On Monday, Nov. 15, John Pielmeier’s “Agnes of God” will make its debut at the Vonnie Borden Theatre of D Vickers Hall in a unique and intimate setting. Audience members will have the rare opportunity to experience this dramatic story onstage with the actors in the round.
“Agnes of God,” a pun on the Latin phrase “Agnus Dei” (Lamb of God), tells the dramatic story of a simple-minded nun, Agnes, caught in a crime of immorality. The story focuses on the investigation that results from the discovery of her dead newborn child. She claims to have no recollection of the conception or birth of this newly found child, thus attributing it to divine intervention. A psychiatrist is ultimately appointed to determine Agnes’ credibility and innocence.
To add to the preexisting intimacy felt through the story’s progression, the audience will be seated onstage around the characters themselves. Four platforms will be set up on both sides and in the back of the stage, each seating about 30 people.
Winter made the decision to add two nights of performance because of the limited seating created from this unique audience placement. The opening night was moved to Monday, Nov.15, two days prior to its original schedule.
“I think the staging alone will be an experience for a lot of our audience members who have maybe never seen a play done in the round,” said director James Winter. “It’s an intense play. It’s a dramatic play. It is at times very subtle, so I don’t know how they will react to it. It’s not a laugh fest. It’s not lots of high-tech, lots happening. It’s really about paying attention to these characters, so it will be interesting to see how [the audience] respond[s].”
Since the play’s casting in August, the cast has worked extremely hard in preparation for its five-day run. For the actors, learning lines has been only one aspect of the rehearsal process. According to Dani DeMontluzin, who will play Dr. Livingston with the first cast, a large part of learning her role was character development.
“My character’s super complicated,” said DeMontluzin. “She tries to hide how she feels about things, but sometimes it creeps her out. So for me, really getting to know my character was my biggest research part of it.”
Along with DeMontluzin, the first cast is completed by Ruth Pakunpanya as Mother Miriam Ruth and Karista Filopoulos as Sister Agnes. They will perform Nov. 15, 17 and 19. The second cast performs on Nov. 16, 18 and 20 and includes Kacie Barnes as Dr. Livingston, Marjorie Parker as Mother Miriam Ruth and Kayla Turner as Sister Agnes.
Winter explained that “Agnes of God” is a play he has wanted to direct since he was an undergraduate student and that its being scheduled after the large production of “Only in Louisiana” was a perfect fit, both for its size and its budget.
Tickets for “Agnes of God” will go on sale Thursday, Nov. 11, at the box office in D Vickers, and the performance’s showing will take place each evening at 7:30 p.m. of Nov. 15-20 in the Vonnie Borden Theatre.
The box office will be open at 6 p.m. before each showing, but seating is limited, with the round stage providing room for only 120 to 130 people per show. Winter encourages everyone to get their tickets early as they may sell out quickly. The play is intended for mature audiences, as the storyline itself is not appropriate for young children.
Winter can be contacted for more information at 985-549-3546 or [email protected].