Five Pieces of Wisdom from Sister Aloysius

Last night marked the end of three months of rehearsals for Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, opening at Aqua City Actors Theatre in Waterville tomorrow night. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. on November 13, 14, 20 and 21, and at 2:00 p.m. on November 15 and 22. A "talk back" session with the show's director, Bill Haley, and the actors will follow the November 15 matinee. Tickets are $12.00 ($10 for seniors and students), and you should order them in advance from the Waterville Opera House box office, (207) 873-7000. The theater is small, and ACAT's shows often sell out.

Doubt, in case you didn't see the movie (I haven't, and won't until this show closes), is a short, tense drama set in a Catholic elementary school in 1964. I play Sister Aloysius, the school's principal, who is fighting a losing battle against what she sees as declining standards, excessive sentimentality, and the tolerance of evil. She's unapologetically intimidating. I admire her, but she has not been easy company for the last three months.

If you can't come to the show — or even if you can — these are my five favorite lines. I'm posting them without comment; if you want the context, come see the play.

1. "Ballpoints make them press down, and when they press down, they write like monkeys."

2. "Innocence is a form of laziness."

3. "If you're looking for reassurance, you can be fooled."

4. "Life perhaps is longer than you think, and the dictates of the soul more numerous."

5. "Nuns fall, you know . . . It's the habit. It trips us up more often than not."

While I'm plugging local theater, I should mention that Rabbit Hole continues at Gaslight this weekend, tonight, tomorrow and Saturday. If you're in a theatrical mood, you can catch both shows!