“Agnes of God” opens this weekend at the GCP’s Vam York Theater. The questions I’ve been asked most frequently about the show are “What is it about?” and “Why should I see it?”
“Agnes of God,” written by John Pielmeier, is a three-person play in which Dr. Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, is sent to a convent to evaluate the mental stability of Agnes, a young nun who is accused of murdering her newborn baby. Dr. Livingstone must battle her own personal demons while weighing the statements of both Agnes and Mother Miriam Ruth to find out what really happened that night.
The drama in this play lies in the suspense created by the unanswered plot questions. Who fathered the baby? Did Agnes murder the baby, or was it someone else? What does Mother Miriam Ruth know that she’s not telling? The power of this show lies in the basic questions of innocence and guilt, faith and skepticism. If Agnes did commit the crime without being aware of it, can she be held responsible? Do the dramatic outward manifestations of holy mysteries mean Agnes really is favored by God, and that her child could have been conceived by the Holy Spirit? Can miracles happen?
Film critic Roger Ebert had this to say about the 1985 film version starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly:
“The solution to the crime hardly seems to be the point of the movie. It reaches for a far loftier philosophical subject, which is, I think, the possibility of miracles… the implications of the miracle are horrifying: If God indeed conceived the child in Sister Agnes' womb, then why did he in his omnipotence allow her to kill it? But of course (you argue) God also gave Sister Agnes free will, so she was free to kill the child no matter what the details of its conception. True, and yet then, we must ask, why did God create a baby to be killed? Here we enter, of course, into the still larger question of why God has created all of us and placed us in this life where we will most assuredly all die.”
“Agnes of God” is a psychological drama and an intense character study, with three roles that are very demanding of the women playing them. The original 1982 cast was Elizabeth Ashley as Dr. Livingstone, Geraldine Page as Mother Miriam Ruth and Amanda Plummer as Agnes. Plummer received the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and Page was nominated for Best Actress in a Play. The film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Bancroft), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Tilly) and Best Music, Original Score. Meg Tilly also won a Golden Globe for her performance.
“Agnes of God” stars Leannis Maxwell, Jan Cohen and Veronica Camille Vuturo. Experience the drama and the power for yourself this weekend at the GCP!
xo xo GCP Girl
No comments:
Post a Comment