DOUBT Production Notes

About John Patrick Shanley | Catholic Church Organization | The Times, They Are A-Changing

THE TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGING

Shanley sets Doubt in the fall of 1964, when a feeling of doubt is taking hold of the nation and at a time when the Catholic Church is on the brink of enormous change.

The Nation at Change

1960
Four students from NC A&T sit down at a lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. President Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.

1961
John F. Kennedy is inaugurated as the first Catholic president. The US invades Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. Construction begins on the Berlin Wall.

1962
The Supreme Court rules against prayer in public schools. George Wallace is elected Governor of Alabama. Bob Dylan releases his first album.

1963
President Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas. President Johnson escalates US military involvement in Vietnam.

1964
President Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964. There is a race riot in Harlem, NY. The Beatles begin their first tour of the US. Martin Luther King, Jr. is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

1965
The Secretary of Defense calls for a nationwide network of bomb shelters. Malcolm X is assassinated in New York City. Burning draft cards becomes an illegal act.

The Catholic Church at Change

“You are single-handedly holding this school and this parish back… [from] progressive education and a welcoming church.”
– Father Flynn, to Sister Aloysius, in Doubt

1959
Pope John XXIII announces his intention to convene the Second Ecumenical Council, which will come to be known as Vatican II. “I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in.”

1962
Over 2,500 religious leaders gather in Rome for the first session of the Council. According to the Pope, the Church had to teach Christ’s message in light of the modern world’s ever-changing trends, and “use the medicine of mercy rather than the weapons of severity.”

1963
The second session of the Council includes additional non-Catholic observers. This session seeks to restore unity among all Christians and to start a dialogue with the contemporary world.

1964
The third session of the Council includes female observers for the first time. Controversial discussions include the life and ministry of priests, including the sacrament of marriage, and the topic of contraception.

1965
The Second Ecumenical Council closes. The final session resolves many issues, including Christian-Jewish reconciliation and the life of persons in religious orders.

2008-2009 Internship Program

Triad Stage is seeking motivated and energetic individuals to join our Intern Company for the 2008-2009 season. Full-time internships are available in:
•Carpentry
•Props/Scenic Art
•Costumes
•Lighting/Sound
•Production Management
•Artistic/Company Management

Internships run from August 2008 to July 2009. Triad Stage internships provide meaningful and valuable training for recent college graduates or graduate students. Stipend and housing provided.

Send cover letter, resume and 3 references by March 31, 2008 to:
David Byrd, General Manager
Triad Stage
232 S. Elm St.
Greensboro, NC 27401
Fax: 336.235.2173

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