"... thought provoking ... You need to go see
this show."
"This was a really deep show. It was very good, very well
done. It was something that made us think for a couple of days.
... You need to go see this show. ... It was definitely thought
provoking. It makes you want to talk about it on the way home which
is what Mike and I did." --- ShowBizRadio, September
27, 2007 Read/Listen
to the Review
"a stirring show of science versus religion"
"4 Stars. A stirring show... a slam bang production and it
shows that the script has not gone out of fashion... Director Megan
Dreisbach keeps the pacing tight and constantly moving forward.
She and her talented cast lead us through the trickier moments of
the play... Don Slater's simple unit set and Chris Curtis' lighting
effectively move us... Boy, do those confrontation scenes scenes
ring out onstage... the strong production at Silver Spring Stage
[is] more relevant than ever." --- David Cannon,
Montgomery Sentinal, September 27, 2007 Read
the article
Silver Spring Stage presents the riveting
drama of faith and science Agnes of God by John Pielmeier,
directed by Megan Dreisbach and produced by Marcia Kolko. The play
examines a young novice with no memory of the mysterious birth and
death of her infant, the psychiatrist seeking to discover the facts
and the mother superior cloaking the young nun seeking a spiritual
explanation. Agnes of God will run weekends September 21
to October 14, 2007.
Silver Spring Stage is located in the Woodmoor
Shopping Center, lower level (next to the CVS) at Colesville Road
and University Boulevard. Ticket prices range from $13 to $18. Performances
are Friday and Saturday at 8:00 PM and Sunday matinees on September
30 and October 14 at 2:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased at www.ssstage.org.
Information is also available by calling (301) 593-6036.
It has been 25 years since Agnes of
God premiered on Broadway and it continues to resonate with
audiences. Pielmeier, a graduate of Catholic University, wrote the
play while acting at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Agnes
of God received its first production at Actor’s Theatre in 1980.
It ran on Broadway for a year and a half with Elizabeth Ashley,
Geraldine Page and Amanda Plummer, who won a Tony Award. It was
made into a 1985 film with Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly.
The story of the play is based loosely on an actual incident of
a nun that occurred near Rochester, NY in 1977. Similarities are
the circumstances of the baby’s death in a convent and the nun’s
denial. In the subsequent trial, she was found not guilty. The convent
used to run a high school called St. Agnes. The theme of the play
– a debate of faith versus science – is as relevant today as when
the drama burst into the consciousness of the country. When politicians
invoke faith as their guiding inspiration and interest to influence
public policy, we are witnesses to this ageless balance between
spirituality and reality. As Galileo seemingly threatened the heavens
and Darwin crashed the creation story, in Agnes of God, Pielmeier
poses a collection of contrasts between the temporal and spiritual,
between facts and faith and the survival of religion in the face
of modern science.
A new born baby has been found dead, umbilical
cord wrapped about its neck, in a wastebasket in the room of Agnes
(Jaclyn Young), a young nun in a contemplative order. Agnes, a simple,
naïve individual, who was found lying unconscious suffering from
severe blood loss at the time of this grim discovery, lacks memory
of the conception of the baby and of the events surrounding its
birth and death. Preliminary to her trial for the murder of the
child, the Court has ordered that Agnes have a psychiatric evaluation.
Dr. Martha Livingstone (Lori Murray Sampson), the court-appointed
psychiatrist, wants to discover the truth of the matter hidden behind
Agnes's veiled and cloistered mind. A psychological war ensues between
Dr. Livingstone and Mother Miriam Ruth (Laura Russell) over Agnes's
mental and spiritual health.
The production team includes Marcia Kolko (Assistant Director),
Chris Curtis (Stage Manager), Don Slater (Set Design), Chris Curtis
(Lighting Design), Kevin Garrett (Sound Design) and Eric Scerbo
(Costume Design).
Agnes of God is presented
by special arrangement with Samuel French.
The Stage's 40th anniversary season continues
with Broadway Bound (Nov. 2-Dec. 2); special holiday show
A Visit from St. Nicholas or The Night Before Christmas (Dec.
7-16); Seascape (Jan. 11-Feb. 3); The Cripple of Inishmaan
(Feb. 22-Mar. 16); Communicating Doors (Apr. 11-May 4); Come
Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (May 30-June
22); and Deathtrap (July 11-Aug. 3).
Silver Spring Stage is grateful for support
from the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County and the
Maryland State Arts Council.
For Your Consideration: Onstage herbal cigarette smoking occurs
during the production. Individuals sensitive to smoke may wish to
purchase tickets for seats farther from the stage.
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