Doubt Seattle Rep Closes Oct 21
	Seattleplays.com review By Tom Scanlon
						This is a curiosity, alternately amusing and troubling; a work that ultimately feels unfinished, like a one-act trying to stretch itself into three acts.      Writer John Patrick Shanley is quite a humorous writer, who often cuts his pathos with comedy (Five Corners, Moonstruck). Here, the technique perhaps works against him – he too often goes for easy laughs, rather than character exploration. The three main characters are stereotypical: Enthusiastic Young Priest, Mean Old Nun and Innocent Young Nun. The Mean Old Nun apparently has it in for the Enthusiastic Young Priest, and enlists the terrified Innocent Young Nun to help her.      Doubt starts out as Late Night Catechism, with the older nun firing off stoned-faced one-liners about Catholic education, then takes an Oleanna turn into dark ambiguity.      Doubt caused a sensation in New York, winning a Tony and Pulitzer in 2005; Shanley does a fine job in creating an ambiguous situation – did the Priest abuse a young student, or didn’t he? It’s not unlike David Mamet’s Oleanna, though not as carefully etched, nor as expertly crafted.     The actors struggle mightily to get below their hastily written characters      Kandis Chappell is the old, hardened Sister Aloysius, Corey Brill is young and energetic Father Flynn, Melissa D. Brown is the tearful young Sister James.     Warner Shook’s direction is swift and to the point, and the play breezes past, at 90 minutes. Ultimately, it does feel breezy . . .      Curiously, for a religious play, it’s not very interested in religion. I don’t think the word “Jesus” was uttered more than a handful of times; this play is more interested in power structures than theologies.      Is it entertaining, original and timely? Indeed.      But memorable, lasting and truly award-worthy? I doubt it.