“What actually happens in life is beyond interpretation. The truth makes for a bad sermon. It tends to be confusing and have no clear conclusion” –Father Flynn
Mask & Mirror Community Theatre opens “Doubt, A Parable” at the Tualatin Heritage Center on January 18, 2019. In this brilliant and powerful drama, Sister Aloysius, a Bronx parochial school principal, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students. It is a gripping story of suspicion cast on a priest’s behavior that is less about scandal than about fascinatingly nuanced questions of moral certainty. The show plays Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, and Sunday at 2:30pm until closing on January 27. All tickets are $10 and are available online at www.MaskandMirror.com/box-office. Advance purchase is suggested due to the small, intimate theatre space. Discretion should be used in bringing children to this play due to the themes explored.
Aaron Morrow, a first time director for Mask & Mirror, has assembled a stellar cast of experienced local actors to bring this amazing show to life, including Kathleen Silloway – a Tualatin resident last seen at Mask & Mirror in last season’s Eleemosynary – as Sister Aloysius, and Amelia Michaels – last seen here in The Receptionist – as Sister James. Jalena Montrond Scott as Mrs. Muller, and Chris Murphy as Father Flynn also appear.
“I was first introduced to ‘Doubt, a Parable,’ doing research for a scene study that I was directing,” says Aaron. “I was drawn in by the power of the climactic confrontation between two of the characters. During preparation for bringing the scene to life, I was struck by the way even a small change in motivation or intent of a character could lead an observer to draw a much different conclusion of who was right and who was wrong. In many ways, that is a reflection of the power of uncertainty in our social interactions – how do we individually assess those whom we warily regard with suspicion, and those to whom we graciously provide the benefit of the doubt?”
“Doubt, A Parable” is the first show of this season’s UnMasked presentations at the Tualatin Heritage Center. UnMasked shows are selected to present unique plays of merit not usually produced by all-volunteer, nonprofit community theatre; especially plays that are edgy: having a bold, provocative, or unconventional quality. They are presented in partnership with the Tualatin Historical Society and funded in part by grants from the Cultural Coalition of Washington County; the Oregon Cultural Trust; and the City of Tualatin Arts Advisory Committee.
Mask & Mirror Community Theatre also presents three family friendly plays each season on their main stage at Calvin Presbyterian Church in Tigard. “The Boys Next Door,” a dramedy about living with a disability by Tom Griffin, opens there on March 2, 2019.
Mask & Mirror Community Theatre is now in its 8th season of presenting high quality and affordable (no tickets are more than $15) live theatre to the citizens of Tigard and Tualatin – using all-volunteer actors, stage crew and administrators.
Participation and membership is open to all. We welcome experienced performers and theatre “wannabes” – we’ll train you!