Has anyone done "Doubt"?
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Topic: Has anyone done "Doubt"?
Posted By: jayzehr
Subject: Has anyone done "Doubt"?
Date Posted: 11/02/07 at 2:07pm
| I'm wondering specifically if any other groups have succesfully drawn an audience for this play? |
Replies:
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 11/02/07 at 5:42pm
Don't know. But we are scheduled to do it in May 2008. I can let you know then...
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Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 2:23pm
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Audiences will come. It needs to be marketed properly. The author has won the Pulitzer, the Tony, and the Oscar. How many people can claim that? (John Patrick Shanley also wrote "Moonstruck"). This play is part of a trilogy John is writing that are regarding his experiences and observations in life. All three plays begin with a "D".
John wrote and directed the screenplay that will be the big Oscar winner of 2009. Scot Rudin (Oscar winner this year) is producing. Meryl Streep, Philip Seymore Hoffman and Amy Adams are in it. I wouldn't choose to produce the play when the movie comes out or within a year after that. Everyone will compare your production to the movie. But, if you produce it before the film comes out, or a couple of years after, I bet you'll do well at the box office. ------------- John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 5:18pm
| Well, here's hoping you're right, John. We're going up at the end of the month and I'm playing Father Flynn. I'll let everyone know how it goes. And I guess my original question was foolish in that this is the most produced play in community theater for 2007-08. |
Posted By: trutter
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 5:26pm
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We are doing it at the exact same time as Marshalltown. Des Moines is doing it next year before the movie comes out. One thing we are trying to get attendance is having discussion groups afterwards. Don't know if it will work or not - but its a shot. :) ------------- ------ Troy A. Rutter Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents" http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ A Heinemann Drama Publication |
Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 5:41pm
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Oh Man..... Jayzer, I'm jealous! I want to play Father Flynn!
I saw Cherry Jones play Sister Aloysius in the National Tour. It was incredible. I honestly think it's one of the best things ever written. Where is your theatre? Troy is talking about Marshalltown, Iowa. And he's in Ames, Iowa - (Iowa State Cyclones).
Maybe we'll produce Doubt in a couple of years.
Break-a-leg! ------------- John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 3/07/08 at 5:57pm
| We're in Harrisonburg, Virginia. It's a very difficult part, I'm feeling a little over my head. It was very clear to me reading it, but as an actor it's hard to make specific choices that don't betray the script. |
Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 3/30/08 at 10:56am
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We wanted to do DOUBT for next year's season, but was told that the rights had been restricted until after December of this year. We have since been told that we shouldn't get our hopes up for the '09-10' season either. You were lucky to get it when you did.
Charlie |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 4/01/08 at 6:34am
| I know there was some problem in our getting the rights, don't know the specifics. Our run ended Sunday. After a couple of shaky box office nights we ended up strong (for us) and wound up in the black. What's good about this show is that it is a contemporary play that's challenging to produce but can still work in a conservative Bible belt community. However, it's important to emphasize in your publicity that it's not denigrating to Christianity and does in fact present thoughtful examination of a number of issues relevant to modern churches. |
Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 4/01/08 at 10:44am
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Jayzehr,
Congrats on your production of Doubt. Was it great playing Father Flynn? Some great lines in there. How many performances did you guys produce? I was at NYU at the same time as Shanley. We e-mail a few times a year. I saw someone posted somewhere in here that they saw on line the movie is coming out in December. Shanley told me it should be out late October. I'm sure they'll have multiple Oscar nominations. Did your set work OK for the show? The national tour used the turn-table within a turn-table. It was really cool.
Anyway, Congrats on the role and the run! ------------- John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 4/01/08 at 1:14pm
| Thanks! Yes, it was a great part. One of the challenges, as you know, is the choice (or choices) you have to make concerning his guilt or innocence and how you play it. I guess I won't say anymore so as to not spoil it for anyone. We did only five performances because of our rental situation. It is always frustrating in that it seems I always have some big clarifying revelation half way through the last performance. And, of course, it also takes a number of performances to understand the humor and where the laughs are. On the other hand it was a very draining performance so I am a little relieved it's over. We had a relatively simple set--the office was stage right formed by three walls, we had the garden stage left, just a bench, a plant and a brick wall behind it. We had a podium far left that came off and on for the two sermons and then I did the basketball coaching scene down center. We had such a tight schedule in the theater that I never got to see how anything looked, but it seemed to work OK. Just a minor sight line issue on the office door. |
Posted By: John Luzaich
Date Posted: 4/02/08 at 12:51pm
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Hey Jayzehr,
Prior to the original Broadway opening of Doubt, Shanley said Brian O'Byrne asked him during rehearsal for the show if Flynn was innocent or guilty. Shanley didn't tell him until after opening night! ------------- John cfct@cfu.net http://www.osterregent.org http://www.facebook.com/osterregent |
Posted By: drose
Date Posted: 5/01/08 at 12:08pm
We open on May 7th (I'm playing sister Aloyisious). It's been a difficult process, but the script is amazing! My dear friend plays sister James and we commute together. The ride home is pretty tense. 
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