On Monday, March 31, San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle (SFBATCC) held its annual awards gala recognizing the best of the best in the Bay Area. The gala included awards for every aspect of theater, from acting to directing to set design and costuming. Altarena Playhouse received the award for Best East Bay Production in a theater of 100-300 seats for its production of Doubt: A Parable [1]. Other theaters nominated in this category included Center REP, Aurora Theatre Company, and Shotgun Players. Altarena is a repeat winner in this category having claimed the same prize for their 2023 production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley [2].
[3]On hand to accept the award were Artistic Director Katina Psihos Letheule (who also appeared in the show as Sister Aloysius), Director Shannon Nicholson, Thomas Hutchinson (Father Flynn), Billie Simmons (Mrs. Muller), and Anna Kosiarek (Sister James). Also in attendance were Scenic Artisan Jeremy Letheule and Lighting Designer Kevin Myrick.
After the award ceremony, Katina spoke to the Alameda Post about Altarena Playhouse’s win.
Why do you think this show resonated so well with audiences?
It being a Pulitzer prize and Tony award-winning play that hadn’t been done in the Bay Area for a while could have been part of the draw. The intimacy of our space makes for a powerful audience experience, especially with such a compelling drama. And it is masterfully written, no holes. It pulls you in as an audience member and as a performer as well. We held two talkbacks during the run and we had some pretty lively discussions with vastly differing opinions. It was clear that people were drawn to the complexity of the material.
This play is built around suspicion and never clearly answers the question at hand. Did cast members discuss what they thought was the truth? How did they manage to make each side plausible?
There was much discussion, but our director asked us to keep our feelings about the guilt or innocence of Father Flynn to ourselves until closing. Big reveal at the cast party! I think having a strong sense of character kept it plausible. I had to find a way to love Sister Aloysius in order to play her believably, and she is a tough character to love. I focused on her past as a wife, now a widow, who loved her husband very much and felt a grievous loss of control with his passing. So being in control of her environment was imperative to her. Holding onto the certainty that her way was right way kept her from falling apart.
How does the recognition of this award affect Altarena Playhouse?
We are really grateful and honored to be recognized by the Bay Area’s critics. It is an important validation for the work we’ve done and will continue to do. We hope this acknowledgement will encourage those that haven’t yet worked with us or seen one of our productions to do so.
This was the first in-person Bay Area Theater Awards gala since the pandemic. What was it like to be back together with the Bay Area’s leading theater artists?
It was a joyful evening, and it was lovely to see people we haven’t seen for a while. I was telling my castmates, I am just so happy to be in the room.
What do you think is a hidden gem of a show this season at Altarena Playhouse?
I am like a mother who can’t choose between her children. I take so much time putting a season together that I have to love each show equally, but for different reasons. But we do have two coming up this season that are rarely done, so that is exciting—Suddenly, Last Summer and The Wisdom of Eve.
Anything else you’d like to add?
I am incredibly grateful to the very talented people who work with us, whether it be onstage, behind the scenes, or front of house. It’s so many moving parts that makes the whole but it’s the dedication and enthusiasm brought by everyone involved that makes it all come together so beautifully. I appreciate the opportunity you’ve given me to share information about the Altarena.
Visit the Altarena Playhouse [4] website for more information about upcoming shows, volunteer opportunities, and auditions. A complete list of SFBATCC winners is available at the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle [5] website.
Kelly Rogers Flynt contributes reviews of theatrical productions and feature articles to the Alameda Post. Reach her via [email protected] [6]. Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Kelly-Rogers-Flynt [7].