The Trinity theatre is opening a new student directed lab show for students and the public to enjoy called “Doubt” tonight in the Attic Theater.
The show is set in a 1964 Bronx neighborhood at the Saint Nicholas Catholic School. The principal thinks that one of the priests is having a sexual affair with one of the students and takes on the task of fact-finding and discovering whether the claim is valid.
The student director is sophomore theatre major Olivia Ochoa. Ochoa has spent a lot of time getting the cast ready for the show, and she chose the play very carefully.
“I have loved working with this cast. This is a challenging show for younger actors, especially since most of the characters are older than us, and they have risen to the occasion. They do take the work seriously, but we also have a lot of fun in rehearsal,” Ochoa said. “It’s been so great watching their characters develop and change, and we have been rehearsing since January 27, with rehearsal lasting about six to 15 hours per week.”
“Doubt” had an extremely successful run on Broadway, winning a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize in 2005. In 2008, the show was even made into a film starring celebrities such as Meryl Streep and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. This was one of the reasons that the show was chosen, but as cast member and first year Catherine Clark says it is not the only reason.
“This show was chosen for multiple reasons. First off, “˜Doubt’ is just a spectacular piece. It is a play that has so much depth and just so much to work with. Second, our director, Olivia Ochoa, is Catholic and went to a Catholic high school,” Clark said. “She has told us multiple times that she believes that nuns are the most badass women in the world, and I have to admit I agree with her.”
The crowd is expected to be in for an entertaining show and will have to put information together and decide whether the accused is guilty throughout the play. The play is designed to keep the audience guessing and have them try to decide who is in the right and what is true. Junior Britani Bulloch said she expects the audience to enjoy the play.
“I’m really excited to see what people think the outcome is. Since we never solve the issue on stage, the reaction is completely personal opinion. I want to hear why everyone believes what they believe,” Bulloch said.
Trinity theatre conducts lab shows with the concept that they are entirely student produced and directed.
The show opens tonight at 8 p.m. and closes at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 2. All performances will be held in the Attic Theater, which is located in the Stieren building.
