DOUBT WRITING FOR PUBLICATION PLAY GUIDE. 1. Personal Expressive. 2. Literary. 3. Transactive. Need more help? ActorsTheatre.org PLAY GUIDE ABOUT THE

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1 12 WRITING FOR PUBLICATION 1. Personal Expressive Have you ever wanted to apoloize to someone and not know what to say? Take a moment to remember what that felt like. What would you say to that person if you were iven the opportunity to o back? Now, write an apoloy letter to that person. Express your feelins were you upset, anry, or frustrated? Why did you feel this way? What could you do to patch thins up? 2. Literary Think about Mrs. Muller s meetin with Sister Aloysuis Beauvier. How would the conversation chane if the meetin were between Mrs. Muller and Sister James? Create this meetin by writin a short scene between Mrs. Muller and Sister James. Where would the meetin take place? What questions would Mrs. Muller ask Sister James? How would Sister James react to Mrs. Muller s questions? What would they discuss? 3. Transactive After seein Doubt, write a theatrical critique of the production. Pretend you are writin for a local newspaper. Describe three elements that stood out to you (maybe an actor s performance, the set, the costumes, etc.). Why should or why shouldn t someone see this performance? Need more help? Check out our Youn Critics Workshops! Have an Actors Theatre teachin artist visit your classroom to ive your students the inside scoop on how to write a theatrical critique. Students who have written a critique on an Actors Theatre production may submit their work to be posted on our website! To submit online, please send all critiques as attachments to jjun@actorstheatre.or with the subject headin Youn Critics Contest. Please be sure to include your name, school, teacher, rade, and contact information. Actors Theatre of Louisville 316 West Main Street Louisville, Kentucky USA Box Office Group Sales Business Office ActorsTheatre.or Actors Theatre Education Department Katie Blackerby Weible, Education Director Jess Jun, Associate Education Director Lee Look, New Voices Coordinator Ganelle Holman, Education Intern Stephanie On, Education Intern DOUBT PLAY GUIDE The Hearst Foundation, Inc. ABOUT THE PLAY GUIDE This play uide is a standards-based resource desined to enhance your theatre experience. Its oal is two-fold: to nuture the teachin and learnin of theatre arts and to encourae essential questions that lead to endurin understandins of the play s meanin and relevance. Inside you will find history/contextual information, vocabulary, and worksheets that lay the roundwork of the story and build anticipation for the performance. Oral discussion and writin prompts encourae your students to reflect upon their impressions and to analyze and relate key ideas to their personal experiences and the world around them. These can easily be adapted to fit most writin objectives. We encourae you to adapt and extend the material in any way to best fit the needs of your community of learners. Please feel free to make copies of this uide, or you may download it from our website: We hope this material, combined with our pre-show workshops, will ive you the tools to make your time at Actors Theatre a valuable learnin experience. Table of Contents The Doubt Study Guide includes: Pae 2: Play Synopsis and Character List Pae 3: John Patrick Shanley: A Bioraphy Pae 4-5: Catholicism: A backround Pae 6: Elements of Catholicism Pae 7: Glossary Pae 8: Fun Facts Pae 9: 1964: An Important Year Pae 10: The Scandal Pae 11: Themes & Discussion Pae 12: Writin for Publication Sponsored in part by The Doubt matinee and Study Guide address specific KY Core Content: AH-1.3.1: Students will identify the elements of drama. AH-2.3.1: Students will analyze how time, place and ideas are reflected in drama/theatre. AH-3.3.1: Students will explain how drama/theatre fulfills a variety of purposes. PL-HS Students will explain the importance of effective social interaction skills PL-HS Students will explain risks associated with unhealthy habits and behaviors. SS-HS-2.1.1: Students will explain how various human needs are metthrouh interaction in and amon social institutions. If you have any questions or suestions reardin our play uides, please feel free to contact Katie Blackerby Weible, Director of Education, at (502) or kblackerby@actorstheatre.or. Play Guide compiled by Stephanie On and Ganelle Holman.

2 Play Synopsis Themes True to its title, Doubt raises several questions such as are we alone in our certainty and safe in our doubt? What do you do when you re not sure, asks Father Flynn in the openin sermon of Doubt, settin the stae for a parable of suspicion and moral certainty. Set in 1964, the play takes place at St. Nicholas, a Catholic school in the Bronx, New York, and examines the hierarchy of reliious education. Father Flynn is a youn, easy-oin priest. He has a warm, carin heart and is careful to treat the students at school like family. His colleaue, Sister Aloysius, is the principal. She is an old-school nun who insists that the students not be spoiled by kindness and affection. Certain that Flynn has been interferin with Donald Muller, the school s first black student, she employs Sister James, an inexperienced youn nun with sunshine in her heart, as an indirect witness to the dealins between Flynn and Muller. When Sister James reluctantly reports smellin alcohol on Donald s breath after a visit with Flynn, Aloysius quest to remove Father Flynn from priesthood is set in motion. In a verbal battle, Aloysius confronts Flynn with her suspicions, demandin his confession and resination. He refuses, denyin any wrondoin. The Sister invites Donald s mother, Mrs. Muller, to her office, in an effort to ain more information leadin to Father Flynn s removal. On the contrary, Mrs. Muller provides another perspective. She supports her son s friendship with Flynn, inappropriate or not, and hints that this situation has arisen for Donald before. True to its title, Doubt raises several questions: What is the nature of Father Flynn s relationship with Donald? Why is Sister Aloysius convinced of his uilt? Are we alone in our certainty and safe in our doubt? Certainty Doubt Satisfaction Innocence Blame Perception Reliion Interation Suspicion Proof Faith Character List Father Brendan Flynn: A priest Sister Aloysius Beauvier: Principal of St. Nicholas School Sister James: New teacher at St. Nicholas School Mrs. Muller: Mother of Donald, St. Nicholas School s first black student Discussion 1. How does Shanley color the audience s perception of Sister Aloysius at the beinnin of the play? How do you feel about her by the end? 2. Do you remember bein the new kid at school, like Donald is in Doubt? Have you ever been on the other side of the fence, weary of newcomers in your community? Write a pararaph about your experience with the interation of new cultures. 3. Sister Aloysius says, the best teachers do not perform, they cause the students to perform. What have your favorite teachers done to inspire your work as a student? How did Father Flynn and Sister James stimulate performance? What techniques did Sister Aloysius use? 4. Some say that Doubt is an open-ended story. In fact, Shanley is ambiuous about whether Father Flynn is uilty of wrondoins. Were you satisfied at the end of the play? Did you feel you had to form your own conclusions? What does the end tell us about the nature of doubt and certainty? 2 11

3 THE SCANDAL John Patrick Shanley s play Doubt provides several perspectives on sexual misconduct in the Catholic community. More important, the play provides a possible forum for discussion. JOHN PATRICK SHANLEY A BIOGRAPHY I have a very stron impulse to write plays. I would be writin plays whether I was starvin... It s not even about likin it. I m onna do it no matter what. Althouh the crisis of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has a history that dates back to the fourth century, the modern scandal bean to emere in the media in Like the shot heard round the world, it has had far-reachin, revolutionary consequences that few could have imained. At last, thanks larely to the secular press, the courts, and the courae of abuse survivors, secrecy has broken, and the horror stories are floodin out. We now know about countless children and youth molested in Catholic schools, rectories, monasteries, convents, seminaries, summer camps, and confessionals. Some kept their sufferin a secret for decades, too ashamed to tell. Others tried to tell but were dismissed or intimidated by Church officials into silence. In 1984, the Boston Globe published a story about a priest who had sexually abused more than 130 children. Soon came the revelation that three cardinals knew the priest s history of sexual abuse and had knowinly transferred him to six different parishes over 34 years. Now the sex abuse story took on new momentum. An avalanche of new alleations bean, with literally thousands of people comin forward to chare that they too had been molested by priests. It s been eleven years since the Boston Globe exposed predator priests, and many Catholics are holdin fast to their faith. In more than 2000 years of history, the Catholic Church has withstood heresy, division, rebellion, persecution, oppression, and every kind of scandal imainable. To many Catholics, sinful priests do not take away from the truth of the messae of salvation, nor do they invalidate the sacraments. If anythin, they demonstrate the universal need for mercy and race. Thouhtful people of other reliious faiths also know that men and women in their own traditions are vulnerable to misconduct. They know not to jude a community by those who don t live out the faith, but by those who do. The question remains: Why is the scandal of sexual abuse focused on the Catholic Church? To be sure, Protestant churches have experienced some level of misconduct, but not nearly to such an exponential deree. Some blame celibacy, a vow Catholic clery must take to remain sexually inactive as lon as they hold their position in the church. The ancient discipline has otten a bad rap in the chaos of controversy. Some say that sex cannot be repressed, that human beins will express (one way or another) the need to be intimate with other human beins. But this explanation is not necessarily true. These celibate men and women are a contradiction, a people set apart, people who have saved the most precious part of themselves for God alone. People such as Mother Teresa, John Paul II, Mother Anelica, Padre Pio, and countless others have embraced this discipline and demonstrated its power. Celibacy was never an arbitrary penance for Catholic ministers but a sacrifice so they miht, in the words of Pope Paul VI, acquire a deeper mastery of soul and body and a fuller maturity to more perfectly receive the blessedness spoken of in the ospel. The Church s discipline is intended to draw men and women to reater depths of holiness, weakenin and diminishin the power of the flesh. The truth is, there is no absolute cause or foolproof fix for pedophilia in any circumstance. What we can do is look on the briht side. If one is a person of faith, this controversy is an opportunity to demonstrate God s race, the evil nature of sin, and the reward of salvation. One parish priest sent a stron, poinant messae to his conreation. I am tellin you to stop, think, and realize that the Church is in crisis that there are folk who have the authority to address that but, instead of doin so, have allowed the Church to become a possibly unsafe place for your kids. Focus on the enemy. The enemy is within. John Patrick Shanley s play Doubt provides several perspectives on sexual misconduct in the Catholic community. More important, the play provides a possible forum for discussion. In sharin ideas about the themes of this play, we are able approach a delicate situation from an intellectual (as opposed to an emotional) standpoint. Father Flynn s opinion may be the best way to handle nihtmares of such perverted nature. You make up little stories to illustrate. In the tradition of the parable what actually happens in life is beyond interpretation. Born in 1950, John Patrick Shanley is a playwriht from the Bronx. He was educated by the Irish Christian Brothers and the Sisters of Charity. In his personal bioraphy, Shanley states that he was thrown out of St. Helena s kinderarten. He was banned from St. Anthony s hot lunch proram for life. He was expelled from Cardinal Spellman Hih School. He was placed on academic probation by New York University and instructed to appear before a tribunal if he wished to return. After raduatin from NYU, Shanley had a successful run with the United States Marine Corps. He has been writin plays and screenplays ever since, the most famous of which is the 1988 film Moonstruck, which won him the Academy Award for best oriinal screenplay. Shanley is currently in the process of developin a musical version of Moonstruck for the Broadway stae. Nearly a dozen of Shanley s plays have been produced off-broadway, includin Italian-American Reconciliation, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, and Four Dos and a Bone. In 2004 Shanley was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame, but until he wrote Doubt, he had never received a New York theatre award. Then, in 2005, Doubt was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Drama Desk Award, and the Tony Award for Best Play. In an interview with the New York Times, Shanley commented on the theme of his hihly prized work. Look! I have doubts. And that s a ood thin. You should have doubts, too. And if you don t, you re a hammer-headed clown! 10 3

4 CATHOLICISM A BACKGROUND St. Cyril of Jerusalem in A.D. 386 stated, The Church is called Catholic because it extends throuh all the world and because it teaches universally and without omission all the doctrines which ouht to come to human knowlede. The Catholic Church has existed for well over 2,000 years with Catholicism bein one of the fastest rowin reliions in the world. The word Catholic comes from the Greek katholikos meanin eneral or universal. Catholicism refers to the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church and traces back to Jesus last three years of life and the teachins and practices of the Twelve Apostles. Catholic doctrine teaches that Jesus had a dual nature: He was both human and divine, and Jesus the Son of God was made man as a perfect expression of God s love. The Church itself has four basic tenets, or principles, by which all members must abide: Tradition: the content of what is passed down, such as the teachins contained in the Bible. Universality: the openness to all truth from any culture, person or bein. Reason and Analoy: both used in the quest to understand the Catholic mysteries. THE SACRAMENTS Catholicism is a reliion of sacraments, or ceremoniews that celebrate what is sacred to Christians. There are seven sacraments of the Church: Baptism, confirmation or admission of a person to full church membership, the Eucharist, Penance or confession, the Anointin of the Sick, Matrimony and Holy orders. Examples from Doubt: Matrimony Sister Aloysius: The founder of our order, The Blessed Mother Seton, was married and had five children before embarkin on her vows. The Church itself has four basic tenets, or principles, by which all members must abide. Holy Orders Sister Aloysius: When one takes on the habit, one must close the door on secular thins. Penance Flynn: Have you never done anythin wron? Sister Aloysius: I have. Flynn: Mortal sin? Sister Aloysius: Yes. Flynn: And? Sister Aloysius: I confessed it! Did you ive Donald Muller wine to drink? Flynn: Whatever I have done, I have left in the hands of my confessor. As have you! We are the same! 1964 An ImPORTANT YEAR IN HISTORY 1964 Jan 3, Barry Goldwater announced that he was a candidate for the U.S. Presidency. Later that year he lost... bi time to Lyndon B. Johnson Mar 8, Malcolm X left the Black Muslim Movement Apr 5, Army Gen. Doulas MacArthur (b.1880) died in Washinton, D.C. MacAuthur fouht in World War I, World War II and the Korean War. He became the younest ever superintendent at West Point and was a hihly decorated General Apr 22, President Johnson opened the New York World s Fair in Queens. It featured the futuristic Unisphere and a house made of formica. Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters drove to the fair in a 1939 bus with Neal Cassidy. The trip immortalized in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe in May 25, Supreme Court ruled that closin schools to avoid desereation is unconstitutional Jun 19, The Civil Rihts Act of 1964 survived an 83-day filibuster in the US Senate, and was approved by a vote of President Johnson passed the Civil Rihts Act uaranteein all U.S. citizens the riht to vote and prohibitin sereation in public places. Gender was also added to Title VII of the Civil Rihts Act outlawin ender discrimination in the labor market Jun 28, Malcolm X founded the Oranization for Afro American Unity to seek independence for blacks in the Western Hemisphere Jul 2, President Johnson sined into law a sweepin civil rihts bill passed by Conress. It uaranteed votin rihts and equal access to public accommodations and education Jul 18, Riots erupted in the African American communities of New York City and Rochester, New York, The New York City race riot bean in Harlem and spread to Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn Jul 24-27, Another race riot took place in Rochester, New York, killin 4 people Au 26, President Johnson was nominated for a term of office in his own riht at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, N.J Sep 27, The Warren Commission, investiatin the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, announced that accordin to its findins Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone as did Jack Ruby in the assassination. Later evidence indicated a Mafia contract killin Oct 14, Civil rihts leader Rev. Martin Luther Kin was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advocatin a policy of non-violence Nov. Catholics could eat meat on Friday Nov 13, Pope Paul VI ave a tiara to the poor Nov 23, The Vatican abolished Latin as the official lanuae of Roman Catholic litury. 4 9

5 FUN FACTS 3,500,000 teachers in 250,000 Catholic schools worldwide teach 42,000,000 pupils. There are more Catholics in the U. S. Conress than any other reliion. The home of the First Catholic hih school in America is hotly contested. Some say it belons to the Diocese of Philadelphia, others say to the Archdiocese of New York and still others to the Diocese of Baltimore. Archdiocese of New York has 2.5 million parishioners, 410 parishes, 279 schools, and extends 108 miles. Since November, 1964, Catholics could eat meat on Friday. Communion, is the oldest Catholic parish in New York State. Is your last name Zolp as verified on your birth and Catholic baptismal certificates? If so, Loyola University in Chicao will provide you with a full four-year scholarship. The pope s license plate number is SCV 1 (State City of Vatican) Charles Carroll was the only Catholic to sin the United States Declaration of Independence. In 2003 there were 73,316 nuns in the US compared to 179,954 in The Vatican has 900 citizens and 3,000 employees. The Pope The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church and Bishop, or leader of Rome. The Collee of Cardinals (in a meetin known as a conclave) elects the pope. Candidates for the papacy include any baptized male. However, the honor is usually iven to a cardinal within the conclave. A twothirds majority is required to elect the pope and votin is kept secret between the cardinals. A new pope is announced by burnin the ballots and the rinin of bells. The Pope s responsibilities include: Spreadin the Catholic messae around the world Fihtin for social justice Providin spiritual uidance to The Church s members Appointin bishops and cardinals Writin documents that define the Catholic Church s official position on issues facin the world Conferrin with lobal leaders and politicians Nuns and Sisters Old St. Peter s Church (16 Barclay Street, New York, NY 10007), where Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton was baptized and made her First Holy In the U.S. there are fewer Catholic Schools relative to the population of Catholics. Source: A nun is a woman in reliious orders who takes solemn vows in chastity, poverty and obedience. These women live in a convent and live a life of silence and prayer. In order to become a nun, one must o throuh a series of steps. The first is a proram called postulancy. Postulancy is when the woman, alon with the order, determines if she may have a vocation to the life. This can last anywhere from six months to a year. Durin this time, the woman is interviewed by the order of sisters. If the order accepts, the woman receives the habit of the order, the distinct black and white clothin worn by nuns. She will then start livin the life of a nun, without actually takin vows. This period can last one to two years. She may then take her temporary vows, which can typically last one to three years, but not more than six. Finally, she will make her final, solemn vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. The character Sister Aloysius Beauvier in Doubt is a nun. A sister is a nun who does not observe a convent or monastery. Sisters take simpler vows and take on other spiritual missions such as carin for the sick, teachin the youth and helpin the poor. Sisters wear a habit that is slihtly different from a professed nun. Their habit consists of an all white veil and a black jumper dress. Sisters usually belon to communities such as the Sisters of Charity or Maryknoll Sisters. The reliious community of a sister is referred to as a conreation or institute. The character Sister James in Doubt is a sister. A sister is a nun who does not observe a convent or monastery. 8 5

6 Elements of Catholicism GLOSSARY The rosary also has a crucifix, which is used to make the sin of the cross and recite the Apostles Creed followed by one lare bead (Our Father), three small beads (Hail Mary), and another lare bead (Our Father). The Eucharist is a wafer of bread and a cup of wine blessed by the Church that is taken durin Mass. The Eucharist represents the body and blood of Christ and the belief in God as a real livin presence, which is the very essence of Catholicism. Holy Trinity refers to the belief of three persons in one God: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Catholics believe Puratory is where people o to purify their souls of any faults or wrondoin. The true punishment of Puratory is not bein close to God. The power of prayer is believed to be essential in the spiritual relationship between God and man. The Catholic faith is based on scripture and tradition. The birthday of the Catholic Church is Pentecost Sunday, which ends the season of Easter. The Rosary is a devotion that encouraes Christians to reflect on the mysteries of Christ s life experienced by Mary the Virin Mother of God. The Rosary consists of fifty beads in roups of ten (decade). Each of these small beads represents a Hail Mary. There is other larer bead before every decade, which represents one of several prayers: an Our Father, Apostles Creed and Hail Holy Queen. The rosary also has a crucifix, which is used to make the sin of the cross and recite the Apostles Creed followed by one lare bead (Our Father), three small beads (Hail Mary), and another lare bead (Our Father). Both candles and incense are used to set the mood for prayer and spirituality. The mood is often mystical or somber. Altar Boys- boys or teenaers who assist the priest durin Mass. The Blessed Mother Seton- established the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Children in1797. Later, she founded Sisters of Charity in Emmitsbur, Maryland, in Father- a title iven to a priest, denotin a spiritual relationship between the priest and his conreation or with anyone else to whom he ministers. Habit- distinctive clothin worn by members of reliious orders. Nun s habits are floor-lenth black dresses with a short black veil. Monsinor- an honorary title iven to priests for certain services they have provided for the Church. Monsinor is a title ordinarily bestowed by the pope. Parish- stable community within a diocese led by the diocesan bishop or the parish priest, or pastor. Second Ecumenical Council- A series of meetins between Bishops and led by Pope John XXIII, makin the Church and messae of Jesus Christ more easily understandable to the modern world. Sisters of Charity- Was founded by St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac in Sisters of Charity dedicate themselves to carin for the poor and have founded many hospitals. There are many conreations of Catholic sisters who refer to themselves as Sisters of Charity. Vestments- the special arments worn by liturical ministers. 6 7