The stars and director of Kansas City Actors Theatre’s (KCAT) Doubt, A Parable discuss the play, the 20 years since it premiered, and this unique site-specific presentation. Starting March 6 at the Kansas City United Church of Christ.
As soft, green light streams through the stained-glass windows of the sanctuary at the Kansas City United Church of Christ, director Gary Heisserer remarks on how different the play might feel at a matinee performance versus an evening performance. As Gary leads the cast and crew through the space, the group’s voices unintentionally fall to a whisper. They can’t help but feel a certain reverence in this century-old church, which serves as Kansas City Actors Theatre’s (KCAT) current home for the production of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, A Parable. As the cast and crew come together for the first rehearsal, the director and stars reflect on this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, and the tumultuous 20 years since it originally premiered.
Doubt, A Parable tells the story of an exacting principal of a Bronx Catholic school who must wrestle with fact versus fiction when she suspects the charismatic priest of having relations with a student. “I think it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘did he do this,’ or ‘did he do that,’ but the story is being told not so that we can solve a mystery, but so that we can learn something about ourselves,” said KCAT Company Member Gary Heisserer, director of Doubt, A Parable. “I would love to hear some of the conversations as the audience leaves the theater and ask each other, ‘What’d you think of that?’”
Set in 1964, first written and performed in 2004, and now produced by KCAT in 2025, the play’s themes have expanded during the 20 years since it took home the Tony Award®. “I think these issues, this play, might be true forever. Listening to it tonight, Father Flynn lies to protect the student so that he can continue to be an altar boy, Sister Aloysius lies so she can protect a fellow nun from losing her job. They’re both forced to lie, and to be deceitful, in service of the institution that they both say is pure,” remarks KCAT Company Member Matt Schwader, who stars as Father Brendan Flynn. He continues, “I’m not even going to touch on the Catholic church because I think all institutions, well-intentioned or not, have a structure. And how to succeed within that structure is sometimes not possible without being deceitful.” Kathleen Warfel, who stars as Sister Aloysius, added, “It may have been mostly about the Catholic church back then. Now it’s about a lot more than that.”
In his updated preface to printed versions of the play, playwright John Patrick Shanley writes, “I’ve set my story in 1964, when not just me but the whole world seemed to be going through some kind of vast puberty.” 1964 was a time of pivotal change for the Catholic church, as they worked to bring the religion into the 20th century. Sunday masses began to be delivered in English rather than Latin, the masses were simplified and shortened, and the priest faced out towards the people rather than the altar. Gary Heisserer agrees, “This was a period of enormous division. That everyone was certain about the things they believed, and there wasn’t a lot of tolerance for each other. And I don’t think we’ve certainly gotten any better since then.”
Forty years after the events of the play itself, John Patrick Shanley writes Doubt and it premieres off-Broadway. When the play moves to Broadway in 2005, Shanley updates the full title to be Doubt, A Parable. Kathleen Warfel comments, when asked about the title “A story that is a parable is sort of timeless. It applies to the situations we’re dealing with now, and the situations we were dealing with then.” Matt Schwader adds, “[Shanley] references the title in the play. He explains that it is in the ‘tradition of the parable,’ which is a made-up story because the truth of life… I’m just going to quote the play: ‘Actual life is beyond interpretation.’ Which is just such a fantastic line! That the truth makes for a bad sermon, because the truth is confusing.”
“It’s a great story. It’s a great parable. It’s as contemporary as anything I can think of,” remarks Gary Heisserer when asked why audiences should come see Doubt, A Parable. Kathleen Warfel adds, “Because it will make you think, and it’ll make you laugh. It’s surprisingly funny, but it also makes you consider your own judgement and accept your own doubt.” Matt Schwader agrees, “For such a heavy play, for such a serious play, it is peppered with laughter. It’s so smart, and it’s so clever. The lines come at you and they sort of hit you at a right angle, so there are these lines that you don’t expect to make you laugh, but then there are those other lines that hit you directly in the heart.”
“And it’s an hour and a half! [Laughs] No intermission! In and out!” exclaims Schwader.
Kansas City Actors Theatre wraps up their 20th Anniversary Season with Doubt, A Parable. performing in a site-specific location—the sanctuary at the Kansas City United Church of Christ, who are celebrating their 100-year anniversary in 2025. This unique theatrical setting will serve to elevate and deepen the audience’s connection with the play as they watch from the pews. KCAT last performed a site-specific production in 2013 with Three Viewings at the Muehlebach Funeral Home. KCAT Company Member and Board President John Rensenhouse says, “We hope once again to strike deep chords with this story in this unique setting, and want to profusely thank the good people at KCUCC for their hospitality and generosity.”
Doubt, A Parable stars Kathleen Warfel and KCAT Company Members Matt Schwader, Christina Schafer, and Teisha M. Bankston. Performed from March 6 to 23 at the Kansas City United Church of Christ. Visit www.kcactors.org/shows/doubt/ or call (816) 361-5228 for tickets and information.
