Chicago Tribune - Recommended
"...Although well worth seeing for the acting, director William Brown's production, in general, steps back at times from the brink of what the play is really about, pulling its punches when its leading character would lie bleeding in the center of the ring, if, as consequence, a child might be saved."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The issue of abuse has certainly not gone away in the intervening decade. And now, Shanley's blistering play has taken on a whole new life thanks to a riveting revival by Writers Theatre. With piercing direction by William Brown, and an electrifying cast that grabs hold of the story in the most profound yet subtle ways, the production is uniquely housed in a room inside the beautiful Glencoe Union Church, where designer Kevin Depinet has worked his latest "miracle" with a set that looks as if it had been lifted from the main sanctuary. All in all, "Doubt" is just another reminder of why Writers deserves the grand new building now under construction nearby."
Chicago Reader - Highly Recommended
"...Likewise, in reviving Doubt (in a church, no less) director William Brown focuses on plot and character, packing this Writers Theatre production with actors who know in their bones how to bring Shanley's powerful story to life. All of the performances are great, but Karen Janes Wodisch is astonishing as the decidedly pre-Vatican II Sister Aloysius Beauvier."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...William Brown, who recently directed Tis Pity She’s a Whore in Urbana, has a knack for bringing out the psychological conflicts in his characters. In the case of Doubt, while Shanley’s script provides plenty of institutional conflict, Brown contributes a focus on Aloysius’s actions. The play remains as ethically confusing as ever, but the added emotional impact of Sister Aloysius’s personal foibles, which do as much to create the atmosphere of cover-up as ignorance, makes it all the more uncomfortable. Writers Theatre artistic director Michael Halberstam commented that he is reluctant to stage a well-known play unless there is something new the company can bring to it, and I think casting Woditsch accomplished that."
Chicago Stage and Screen - Highly Recommended
"...Every aspect of the production, from performances to technical design and execution, were uniformly terrific. In fact, to single out any one area would unjustly rank aspects that were a part of a cohesive, unified vision, allowing the audience to be fully immersed in the play’s emotional journey. While this level of uniformity can sometimes be construed as being overly staid and subdued, it creates a platform for the text—and the audience’s own internal struggle—to come to the forefront."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...It has been awhile since I have seen the Pulitzer Prize-winning “Doubt: A Parable” on the stage. I guess I forgot how powerful this riveting drama is. Writers Theatre makes it even stronger by presenting this production at Glencoe’s Union Church, just east of the train station. The Library has been converted into a small theater, with just the right intimacy for this strong 90 minute ( no intermission) drama that deals with authority, suspicion, religion, and of course doubt."
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Recommended
"...The production does go into high gear in its second half as the confrontation between Aloysius and Flynn reaches a climax. And there is terrific scene between the mother of the possibly molested boy and Aloysius that forces the spectator to reevaluate everything we have seen to that moment. The play ends on an ironic note, depending on which side you believe. The playwright doesn’t make it easy on the audience. The attentive viewers will leave the theater with their minds buzzing over the narrative ambiguities they have to sort out."
Buzznews.net - Recommended
"...Director William Brown has a unique vision for John Patrick Shanley's Pulitzer Prize winner, and it's remarkably effective in distinguishing this production. Staged in the Glencoe Union Church, this marks the first occasion Writer's has done a site-specific engagement. It seems borderline blasphemous, but at the same time there's nothing in the script that either supports or condemns organized religion. The highly atmospheric quality created by Brown even serves to underscore the authority of Sister Aloysius."
