Book 56: Doubt

NUMBER: 56
TITLE: Doubt: A Parable
AUTHOR: John Patrick Shanley
STARTED: October 3, 2007
FINISHED: October 3, 2007
PAGES: 58
GENRE: Drama

FIRST SENTENCE: [From the preface] What's under a play?

SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] Chosen as the best play of the year by over 10 newspapers and magazines, Doubt is set in a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, where a strong-minded woman wrestles with conscience and uncertainty as she is faced with concerns about one of her male colleagues. This new play by John Patrick Shanley-the Bronx-born-and-bred playwright and Academy Award-winning author of Moonstruck-dramatizes issues straight from today's headlines within a world re-created with knowing detail and a judicious eye. After a stunning, sold-out production at Manhattan Theatre Club, the play has transferred to Broadway.

REASON FOR READING: It came across my desk at work.

THOUGHTS: First things first: I had to look up the definition of "parable" before I started this play just to be sure I actually knew what it meant. From dictionary.com:

1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like.

Now that that's done, it has been over two weeks since I finished this book and I'm still trying to figure where the "parable" comes in. I'm probably over thinking it, but I honestly wonder how much of this play went over my head because I was reading it either too literally or was too busy actively searching for the parable. The entire time I was reading this play, all I could think was, "How would I understand this differently if it were on stage?"

I enjoyed the writing and the characterizations put forth in this script, but I can't help but think that the whole point of this play went completely over my head.

MISCELLANEOUS: I miss the theatre.

RATING: 6/10 [Good]