Gulf Coast Theatre Review: ‘Doubt, A Parable’

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

If you see only one play this season, make it “Doubt, A Parable” at the Florida Repertory Theatre. It’s hands down the most gripping and thought-provoking production I’ve seen this year, maybe in several years. John Patrick Shanley’s Pulitzer- and Tony-winning play crackles with tension and moral complexity, and this Florida Rep staging captures it all with precision and passion.

Set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, the play opens with a sermon on doubt from Father Flynn, portrayed with warmth and charisma by actor Matt Lytle. Lytle’s performance immediately pulls you in as he’s a priest you want to trust. But that trust is soon shaken by the school’s principal, Sister Aloysius, played masterfully by actress Julia Brothers, who commands every scene with her stern authority and unflinching conviction, portraying a woman so certain of her moral compass that she bends others to it.

Caught between them is the young and impressionable Sister James, played wonderfully sincerely by actress Taylor Reister, whose innocence is slowly clouded by suspicion. When Sister Aloysius summons the boy’s mother, Mrs. Muller, played with haunting intensity by actress Alia Shakira, the play explodes into one of the most powerful scenes of the night. Shakira’s performance is chilling and her quiet strength and emotional honesty left me with goosebumps.

From the lighting and sound design to the understated set, every production element at Florida Rep deepens the drama and keeps the audience teetering between belief and doubt. By the time the final confrontation between Father Flynn and Sister Aloysius arrives, you can feel the entire theater holding its breath before rendering a verdict.

What makes this production unforgettable is how it leaves you questioning everything. Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Shanley never gives an easy answer and under this stellar direction, neither do the actors. Leaving each of us to decide.

I have absolutely no doubt about this: you need to see “Doubt, A Parable” before it closes on November 16th. For tickets, call the box office at 239-332-4488 or visit FloridaRep.org