Everything clicked and ran like clockwork from the moment the show began until it ended; so much so, that I’d nominate Jonathan to run the nation’s airlines, rail system and
Also impressive was the set by Fred Engelgay, which was compliment quite nicely by the lighting design by Jeremy Winchester.
Where the show failed, however, was at its conclusion – a common problem with all three productions, and it’s partly the “fault” of the playwright. John Patrick Shanley has given directors and actors a tough, near-impossible assignment: to make us believe that Sister Aloysious – who, for 88 and a half minutes has thoroughly convinced us that she harbors no doubts – does indeed question her actions. But that’s not all: the playwright drops the bomb, and then quickly ends the show with no time for that revelation to be explored. It’s a powerful blast that requires deft handling, but none of the three productions got it quite right.
In the BoarsHead production, the chew-‘em-up-and-spit-‘em-out nun broke down and admitted her doubts amidst sobbing tears that, quite frankly, were not very convincing on opening night. But – in all fairness – it totally fit with the production’s black-and-white, one extreme or the other point of view. But ultimately, its “unbelievability factor” yanked me right out of the moment; and listening to others after the performance, I wasn’t the only one that happened to. (I overheard a handful of patrons say they laughed at that climactic moment because they found it so ludicrous.)
I doubt that was the reaction ANYONE was looking for!
THE
This was the production I often referred to it as the “It’s All About the Doubts DOUBT.”
Everything about Charlotte Leisinger’s production screamed “doubt” – there were no absolutes to be found in this production; everything was gray.
In this interpretation, Barb Busby’s Sister Aloysius was by far the most reflective of the three Sisters; she allowed us to watch as she worked through her thought processes, which made us aware early on that maybe, possibly, she wasn’t totally convinced that she had the facts correct. But that didn’t stop her from pursuing the course she knew she had to take. And Ray Schultz made us privy to Father Flynn’s thoughts, as well.
Where Charlotte's production overshadowed the others, I thought, was how she blocked (staged) the battles between Sister A. and Father Flynn. She made excellent use of levels: when Father Flynn was winning, he was positioned higher up and looked more menacing; and when the good Sister was in control, she towered over him. Plus, watching the power shift between them was quite intriguing.
As with the BoarsHead production, the concluding minutes also failed to work – but for a different reason. Since we were already aware that Barbara’s Sister A. had her doubts, the revealing moment was slightly more believable, but it lost its punch. It became an ending in search of a conclusion.
PERFORMANCE NETWORK:
John Seibert’s interpretation of DOUBT fell somewhere in-between the other two.
His was the production that had both a heart AND a soul to it. His characters were neither good nor bad, black nor white; nor were they caught somewhere in the middle. Rather, they were complex human beings that spanned the full range of human emotions and frailties. And that’s what his actors successfully explored: the many levels of their humanity.
Therefore, this was a production filled with “the little things” that communicate a lot: a quick gesture here, a glance there and a subtle change to the vocal qualities; each is designed to convey an important message. Or deliver a clue. And they did!
Jan Radcliffe, for example, presented Sister A’s gentler side by softening her voice whenever she talked about the aged nun who keeps falling down. (Her facial expressions changled somewhat, too.) Plus, Jon Bennett’s Father Flynn had some rather interesting moments, too – but I’ll address that tomorrow.
And the emotions emanating from Flynn and Sister A. - especially during their final confrontation - were stunning.
From a technical perspective, Daniel C. Walker’s magnificent set rivaled that of the BoarsHead’s, as did the lighting design by Janine Woods.
But where the Network’s show was significantly better was with Will Myers’ sound design. Sound is often the forgotten technical function, but here it plays an important role, and it was designed and executed almost flawlessly.
However, once again the ending didn’t work; Sister’s breakdown didn’t flow naturally or convincingly from what had been established earlier. And just like at the BoarsHead, a few in the audience found it funny.
SO WHICH OF THE THREE IS MY FAVORITE PRODUCTION OF DOUBT?
By a hair – and primarily because of “the little things” that added to the show’s depth – my favorite DOUBT this year was staged by Performance Network Theatre.
ABOUT THAT ENDING:
I've had several discussions over the last several months with area directors, artistic directors, actors and theater critics about that damn ending - and no one seems to have THE answer about how those final few minutes SHOULD be staged.
Because Sister's revelation comes out of the blue, it appears to some that the playwright inserted it as a "deus ex machina" - an unexpected, unanticipated and artificial plot device - to simply end the show with a bang, despite whether or not it makes sense.
I don't believe that, quite frankly - despite its appearance and my objection to it.
I've been told by more than a few that the Broadway production ended with no tears, no angst, and no organ-swelling, soap opera histrionics. Sister A. simply paused, quietly and thoughtfully revealed that she had doubts, and that was it.
Maybe less IS more...
CONCLUSION:
I have no doubts about my decision. But do YOU? Let me know what YOU think.
And in the meantime, find out which DOUBT Bridgette liked best by checking out her blog at http://frontrowlansing.blogspot.com/.
