Doubt: A Parable

If you’ve recently seen the Academy-Award nominated movie Doubt, you may well spend your evening at Neptune mentally comparing the two versions. Both tell the story of Sister Aloysius, who, depending on your point of view, is either a sanctimonious and uncompromising old-school nun with an axe to grind against the liberal Father Flynn and his threat to the old ways, or a staunch protector of children willing to do whatever it takes to protect her students from Father Flynn, the pedophile. The element of doubt seems stronger in the stage version, as a conclusion must be formed only by what people say, and how they say it, rather than actual observation of priest and child. Nuanced performances by Canadian theatre stars Fiona Reid and Stuart Hughes are matched by those of Andrea Lee Norwood as the innocent Sister James who is torn apart by her doubts and Lisa Muller as the fierce mother who presents a totally different take on the situation. ---Kate Watson