Don’t “Doubt” on watching this great performance
December 8, 2022
With the first semester soon coming to a close, the winter play comes to lighten the mood during these last stressful weeks. For this 2022-2023 school year, the Neuqua theater department presents a reenactment of the unique parable from the mind of John Patrick Shanley. Doubt was the winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize and received a Tony Award for Best play.
Doubt is different from past Neuqua productions, with a skilled 4 person cast portraying the characters of Sister Aloysius (Leah Dennison), Sister James (Bailey Dunsmore), Father Flynn (Brandon Wang) and Mrs. Muller (Amiah Dutton) throughout the entire performance. Cast Member Bailey Dunsmore expressed how “when the shows were announced this season I was very excited to audition because it’s different from anything I’ve ever auditioned for and it’s the first time I’ve ever really played a character that had so much depth to it and this one is written with such mastery. I really like this character because I feel like I can relate to her a lot and I can kind of put a lot of myself in her.”
At first glance, this play centers around the hierarchy at the St. Nicholas Church School and analyzes how characters within the school are impacted by feelings and thoughts of doubt, including Sister Aloysius who must question authority within her church when her superiors evade consequences for their actions due to their position in power. One of Neuqua’s English teachers and the Director of this year’s winter play, Johnathan Pontarelli, describes this parable as a “Drama in the workplace that could seemingly happen anywhere.”
When asked about Doubt, Pontarelli explained how it “is an incredibly important piece for the theater community. This show is rarely put on because I feel like sometimes there’s a bit of a discrepancy of the content. It’s an important story to tell because it tells people’s truths. People can see themselves in the characters and maybe the situations, but also it’s a window where I’m peering that I’ve never really encountered but yet it’s good for me to peer into that, and that’s what makes great theater and that’s why I think here at Neuqua Valley we need to put on a show like this”
Be sure to check out Neuqua’s winter play, Doubt: A parable on December 9 at 7:00 pm or December 10 at 3:00 pm & 7:00 pm. Tickets are $7 for general admission but keep in mind seats are limited. Don’t forget to check out Neuqua’s future theater productions to come in the second half of the school year.
