“Doubt, a Parable” powerful revelatory drama at Little Theatre of Manchester

Three Stars

(one star is poor, two is fair, three is good, and four is excellent)

Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester

Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Sara Logan. Stage manager Tom Goodin. Technical direction and lighting design by Glen Aliczi. Set design by David Moske. Sound design by Ron Schallack. Costume design by Marge Patefield.

Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission

Show Times: Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through May 22

Tickets: $16 - $23. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org

ACTORS … CHARACTERS

Debi Freund … Sister Aloysius Beaufier

Christopher Berrien … Father Flynn

Clare Fravel … Sister James

Latoya Williams … Mrs. Muller

MANCHESTER-From all accounts, Vatican II was not such a good idea after all. The concept was that the Catholic priests and nuns should have a more nurturing friendly approach to parishioners and their families, rather than remain austere and removed as they generally had in the past.

As shown in “Doubt, a Parable,” playing at the Little Theatre of Manchester, as well as thousands of horror stories from adults who were youths then, the results could sometimes lead to acts of pedophilia that, even worse, would go unchecked and covered up by church authorities for decades.

Not that that kind of perverse abusive behavior didn’t exist before, but the close, familial contact seemed to exacerbate a potentially dangerous and devastating relationship with vulnerable youths.

In this production, written by John Patrick Shanley, Debi Freund plays Sister Aloyisus Beauvier, who is an older experienced nun who is principal of the church’s middle school in the Bronx in 1964.

Freund, a veteran of LTM productions both on and off the set, does a fine job as Sister Aloyisus, representing the old school of church authority, where youths are supposed to be fearful of their elders, and learn in a safe and structured environment.

When a youthful nun, Sister James, played with passion and wide-eyed enthusiasm by Clare Fravel, says she loves to connect with the children, Sister Aloyisus advises against that type of relationship.

“I question your enthusiasm,” she says to Sister James.

Children have enough friends with their peers and don’t need the teachers as friends, Sister Aloyisus continues. In her view, the new approach is not a good one.

“Every easy choice today will have their consequences tomorrow,” Sister Aloyisus says, and encourages her to teach her beloved history classes “without pouring sugar all over it.”

Father Flynn, played by Christopher Berrien, also embraces the friendly, easy-going approach to his parishioners and the youths in the school, but his motives are less certain.

Father Flynn gives sermons and stories about faith, intolerance, and hope that are stirring, sometimes funny, and inspiring. He is charming and energetic, and Sister Aloyisus has significant doubts about him.

Those doubts are based on fleeting observations of his interactions with the boys, and past experience. She also has a male dominated hierarchy, with a particularly weak Monsignor, so she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Flynn befriends the first black student to attend the parochial school, Donald Mueller, but Sister James notices that after visiting with Flynn in the rectory, he returns to class with alcohol on his breath.

She reports this observation to Sister Aloyisus, who concocts a premise to interview the priest with Sister James in attendance.

What proceeds is a fascinating and interesting cat-and-mouse game between Aloyisus and Flynn. With little more than her intuition, she tries to get Flynn to confess to something he says he is unjustly accused of.

Sister Aloyisus also interviews Mrs. Mueller, the mother of Donald Mueller, to see if there is anything that she can add to the case she is trying to build against Flynn.

Latoya Williams plays Mrs. Mueller, with a naturalism and calm dignity that quietly almost steals the show. With an abusive husband and a sensitive son, she proves a fierce and determined defender of her child, Mrs. Mueller’s views and attitudes are unexpected and heartfelt.

The simple set, of a park bench, a door and office, function perfectly for this play, although the door and windowsills were painted in a non-solid color, which looked like it was a shabby-chic décor rather than a respectible well maintained school. Set design by David Moske.

The costumes, designed by Marge Field, are solid and faithful to the time period. The matching blue pillbox hat for Mrs. Mueller is a nice touch.

This beautifully written play, well directed by Sara Logan, looks at the ways people choose to live their lives, and the consequences of those choices.