Doubt Reviews
Chicago Tribune- Highly Recommended
"...You don’t see the kid in question in “Doubt,” of course, but you do see his mother. And the scene in which that African-American mom, Mrs. Muller, played here by Walker with just the right mix of determination and panic, essentially says that anyone being kind to her kid has some kind of motive is one of the most heartbreaking scenes of drama penned in the last 10 years. Paparelli’s fine production not only captures the intimacy of the piece; he also captures its magnitude. Frankly, one now views “Doubt” anew, through the prism of the Jerry Sandusky scandal. That has only made the themes of the play more powerful — and its observations about how authority figures close rank to protect themselves only seem more dangerously accurate."
Chicago Sun Times- Highly Recommended
"...Shanley’s 70-minute, knot-tight “Doubt” (subtitled “A Parable”) is the stronger of the two works, in part because it can easily be seen as applicable to the secular as well as the religious world."
Chicago Reader- Somewhat Recommended
"...Doubt's shifting power dynamic is lost thanks to Skinner's rigidity on the one hand and Lance Baker's unfocused performance on the other, as a priest who may be a pedophile."
Time Out Chicago- Recommended
"...From a supportive but exhausted mother in Doubt to a hardened psychiatrist in Agnes of God, Penelope Walker makes a striking physical transformation, but line trouble plagues her latter performance. There is a seismic shift between Sadieh Rifai’s passive Sister James and deeply damaged Sister Agnes. Rifai’s two characters are united by their innocence and naïveté, despite manifesting those qualities in different ways. ATC has assembled a strong cast for these powerful works, but the Catholic Repertory needs some extra polish to become a truly transcendent experience."
ShowBizChicago- Highly Recommended
"...Doubt is a wonderful work with strong actors, and is a must see no matter what your belief. During this time of all of the scandals with the Catholic Church concerning the abuse of young boys, it is easy to place blame on those abusers. However, could you have any doubt with any of these occurrences? I know that I do. At the end of Doubt, I really still did not know who to believe. So the same is true in real life. I guess that is where we have to follow our hearts and consciences."
Chicago On the Aisle- Highly Recommended
"...As the grappling nun and priest, Kate Skinner and Lance Baker make a high-contrast pair. Skinner’s cynical, even bitter nun is an investigator bent on proving her case as prosecutor. Here is a woman in her middle years, a self-styled keeper of the moral flame in a world populated by two sorts: the perverse and the naïve. And this protectress knows which is which."