Vancouver premiere of Doubt opens tonight

It’s no secret amongst her students who Michèle Lonsdale Smith’s all-time favourite playwright is. Well, okay, in truth it’s probably a tie between John Patrick Shanley and Chekhov, but it’s Shanley that she hands out more of in class. Michèle heads up the Lyric School of Acting here in Vancouver, and is also the artistic director of my company; Lyric Stage Project. When Shanley’s mega-hit and mass award-winning (including a Tony for best play and, oh, um…the pulitzer) parable Doubt starting making the scene study rounds a couple of years ago in Michèle’s master class, she would tell whoever she assigned the role of Mrs. Muller to that, just so they knew, she was pretty sure Shanley had written that role just for her, and that one day she was destined to play it when it finally premiered in Vancouver, just you wait. Not to put any pressure on the student, or anything.

Flash forward to this past summer, the Arts Club acquires the rights to said Shanley opus, auditions are held and, well, suffice it to say that sometimes dreams do come true. Doubt opens tonight at the Stanley with Michèle sharing the stage with a dream cast comprised of the Grande Dame of Vancouver theatre; Gabrielle Rose, the incomparable Jonathon Young and the wonderful Sasa Brown. Here’s a first look…