Director Bob Robinson (with the help of Leroy Cupp on set and Ted and Tim Daniel’s lighting) has created a set that gives us four separate perspectives on this conservative Catholic school, topped by an overseeing, red-draped cross. Religious music sets a tone and invites contemplation.
Amy Rickett is the strict Sister Aloysius, the school principal who suspects the young and charismatic Father Flynn (Adam Woolsey) of improper relations with one of the male students. Cassie Little as the younger, less strict, nun/teacher, gives a contrasting perspective. Gay Oliver is a powerful presence as Mrs. Muller, the mother of the boy in question, who is African American, adding another wrinkle to the situation.
This play is a complex tapestry of suspicion, certainty and doubtin 1964, when race relations were in flux, and homosexuality was much more taboo and hidden than it is today. The complex motivations of what is helping/hurting this child in this era and this environment are profound, and these four actors provoke our doubt with skill.
This drama is worth your return to live theatre. Riverwalk has taken pains to make the experience safe, with a new ventilation system, and no intermission or concession sales — and requires masks for all except actors onstage. They are only selling half the house, to allow distance between audience groups. Call for reserved seats 517-482-5700, with tickets available at the door while they last.
(Also, enjoy Riverwalk’s new, color programs, thanks to Jackson Printing and Kelly Sandula Gruner, available in real, live paper! and online at https://www.riverwalktheatre.com/show-programs.html)