“Doubtless” is a play by Albert Innaurato that was performed in New York City. It started August 4 and it closed August 30. It was easy to ignore—the theatre had 98 seats—but given that Innaurato has solid credentials, we decided to address his latest attack on the Catholic Church.
The play’s name is a rip-off of the John Patrick Shanley play, “Doubt.” That play, which ran between 2004 and 2006, was adapted for the screen, starring Meryl Streep. It featured a controversial priest and a reverent nun (played by Streep). Because there was nothing anti-Catholic about it, we never addressed it. But “Doubtless,” which pointedly attacked “Doubt,” goes out of its way to offend.
The audience was introduced to sexually-romping priests, an Opus Dei orgy, foul-mouthed nuns, sisters who get it on, and a vampire played by Jesus. Though the play had been panned by critics, the open-minded folks at the New York Times did so because of its artistic weaknesses, not its bigotry. “Her [a nun’s] vulgar language is fine, really. It’s the ranting she’d do better to stop,” writes Laura Collins-Hughes. Thanks for the tip, really.
Like so many playwrights who have chosen to attack Catholicism, Innaurato was acting out his own deep-seated problems: he is an ex-Catholic homosexual. When he was at Yale many moons ago, he befriended Christopher Durang, another ex-Catholic homosexual anti-Catholic. Together, these men starred in performances “Dressed as priests they played women in summer stock.” How lovely.
Bill Donohue had only one comment to make: Just imagine what the people must look like who go to see this stuff.
