Poignant, riveting & heart-rending

There was never a doubt that Cherie Gil is a brilliant actor. So sure about her talents is she, Cherie is not even afraid to do bloody lachrymal soap operas on TV. So at peace with herself, she even laughs at some of her acting foibles. Because in an acting arena like ours, one has no right to refuse a job – not just because of financial considerations but because an actor has to work, an actor has to act – for an actor to be an actor. And Cherie Gil is an actor’s actor. She’s an icon. (I am not even talking about how wonderful a human being she is!) But once in a while, a material like the stage play Doubt comes along, and finds the rightful actor. Call it destiny or synchronicity. I call it divine order.

Thanks to dear friend Bobby Garcia (currently lending his brilliance to the Hong Kong Disney park where he runs the shows) who pitched to Cherie the idea of playing Sister Aloysius in Doubt. Bobby always believes Cherie deserves to be billed above the title of a material alone and sparkling. She gets this in Doubt where she not only shimmers – she roars, she attacks, she conquers, she doubts, all in the name of righteousness.

"In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one must step away from God," she stoically declares in the play.

From the souvenir program…"Set against the backdrop of a Bronx Catholic school in 1964, Doubt is the story of a strong-minded woman faced with a difficult decision. Should she voice concerns about one of her male colleagues even if she is not entirely certain of the truth? It opened at the Manhattan Theater Club on Nov. 23, 2004 and transferred to Broadway in April 2005. The play and its off-Broadway and Broadway performances have garnered numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. After reaching Broadway, it was nominated for eight Tony awards. It won four Tony Awards including Best Play."

Did Father Flynn (Niccolo Manahan) molest the only African American boy in the school? Or did the altar boy drink the wine, confused and lost in his puerile meanderings, trying to fit into his various worlds? And did Sis. Aloysius simply dislike Fr. Flynn she would stop at nothing until he was banished to hell? Was Fr. Flynn gay? Did he abuse another child in the last parish he was assigned to? Or was he just too close and personal with his flock that he was misunderstood? And Sis. Aloysius, was she a power tripper? Or was she envious of Fr. Flynn’s popularity in school?

You bring home these questions. After the play, I almost kicked Donnie (my personal assistant) in the jaw because he said that both Sis. Aloysius and Fr. Flynn were pedophiles. That they were both interested with the boy. Eyen my other staff, was certain that Fr. Flynn molested the boy. And I asked why he was sure.

"It was in his eyes and he looked like he did it," he quipped. "But was it possible that the boy seduced Fr. Flynn?" Donnie asked. And the poor priest just fell into the trap. Remember the boy needed a protector. And what if Sis. Aloysius saw them together but it was too dark, she wasn’t sure?

The questions and possibilities are infinite. A proof that the play is riveting, poignant, powerful – days after you’ve seen it – you still talk to yourself about it. Until you ask yourself, what exactly do you do when in doubt?

Performances were solid and strong. Niccolo Manahan’s (Fr. Flynn) sermons were priestly. Cathy Azanza as Sister James was fascinating. OK, Sister James, she reminds me of so many people I know. And Jay Valencia Glorioso, in one scene with Cherie Gil, delivers a quiet, poignant, riveting, heart-rending performance as Mrs. Muller, the boy’s mother. Bravo.

In the curtain call, as Cherie moved forward to bow, I stood up, I wanted to scream at her that she could have been wrong about Fr. Flynn but I held back because she could have been right. I stood up instead, screaming bravo, pissed that it was over so fast. The one and a half hours seemed 15 minutes. I wanted more. I wanted Fr. Flynn to defend himself. I wanted to hear a dramatic monologue of Sis. Aloysius. I wanted Mrs. Muller to hit Sis. Aloysius. I wanted Sis. James to have an affair with Fr. Flynn. Anything that would have lengthened the play. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted a resolution but the house lights were on and people were standing and leaving the theater. The standing ovation was over, my euphoria was over. I was catatonic.

In a skirt made by Puey Quinones, I wanted to run on stage and wail like a member of a Greek chorus – "Why I am doubting… Ahhh?"

I was so taken by the play. If it runs in Nepal or at the peak of Mt. Everest, do yourself a favor – get a ticket and start your trek now! Doubt will be at Onstage Ayala Center Cebu starting today until July 2.