When artistic director Ron Reed started e, he knew two things: the company would have a faith-based mandate and he loved risky plays. Most people might not see those as companionable interests, but almost three decades later, Reeds beloved theatre company is stronger than ever. The last three years in particular have seen Pacific Theatre develop a reputation for high-quality productions of boundary-pushing works that even cause established companies to think twice, such as John Patrick Shanleys award-winning .
The two-act drama details a nun who accuses a priest of molesting the sole African American student in a Catholic school. Despite being set in 1964, Doubt hits every hot-button issue still facing society today: sex abuse in the Catholic Church, racism, faith, slander. According to Reed, who is directing Pacific Theatres production, these questions deserve a closer look.
I suppose there are many people who dont really care what they believe or dont believe, Reed says. But once you decide something does matter to you, the ebb and flow of certainty, uncertainty, skepticism, downright loss of belief in this thing [the play addresses that beautifully.]
The company has flourished in the last few years by addressing those themes head-on, alternating more traditional material with darker fare that asks us to question our own ethics, morality, humanity, and yes, even faith.
Theres something about that particular crime [child molestation] or sin or illness, that really stirs us up in our culture. But the uncertainty around it! I dont know if you ever had the instance where someone you knew or knew of secondhand was suddenly accused of abuse, but suddenly you dont know. The ground shakes underneath you. They say they didnt, and you know them and you want to believe them, but you dont know. Doubt replicates that.
Some have seen the play as anti-religious or that it is a condemnation of Catholicism. Reed doesnt see it that way.
[Shanley] dedicates the play to this order of nuns, Reed points out. But it interrogates the church and asks questions. When the play feels like it is anti-clerical or anti-church, that is not the play that was written. Thats a huge part of why we chose to do it... Its fair and balanced; its human. Even when the characters forget their humanity. And the play fundamentally goes to questions of right and wrong. What do we do when we encounter something wrong? It comes very close to questions of faith and consciousness. Pacific Theatre loves plays that make us uncomfortable. I also love You Cant Take It With You. (Laughs) But I love edgy theatre and I love theatre that makes you just squirm and upsets you. I live for that.
Doubt runs to Mar. 31 at Pacific Theatre, 8pm. $16.50-$29.50 from PacificTheatre.org.
