"Doubt" It’s been well over a month since I was inside the Walter Kerr Theatre, watching Brian O’Byrne and Cherry Jones up on stage in Doubt… and I’m still thinking about it.

For those who don’t know, Doubt is the latest creation of playwright John Patrick Shanley. Here’s a short description from Broadway.com:

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’s not entirely certain of the truth?

The stars of "Doubt" The show itself is great. The actors’ performances are all completely believable. Brian O’Byrne was inspiring to watch, and for all the tall tales I’ve heard about Cherry Jones, she did an amazing job. An understudy went on for Mrs. Muller on the night that I saw the show, and even she was breathtaking to watch (and in a scene that served as the inspiration for the play’s formation, nonetheless).

Perhaps the only problem with the show is its length. It’s a 90-minute show with no intermission, so theatregoers who shell out $100 for a ticket will probably feel ripped off. I got a student ticket for under $30, and while I was sitting way up in the balcony, I still thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I’m not sure if Doubt really impacted me too much while I was sitting in the theatre. It’s the kind of show that grows on you after you leave. The more I thought about it, the more I really wanted to know what actually happened between the Priest and the boy in question (the answers to which only O’Byrne, Shanley, and director Doug Hughes know). The show is also interesting as a discussion piece, as I find that men and women generally have different pereceptions of the characters therein (especially Sister Aloysius).

See Doubt today. Straight plays don’t last long on Broadway… and the show’s stars are set to leave early in 2006. You won’t regret it.