Post Productions is starting off their 2018 season with a bang! With a new theatre and a great line up of shows, Post Productions is no doubt going to be a name you’ll be hearing frequently. Their first offering this year is Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Stanley. An engaging play featuring only four actors, Doubt is not to be missed!

The Sadowbox Theatre, the new home of Post Productions, is a perfectly intimate space, especially for such an intense and profound play. First time director Tova Perlmutter makes great use of the space with the actors as well as the set. The set is basic but easily transformed as necessary, and the actors come right out into the audience at points, highlighting our closeness to the story which is unfolding. Combined with their costuming, it becomes an immersive experience which expertly compliments the nature of the play. One thing that I wasn’t anticipating was how much I laughed. There are several moments which are truly funny. Perlmutter excellently highlights those humorous moments in the first part of the play, juxtaposed by the more intense moments in the latter part. Doubt takes you on a fantastic ride of emotions, facilitated by the people inhabiting the lives of the characters presented to the audience.

The actors were sensational; each one adeptly embodying the characters and bringing them to a vibrant life. Niki Richardson plays a fierce, strong Sister Aloysius. I especially loved the scene where she confronted Father Flynn, the shouting match which occurred was astonishing. Eric Branget, who plays Father Flynn is fantastic; one moment you’re as convinced of his guilt as Sister Aloysius, the next you’re totally sympathetic to him. Carla Gyemi is a sweet, innocent Sister James. Searching for belonging and acceptance, I pity her by the end of the play, as what she unintentionally set in motion now haunts her. Finally, Jennifer Cole plays Mrs. Muller, and while she only has one scene, she makes it count with a memorable performance. The entire cast was stellar and created a thrilling experience for the audience.

What’s beautiful about this play is that it’s purely speculation. The audience is not privy to any of the actions in question, and doesn’t really get to see much of his interactions with the students, it truly does leave doubt in your mind as to the legitimacy of the claims the nuns are making against him. One thing that I noticed though was that no one really wins in this situation: the nuns are plagued with guilt and doubt, and Father Flynn feels forced to move on, whether he was guilty or not. The last line of the play, full of heaviness, solidifies the dissatisfaction of the ending; it’s truly difficult to find the winner of the situation. But I suppose that’s what makes this a true reflection of life; there isn’t always a winner, no one is simply good or evil. With the current social climate, this piece becomes all the more poignant, but also all the more necessary.

There is another performance this weekend, and then another weekend to catch this amazing show! Get out from under the snow and go see it!

Tickets can be purchased at the door or at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/doubt-tickets-40841070742?ref=ebtnebtckt

Poster from http://www.postproductionswindsor.ca/