Vida Javan on her role in John patrick shanley’s play Doubt: A Parable

Vida Javan, an Iranian actress   acts in the play "Doubt: An Parable" written by John Patrick Shanley, translated by Mohammad Monem and directed by Kourosh Soleimani, . The show has been on stage at the Ostad Samandarian Hall in Iranshahr since April 7,2025. Vida Javan spoke about her role in the play.

 

The play is set in the fictional St. Nicholas Church School, in the Bronx, during the fall of 1964. It opens with a sermon by Father Flynn, a beloved and progressive parish priest, addressing the importance of uncertainty.

 

Vida plays Sister James in the show, she said: "This role has been one of the most challenging and profound experiences of my career. Sister James has a seemingly simple character, but she has full of conflicts ."

She continued: "After reading the thought-provoking play, what attracted me to the role was precisely this 'delicate fragility' - a woman who oscillates between childlike faith and the first encounter with existential doubts. Every night on stage, I experience this gradual transition from innocence to intellectual maturity, like going through an emotional passageway."

 

The artist said about the audience's interaction: “The play is more relevant today than ever, despite being written in the 1960s. In a society where Black and white attitudes of ideology are deepening every day, this play reminds us that "not knowing" can also be a moral virtue. Our audience often remains in a reflective state after the performance - exactly the desired effect that thoughtful theater should create.”
She added, "Doubt: An Parable " reminded me that the art of performing can be both a mirror and a window - reflecting our inner selves and opening up to unseen horizons. I hope our audiences, like Sister James, will learn the courage to live in the gray space of doubt.”