Reviewed by Tony Annicone
Epic Theatre tackles the 1979 drama Agnes of God by John Pielmeier and comes up victorious. The title is a pun from the Latin word Agnes Dei which means Lamb of God. Pilmeier received the inspiration for writing this show after reading an article about a nun having a baby in a convent in Brighton, New York in 1977. A young novice nun is accused of murdering the infant she gave birth to in a cloistered convent in Canada. Agnes is suspected of the crime and claims not to remember anything about it. A psychiatrist is sent to evaluate her, only to face off with a steely and strict Mother Superior who is trying to protect the girl. During the course of this show secrets are exposed and faith is challenged, leaving you to question who you believe and why? It examines miracles, child abuse, sin and other topics, too. Director Lynne Collinson casts these roles perfectly and obtains strong and stunning performances from all of them.
She blocks this show excellently and elicits strong emotions from not only her actresses but the audience members, too. Lynne gives each of her actresses their moment to shine in this show. Lynne has come full circle with this show having played Agnes for The Players of Providence in back in 1985. Melanie Stone commands the stage as Doctor Livingstone and is onstage the whole show. The show opens as the doctor explains that she watched the movie “Camille” and always wanted the last reel to somehow show a happy ending. Melanie runs the gamut of emotions in this role from nurturer, to skeptic, to unbelieving, to argumentative, to questioning and finally to her acceptance of what she believes to be true. The situation is unresolved because she is removed from the case. Her atheistic non-belief of the Catholic religion due to the death a classmate at the age of six and the death of her sister Marie who died in a convent is conveyed to the audience. However Livingstone’s character undergoes a metamorphosis during the show which is remarkable to behold as maybe the spark of religious belief might be rekindled by this experience.
Angelique Dina is mesmerizing as Agnes. She delivers a strong performance as she displays the girl’s abusive past when under hypnosis. Angelique’s transformation from meek and mild into a manic and belligerent girl is done with split second precision. One may believe her thinking and reasoning of the situation is unreliable but is it? Her portrayal of this tormented girl is electrifying. Lee Rush as Mother Miriam defends the girl tooth and nail as she alludes to the possibility in miracles but must also grapple with modern day realities in examining the situation. Lee gives the role the comical edge to handle the delicate balancing act between religious life and her life before she became a nun. She makes her into a relatable woman who tries to bring this young girl through the difficulties she is facing. So for a marvelous and well written play that definitely stands the test of time, be sure to catch “Agnes of God” to witness both superb acting and direction.
AGNES OF GOD (7 to 23 February)
Epic Theatre, 50 Rolfe Square, Cranston, RI
1(401)490-9475 or www.epictheatre.org
