The Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga kicks off their 2023 season with an ambitious Pulitzer Prize award-winning play DOUBT: A PARABLE by noted playwright John Patrick Shanley.
Shanley forces his four characters to confront their commitment in their faith. He engages the audience in the experience of the performance through dialogue that creates impressions, uncovers questions, and fosters doubt. Conversely the dialogue creates a challenge for the actors in that no matter what choice they make, they will inevitably be presented with a moment of sheer vulnerability that they did not see coming.
"Truly ephemeral is the play whose story has just as much breath and life as the actors telling it and the director crafting it,” mentions Matheson Wynnemer, ETC’s Production Coordinator.
The play is directed by Kashun Parks, an ETC verteran who helmed last year’s DAUGHTER OF THE MOON by Reginald Edmund. Playing the hard-edged principal Sister Aloysius is Brenda Schwab, her younger teacher Sister James is being played by Alyssa Watts, the questionable priest Father Flynn is being played by Garry Lee Posey. Rounding out the cast is newcomer to ETC Shawanna Kendrick in the role of Mrs. Muller.
DOUBT: A PARABLE won John Patrick Shanley the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Best Play all in 2005. Performers Cherry Jones and Adrienne Lenox both won Tony Awards for their performances in addition to winning Drama Desk Awards along with cast mates Bryan F. O’Byrne and Heather Goldenhersh.
With an ambitious season focused on scheduled programming at three different venues, partnerships planned with multiple local organizations and a growing dedication to premiering new works and new voices, the Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga will prove their commitment to the creative arts scene in Chattanooga.
“Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga's 2023 season is structured around the theme of commitment. Commitment to our community, commitment to our craft, commitment to the creators and the commitment to our local cultural landscape” mentions Executive Artistic Director Garry Lee Posey.
Partnering with the creative renaissance happening at Rivermont Presbyterian Church, the Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga will assist with various theatre programming and the creation of a new black box theatre performance space.
“It’s an exciting time at Rivermont and we cannot be happier to partner with ETC,” mentions John Thomas McCecil who is the Head of Music and Arts at the church and who has been a member of ETC since 2009.
“In addition to working with Rivermont on their arts programming, ETC has committed to produce two to three shows in the 2023 in the new black box we are helping to create,” mentions Posey. “The shows we present at Rivermont Presbyterian under the auspices of ETC will all be shows that look at how theatre and faith interlace with the desire that we want to create conversations.”
ETC’s production of DOUBT: A PARABLE will run February 17th-19th and 23rd-25th. All performances will be at 7:30pm, the exception being Sunday February 19th when the show will be at 2:30. Rivermont Presbyterian is located 3319 Hixson Pike.
“We invite the audience to engage in discussion and debate over what they see on our stages. With us. With your fellow patrons. And more importantly with yourself,” adds Posey.
For more information call (423) 987-5141 or visit the ticketing site our.show/ensemble-theatre-of-chattanooga/84888.