Doubt

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Doubt

Posted: 12/19/08 at 9:20am

I saw the movie version of Doubt this week and, while the film didn't really do it for me, it has made me interested in seeing the play. Canstage is doing Doubt in May with Seanna McKenna. That should be good. In the movie, I thought Meryl Streep overdid it as Sister Aloysius (while PSH underdid it as Father Flynn), but I have confidence that Seanna McKenna will hit the right note. The casting of the priest will be key, though.

http://www.canstage.com/2008-2009/play.php?ID=15

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

Updated On: 12/19/08 at 09:20 AM

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/9/09 at 4:04pm

Has anyone seen Doubt? I've wanted to go, but have been busy every night going to Hot Docs. Have the reviews come out? I haven't seen any.

David Storch is Father Flynn. He was really good in Take Me Out. Paired with Seanna McKenna sounds like good casting.

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Flash_DOUBT_A_Parable_At_Canadian_Stage_Company_20090505

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/9/09 at 5:49pm

The Star: Negative

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/10/09 at 5:51pm

I saw the show yesterday (saturday) afternoon. Like the reviews say, the play itself, is amazing the production itself is a little dry. Seanna McKenna gives an awesome performance. David Storch, who gave an awesome performance as Frost this fall, didn't do his best as usual. Still awesome show!

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/11/09 at 10:20am

...and The Sun: Negative.

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/11/09 at 1:44pm

Having seen the film during the winter, I wasn't wowed.
Having seen the stage version at the Bluma last week, I still wasn't wowed. I was bored. It made me appreciate the softer approach Amy Adams brought to Sister James. I found the stage accents a bit uneven and annoying. The set is wonderfully designed but possibly a bit overdone. The lighting is gorgeous. I would agree with the Star mentioning that the boy's mother is the one actor that oozes with passion during her brief part. Storch is kind of flat and I didn't like Seana playing everything down until nearly the end. A very dry production of a pretty good script.

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/12/09 at 8:10pm

Hmmm. I considered going tonight (I believe they do rush tickets), but the Halladay-Burnett matchup was too good not to stay home and watch on TV. I do want to see the play, but I don't want to be disappointed, either. Will have to be a game-day decision, maybe next week or the week after.

Canstage posted this on their Twitter feed today:

BIG SECRET! ...we're going to be offering $18 tickets for Doubt for May 18th. Deals being worked out now.. more shortly..

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/15/09 at 1:34pm

National Post review:
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/2009/05/15/theatre-reviews-doubt-tuesdays-with-morrie-and-house-of-many-tongues.aspx

NOW: 2 stars
http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/story.cfm?content=169377

EYE Weekly: "The Canadian Stage Company ends its 2008-09 season on a high note with Doubt, a Parable, far and away its strongest show of the season."
http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/theatre/article/60236--doubt-a-parable

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/25/09 at 5:30pm

Does anybody know about the discounted front row(s) seats that Canstage is selling for Doubt? The regular orchestra seats are $70+, but "Front orchestra A-C" are only $22.50. But when I selected that section through their online ticket system it offered row CC (not C), which isn't on the seating chart (and the system put a picture of the seats in front of row A). So I'm wondering why these seats are so cheap and if they really are the first 3 rows of seats (perhaps temporary rows in lieu of an orchestra pit?) or are they stage seats or something with obstructed views?

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

#10

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/25/09 at 5:47pm

The front rows that they usually sell for cheap at the Bluma are terrible. Too close and too low. You get what you pay for.

#11

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/26/09 at 5:08pm

Best deal for Canstage are their pay-what-you-can Monday performances.

Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks."
Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!

I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com

#12

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/27/09 at 6:50am

Well, I went last night and was in the third row. The seats were cheap and perfectly good. Although I was never emotionally moved (nor surprised, as I had seen the film), I thought thought the production was pretty decent. Certainly not as bad as I was led to believe by the reviews.

The characters were a bit one-note, and not really played with much colour. The set and the lighting, and certainly the direction (could we have a pause now and then? it would have been effective at certain moments--such as, in the climactic scene, Fr. Flynn asks Sr. Aloysius if she's ever committed a mortal sin... shouldn't she stop and think before answering?!) didn't help. It seems like the show should be rich, when it's actually rather bland.

I did like the humour. The final line gave me a different conclusion than in the film (different in the sense of what I think Sr. Aloysius meant). And overall I was not displeased.

I stayed for the Talkback after the performance. I decent-sized crowd stayed afterwards. They seemed to largely be seniors, some of whom went to Catholic school back in the day and for whom the play brought back memories. The Talkback session, though, wasn't well managed, and there wasn't a good opportunity for discussion and questions of the themes of the play. David Storch, Daniella Vlaskovic and a moderator attended the session. May try and go to Canstage Theatre Club on Saturday.

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

#13

re: Doubt

Posted: 5/31/09 at 6:52pm

So I went to the Canstage "theatre club" meeting yesterday at the Nicolas Hoare book store near the Bluma. I had been to these meetings before, but not for a few years. I'm always surprised that it's a largely older crowd, mostly women, mostly subscribers, with few 'new' people. There were about 12-15 people. They're very nice. I recognized some from before. They probably recognize me because I'm younger (despite being over 40, I was probably the youngest person there besides the Canstage rep and the moderator--a writer and York U. prof) and the only non-white person to attend.

I find it interesting to discuss a play with strangers, as they are able to give you different perspectives and opinions. In the case of Doubt, some of those people attended Catholic school at the time the play was set ('60's), some are former teachers, one is a volunteer at a children's aid organization. So their opinions bore some personal background related to the play.

Anyways, I say this because I find it dismaying that more people don't attend these events and esp. that younger people don't attend. It's free, and it's a great way to extend your theatre experience, and increase your appreciation of the production.

Coach Bob knew it all along: you've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed. You have to keep passing the open windows. (John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire)

Updated On: 5/31/09 at 06:52 PM

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