Agnes of God (Play)
Agnes of God (1982), a somber, rather slow three-character tragedy, concerns Agnes, 21, a deranged nun accused of murdering her newborn. A court-appointed psychiatrist, an atheist, and the Mother Superior spar ineffectively on theology and miracles and discuss their lives. Twice the doctor puts Agnes under hypnosis, revealing a tortured childhood, denials, and, finally, a confession and improbable motive. As scripted in this new recording of the play, Agnes sings many plainsongs, with which Emily Bergl, a fine actor, is plaintive; Barbara Bain's Mother Superior is rock solid; Harriet Harris, the doctor, tends to be flat instead of neutral in interrogations but is better in monologs. The screenplay for the 1985 film adaptation also by Pielmeier omitted monologs and extraneous dialog and added interesting characters and a happy ending; its video version is better suited to the general public. This audio program is recommended for libraries serving film and drama students rather than for popular consumption. Gordon Blackwell, Eastchester, NYCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.