Cedar Rapids - The cast for TCR's Doubt has been announced.
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Showing posts with label Doubt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Doubt. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2015
Friday, February 1, 2008
Weekend Theatre roundup
There's great theatre available this weekend. Don't miss Doubt at Riverside. Box office information here. And She Loves Me opens at ICCT tonight, although word is at least Saturday night is already sold out. Fortunately, there is a Sunday matinee. Ticket information here. Check back next week for reviews of She Loves Me.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Review of Doubt
Riverside - If you're a theatre person, every once in a while you read a play and immediately know it's one you want to produce. Such was my thought when I first read Doubt by John Patrick Shanley. It possesses a richness of language and a deepness of thought that are intoxicating. In the proper hands, it could be a night of powerful theatre. Fortunately, Riverside Theatre knows what to do with such an excellent play.
Doubt tells the story of Sister Aloysius and her dogged pursuit of Father Flynn (Tim Budd), whom she suspects has molested one of the boys in her school. Despite a few times when opening night jitters caused them to speak over each other's lines, the actors in this show gave first rate performances. Jody Hovland is particularly good as the rigid Sister Aloysius. Hovland adopts a tone and specific cadence to her voice which help her cloak herself within the character. She also uses physicality to show the character's unbending pursuit of the truth as she nearly always stands ramrod straight as if she were a steel statue. The one moment in the play when she chooses to let that steel bend underscores the message of the play beautifully.
Tim Budd is also excellent as Father Flynn. Budd's sermons from the podium are delivered with just the right amount of earnestness and condescension, highlighting the complexity of his character. Kristy Hartsgrove, who plays Sister James, the naive nun co-opted into Sister Aloysius' mission, turns in a sympathetic performance and handles the few moments of comedy in the play very well. But more importantly, Hartsgrove's conflicted Sister James never loses her sweet sincerity allowing her to fulfill her role in the final scene of the play. Connie Winston plays Mrs. Muller, the mother of the boy who may have been abused by Father Flynn. Winston has in some ways the most difficult scene in the entire play as her reaction to the possible abuse is, to say the least, surprising. That she pulls off the scene with such skill is noteworthy.
The set is simple and effective with the pulpit separating the two acting spaces: Sister Aloysius' office and the grounds of the school. Making Flynn's pulpit the highest point was an excellent decision as it emphasizes the hierarchical nature of the church that Sister Aloysius must confront. The one technical flaw in the show was the background. When lit for the outdoor scenes, it conveyed a cool blue and underscored the action, but when lit for the indoor scenes, it produced a glare that was distracting.
Despite those few small imperfections, strong direction by Bruce Wheaton and excellent performances by all four actors make this a show you do not want to miss. Doubt runs through February 17. More information available here.
--Matthew Falduto
Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.
Doubt tells the story of Sister Aloysius and her dogged pursuit of Father Flynn (Tim Budd), whom she suspects has molested one of the boys in her school. Despite a few times when opening night jitters caused them to speak over each other's lines, the actors in this show gave first rate performances. Jody Hovland is particularly good as the rigid Sister Aloysius. Hovland adopts a tone and specific cadence to her voice which help her cloak herself within the character. She also uses physicality to show the character's unbending pursuit of the truth as she nearly always stands ramrod straight as if she were a steel statue. The one moment in the play when she chooses to let that steel bend underscores the message of the play beautifully.
Tim Budd is also excellent as Father Flynn. Budd's sermons from the podium are delivered with just the right amount of earnestness and condescension, highlighting the complexity of his character. Kristy Hartsgrove, who plays Sister James, the naive nun co-opted into Sister Aloysius' mission, turns in a sympathetic performance and handles the few moments of comedy in the play very well. But more importantly, Hartsgrove's conflicted Sister James never loses her sweet sincerity allowing her to fulfill her role in the final scene of the play. Connie Winston plays Mrs. Muller, the mother of the boy who may have been abused by Father Flynn. Winston has in some ways the most difficult scene in the entire play as her reaction to the possible abuse is, to say the least, surprising. That she pulls off the scene with such skill is noteworthy.
The set is simple and effective with the pulpit separating the two acting spaces: Sister Aloysius' office and the grounds of the school. Making Flynn's pulpit the highest point was an excellent decision as it emphasizes the hierarchical nature of the church that Sister Aloysius must confront. The one technical flaw in the show was the background. When lit for the outdoor scenes, it conveyed a cool blue and underscored the action, but when lit for the indoor scenes, it produced a glare that was distracting.
Despite those few small imperfections, strong direction by Bruce Wheaton and excellent performances by all four actors make this a show you do not want to miss. Doubt runs through February 17. More information available here.
--Matthew Falduto
Matthew has a Bachelor's degree in English from the University of Iowa. He has directed, acted in, and produced theater in the Iowa City area for over ten years. He has worked with the Iowa City Community Theatre, City Circle and Dreamwell, of which he is a founder. Two of his plays have been produced in the Iowa City area. In another brief life, he also worked as a technical writer.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Theatre weekend
Two very different shows are going up this weekend. Riverside's Doubt opens tonight on Gilbert Street. We'll have a review of it next week. And Hero Stories ends its run this weekend with shows on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. The reviews for that show are below. Check 'em out!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Riverside's Doubt
Riverside - Riverside Theatre will present the area premiere of Doubt: A Parable, written by John Patrick Shanley. Doubt was awarded the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four Tony Awards in the same year. The production will take place January 25 – February 17.
Set in a Bronx Catholic School in 1964, Doubt sets the stage for a thrilling investigation into moral uncertainty. Pitting the no nonsense school principal, Sister Aloysius, against the charming, laid back Father Flynn, the “he said, she said” clash surrounding suspicions of sexual misconduct with a young student carry devastating consequences. The richness of Shanley’s characters provides the setting for a riveting debate on the nature of faith and certainty, presenting each side with justification and humanity.
Playing the role of Sister Aloysius is Riverside Theatre Artistic Director, Jody Hovland. Hovland has been part of the leadership as well as a working artist with Riverside Theatre since its founding in 1981. Most recently, she appeared in the 2007 Shakespeare Festival as Goneril in King Lear and Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Last season on Gilbert Street, she performed in Collected Stories and directed The Lonesome West. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa and is a Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Cornell College.
The role of the charismatic Father Flynn will be played by Iowa City Native, Tim Budd. Budd was a company member of the 2007 Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival, playing the Fool in King Lear and Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Budd also directed Riverside’s annual monologue festival, Walking the Wire, in 2006. He finished his graduate studies in acting at the University of Iowa and works at Prairie Lights Bookstore.
Kristy Hartsgrove, of Chicago, will be playing Sister James, the young and naïve antagonist to Sister Aloysius. Recent roles in Iowa City include Lynn in Red Herring and Louise in Empty Plate in the Café du Grande Boeuf as part of the Iowa Summer Repertory’s 2007 season. She also appeared as Adriana in Comedy of Errors and Maria in Twelfth Night with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and played the role of Yerma with the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble in Chicago. Hartsgrove has an MFA in Acting from Illinois State University.
Connie Winston will round out the cast as Mrs. Muller, mother of Donald, who is unwillingly pulled into the controversy. Winston has performed in New York City venues such as La MaMa, E.T.C., New Dramatists, The Ohio Theatre, Soho Repertory Theatre and The Talking Band. She has appeared on Law and Order as Judge Shirley Taylor. Winston has an MA in Performing Arts from Emerson College and is a first year MFA Dramaturgy student at the University of Iowa.
The production will be directed by Bruce Wheaton. Wheaton served as Riverside Theatre’s first Artistic Director in 1981. Most recently, he directed King Lear in the 2007 Shakespeare Festival. He holds a BA in Drama and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa.
The production’s running time is 90 minutes without intermission. For tickets or more information, go here.
Set in a Bronx Catholic School in 1964, Doubt sets the stage for a thrilling investigation into moral uncertainty. Pitting the no nonsense school principal, Sister Aloysius, against the charming, laid back Father Flynn, the “he said, she said” clash surrounding suspicions of sexual misconduct with a young student carry devastating consequences. The richness of Shanley’s characters provides the setting for a riveting debate on the nature of faith and certainty, presenting each side with justification and humanity.
Playing the role of Sister Aloysius is Riverside Theatre Artistic Director, Jody Hovland. Hovland has been part of the leadership as well as a working artist with Riverside Theatre since its founding in 1981. Most recently, she appeared in the 2007 Shakespeare Festival as Goneril in King Lear and Mistress Quickly in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Last season on Gilbert Street, she performed in Collected Stories and directed The Lonesome West. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Iowa and is a Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Cornell College.
The role of the charismatic Father Flynn will be played by Iowa City Native, Tim Budd. Budd was a company member of the 2007 Riverside Theatre Shakespeare Festival, playing the Fool in King Lear and Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor. Budd also directed Riverside’s annual monologue festival, Walking the Wire, in 2006. He finished his graduate studies in acting at the University of Iowa and works at Prairie Lights Bookstore.
Kristy Hartsgrove, of Chicago, will be playing Sister James, the young and naïve antagonist to Sister Aloysius. Recent roles in Iowa City include Lynn in Red Herring and Louise in Empty Plate in the Café du Grande Boeuf as part of the Iowa Summer Repertory’s 2007 season. She also appeared as Adriana in Comedy of Errors and Maria in Twelfth Night with the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and played the role of Yerma with the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble in Chicago. Hartsgrove has an MFA in Acting from Illinois State University.
Connie Winston will round out the cast as Mrs. Muller, mother of Donald, who is unwillingly pulled into the controversy. Winston has performed in New York City venues such as La MaMa, E.T.C., New Dramatists, The Ohio Theatre, Soho Repertory Theatre and The Talking Band. She has appeared on Law and Order as Judge Shirley Taylor. Winston has an MA in Performing Arts from Emerson College and is a first year MFA Dramaturgy student at the University of Iowa.
The production will be directed by Bruce Wheaton. Wheaton served as Riverside Theatre’s first Artistic Director in 1981. Most recently, he directed King Lear in the 2007 Shakespeare Festival. He holds a BA in Drama and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Iowa.
The production’s running time is 90 minutes without intermission. For tickets or more information, go here.
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