On the day when letters were published indicating that Sister Teresa was plagued with uncertainties of faith all through her saintly life, Fusion Theatre Company opened the regional premiere of John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt.” It is an unpretentious but brilliantly constructed play that examines the relationship of doubt and faith in a Catholic setting. 

In 2005 “Doubt” won five Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama; the Fusion production at the Cell is, I believe, Albuquerque’s best of the year. “Doubt” is a four-character play set in St. Nicholas Catholic Church and School in the Bronx in 1964. Handsome, charismatic Father Flynn preaches parabolic sermons and coaches basketball. Sister James is a passionate teacher anxious to connect with her students and convey her enthusiasm for history. Sister Aloysius is the school principal, a firm disciplinarian who favors formality and distance in the classroom. Sister Aloysius questions the motives for Father Flynn’s interest in Donald Muller, the school’s only Negro student, and enlists Sister James in a campaign to spy out the truth of the relationship. Donald’s mother is questioned by Sister Aloysius. The insightfully crafted script moves intelligently from scene to scene, subtly suggesting without providing easy answers. Not until the play’s last words is the story complete. And that is all the plot you will get from me.

Fusion founding member Jacqueline Reid directs this production with clean, deft strokes. Richard K. Hogle’s set and lighting designs allow the action to move smoothly from the Principal’s office—featuring a desk and chair with a large wooden cross behind—to the flanking pulpit and garden bench. Coincidently, the two nuns are in Sister Teresa’s order, the Sisters of Charity, and Cassidy Zachary costumes them in black bonnets and floor-length habits. All four actors are brilliant. In her single scene, Angela Littleton as Mrs. Muller is haunting and compelling. A fierce advocate for her son, Littleton’s character spars with Sister Aloysius. As naïve Sister James, Rachel Tatum has to do a lot of reacting, and she is convincing in her character’s growing concern for the ugly innuendos. Ross Kelly makes an ideal Father Flynn. His striking face virtually shines above his clerical collar and his passionate commitment to his vocation is palpable. Kelly combines charm, anger, indignation, and hurt in his complex character. It is his best performance to date. Laurie Thomas has taken the full measure of Sister Aloysius. Thomas conveys her character’s foibles and faults without lapsing into caricature, and she is equally adept at suggesting the nun’s strengths and dedication. The result is a fascinating, full creation.

Playwright Shanley sent Director Reid a congratulatory email for opening night; he would have approved of the performance and the standing ovation. See “Doubt.”

Doubt” by John Patrick Shanley plays at The Cell, 700 First Street NW, 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays through September 16. General public $25; seniors, students $20. Reservations 766-9412

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