PENNSYLVANIA
Philly.com
SEPTEMBER 15, 2016
by Julia M. Klein, For The Inquirer
In Doubt: A Parable, a fierce, humorless nun and a likable priest seem locked in a battle over repression and freedom in the Catholic Church. Among those caught in the crossfire are an innocent younger nun and a pioneering black student who never appears on stage.
The Way Off Broad Street Theater Company, capitalizing on the site-specific resonance and intimacy of the Arch Street Chapel, is mounting a creditable, involving production of John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning play as part of the Fringe Festival.
It’s clear at first where the audience’s sympathies will lie. Jason Cutts’ Father Brendan Flynn is a handsome charmer, even if he has a dash of arrogance and a fixation on well-tended fingernails.
By contrast, Kris Andrews’ Sister Aloysius is an uncompromising task-master, opposed to ballpoint pens, the (overly) passionate teaching of history, and, seemingly, modernity itself. In this production, Andrews’ performance doesn’t do much to right the balance: She’s uncharismatic, awkward, and slow to reveal the fire beneath her ice
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