John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize-winning Doubt — A Parable, set in post-Vatican II 1964, premiered on Broadway in 2004. Although it's easy to make a connection between the play's examination of a priest under fire and the Catholic Church's child-abuse scandals, it's actually intended as a metaphor for the argument that weapons of mass destruction existed in Iraq.
As the old-school Sister Aloysius says, "Every easy choice today will have its consequence tomorrow."
Director Keri Wormald helms the Barksdale Theatre's production of Doubt at its Willow Lawn stage. Wormald has directed plays on Richmond's major stages and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland. Her cast includes veterans Irene Ziegler as Sister Aloysius and Duke Lafoon as Father Flynn.
Another character in the 90-minute, single-act show, says Wormald, is the audience. "The second act of the play is when the audience leaves and talks about what they just saw."
Doubt runs from Feb. 15 to March 16 at the Barksdale Willow Lawn as part of the Fourth Annual Acts of Faith Festival. For more information, call 282-2620 or visit barksdalerichmond.org.
