Doubt: A Parable

Doubt: A Parable is a 2004 play by John Patrick Shanley that is based in a catholic school and, as the name suggests, centers its plot around uncertainty. The play itself is a parable, and its purposeful avoidance of verifying the truth is integral to delivering this parable into the hearts of the audience.

The play was staged in the round in a blackbox. I collaborated with the director to realize themes of doubt, religion, and intimacy in the design. Most of that work appeared in transitions, so the voices of the actors could dominate the theatrical space otherwise. Luckily those transitions allowed me plenty of room to work.

Here’s a bite of some bytes:

A moody transition in the center of the play.

The transition that leans the audience out of the play at its end.