Agnes of God

Agnes of God is a play by John Pielmeier which tells the story of a novice nun who gives birth and insists that the dead child was the result of a virgin conception. A psychiatrist and the mother superior of the convent clash during the resulting investigation. The title is a pun on the Latin phrase Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). The play was adapted for a movie in 1985, starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly. The stage play contains a great deal more dialogue than the film and relies solely on the three main characters: Martha, the Psychiatrist; the Mother Superior; and Agnes, the Novice. There are no other characters on stage. All three roles are considered demanding for the actors playing them. Martha covers the full gamut of...