Until June 9, 2013 … Multiple award-winning actress Rosa Maria Sardà (Todo sobre mi madre, Te doy mis ojos) plays the authoritarian busybody Sister Aloysius in Dubte, a Catalan version of Doubt, John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play from 2004.
Set in a Catholic school in the 1960’s Bronx, Sister Aloysius is the strict school principal who sets about destroying the reputation of her charismatic superior, Father Flynn (Ramon Madaula). Informed by the hapless Sister James (Mar Ulldemolins), Aloysius accuses Flynn of ‘improper behaviour’ with an altar boy, Harold Muller – a crime hinted at but never spelt out.
Ambiguous
In an engrossing production directed by Sílvia Munt, Sardà plays an Aloysius with the conviction of a zealot, whose self-denial is manifested in the creative pursuit of malicious gossip. Yet Shanley’s play is not easy to interpret. Written at a time in which allegations of child abuse by former pupils of Catholic schools were reaching epic proportions – and record settlements – Father Flynn’s increasingly desperate denials cast aspirations on his suppressed sexuality and shadowy past. ‘Doubt’ is also cast on Muller’s family background, when, in a chilling conversation between Sister Aloysius and Mrs Muller (Nora Navas), the latter seems prepared to sacrifice her son for the benefit of his education.
Trolls
Dubte is a fine adaptation of Shanley’s poignant play, as relevant as ever for the internet age, when nasty gossip spread by lonely trolls has reached pandemic proportions.
DUBTE – John Patrick Shaney. Dir. Sílvia Munt
Teatre Poliorama (Ramblas 115)
Click here for tickets
Wed – Sunday, until June 9, 2013
the play is in intermediate Catalan
Thank you to: Comedia
& David Ruano for the photo.
