CS
Charliece Salters
  • Theatre
  • Class of 2019
  • New Haven, CT

Eastern Student Charliece Salters of New Haven Performs in "A Doubt, A Parable"

2015 Nov 30

Charliece Salters '18 of New Haven recently performed in Eastern Connecticut State University's production of the award-winning play "A Doubt, A Parable." Salters's major is theatre.

"A Doubt, A Parable" marked the directing debut of Theater Professor Alycia Bright Holland. "I was interested in telling this story for many reasons, but mainly to provide us all an opportunity to think about our relationship to certainty," said Bright Holland.

The intense and thought-provoking production also offered students and faculty the opportunity to collaborate as members of an artistic team. Maureen McDonnell, associate professor of English and director of Eastern's women's and gender studies program, was also one of the four actors in "A Doubt, A Parable." "I enjoyed that Alycia established a collaborative environment for us," said McDonnell. "I value the work of everyone in the cast and team."

The themes explored in the production, predominantly the relationship between certainty and doubt, as well as the exploration of power versus submission, left the cast, crew and audience with more questions than answers, each having their own unique interpretation. "I appreciate the ambiguity within the play. There isn't a definitive answer about how innocent people are, or a moral about the various compromises the characters make," said McDonnell. "For actors, that ambiguity is an interesting aspect to explore."

"A Doubt, A Parable" marks a continuum of the Performing Arts Department's commitment to exposure, engagement and enlightenment for all who work on and witness the shows. As the last show in the Harry Hope Theatre, this production highlighted the Theatre program's ongoing quest to explore the human condition, as well as the liberal arts mission at Eastern Connecticut State University.

In January 2016, the Theatre Program will move into facilities in the new Fine Arts Instructional Center. The 118,000-square foot building provides lecture, rehearsal, studio and performance spaces that will allow faculty and students to fully explore their creativity and share it with campus audiences and local and regional patrons. A 400-seat auditorium is tailored to music performances; a 254-seat proscenium theatre provides an exciting venue for theatre performances; and a flexible 125-seat Studio/Black Box theatre can be arranged in multiple seating configurations.