The Northeast Theatre Presents DOUBT, A PARABLE

The Northeast Theatre presents the Pulitzer Prize winning, Broadway hit, Doubt, a Parable by John Patrick Shanley - W & Th at 7, Fr & Sa at 8, Su at 3 - Performance Space at the Hotel Jermyn, 326 Spruce St., 2nd Flr, Downtown Scranton. A masterpiece of emotional and intellectual suspense that will keep you on the edge of seat well past the final curtain. Tickets and details: 570-558-1515 or www.thenortheasttheatre.us - General Admission: $23, Seniors (60+): $17, Students: (-25) $6.

Of his play Doubt, a Parable, the playwright, John Patrick Shanley, says, “It is doubt that changes things. When a man feels unsteady, when he falters, when hard-won knowledge evaporates before his eyes, he’s on the verge of growth.” In that sentence, Shanley captures the real purpose and intent of the play; it is not a play that is content to remain within its own plot line.

Shanley builds Doubt, a Parable on a confrontation between Sister Aloysius, the principal of a Catholic school, and Father Flynn, a priest with the church associated with the school. Circumstances have lead Sister Aloysius to believe that Father Flynn may have behaved improperly with one of the students. The play lets us be the judge and jury while the four characters of the play confront one another’s assumptions and doubts. Doubt, a Parable is usually presented in one, unbroken, act of about 80 minutes. Shanley says that the play’s second act happens on the way home, and indeed, those who have seen it report that the post show discussion is as lively and captivating as the show itself.

It is important to remember that Shanley has written a parable. He was not out to write a play about abusing priests, rather he uses the story of a priest accused of abuse to explore other, broader issues. However one sees it, though, the play is a masterpiece of emotional and intellectual suspense that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats well past the final curtain.

Or as Terry Teachout of the Wall Street Journal puts it, “The best new play of the season; that rarity of rarities, an issue-driven play that is unpreachy, thought-provoking, and so full of high drama that the audience with which I saw it gasped out loud a half-dozen times at its startling twists and turns.”

Doubt, a Parable, begins previews January 23rd, and opens January 26th with a post show reception - free with a ticket to the show - with the actors and other artists involved. It continues through February 10th. Pay What You Can Wednesdays are January 23rd and 30th (when there are no set ticket prices), Cheap as a Movie Thursdays are January 24th, 30th, and February 7th (when all tickets are $8, or $6 for students) and January 25th is final preview, when prices are $10 general and $6 for students. Regular prices are $23 general, $17 seniors, and $6 students. Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office on Wednesdays through Saturdays after 3:00 p.m., or anytime by phone at 570-558-1515, or online at www.thenortheasttheatre.us/Season1.htm

There will be post show discussion with the actors, director, and leading members of the Catholic community immediately after the show on Sunday, January 27th (approximately 4:30). Anyone with a ticket stub to that, or any earlier performance of the play, is invited to attend and take part without charge.

PlayPass members may make reservations and are eligible for discounts at six downtown restaurants (130 Brixx, Blues Street Cafe, Faccia Luna, Martini Lounge, Sambuca Grille, Vida: a Tapas Bar); all others may purchase tickets in advance at www.thenortheasttheatre.us, by phone 570-558-1515, or in person at the box office (Wednesdays through Saturdays after 3 p.m.)

The Northeast Theatre’s Sixteenth Season is sponsored by ServiceMaster by Griffing, Patsel’s, Everything Natural, Lamar Outdoor Advertising, Bold Gold Media, and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Doubt, a Parable is sponsored by Ginader, Jones and Company, and Prudential Life Foundation.