Review: Compass Players Presents AGNES OF GOD

When John the Baptist (John 1:29) beheld Jesus, he cried out, "Look! The Lamb of God (Agnus Dei) who takes away the sin of the world!" When the eponymous nun at the center of John Pielmeier's AGNES OF GOD beckons Christ to forgive her her apparent sin, the alleged murder of her mysteriously new born baby, all Hell breaks loose.

The great thing about this play is the way it pits the eternal struggle between faith and reason within the somber confines of a convent and a riveting murder mystery.

AGNES OF GOD is the opening production of Compass Players' second season and a worthy testament to the vision of its founders that an audience fully experience the power of the story, its characters, and their motivation. Under the direction of and starring Jeanna Michaels, AGNES OF GOD lights a fire on all three elements.

The spark to that fire is Megan Holcomb who envelops Agnes, the young nun accused of infanticide, with an astonishing mix of childlike radiance and innocence on the one hand and, on the other, the fury of a troubled soul. At one moment, her naivete is disarming, her subtle glances heavenward suggesting that she is in constant communion with her savior. At other moments, she vehemently resists any effort to discover the truth while clearly needing the truth to relieve her from her demons. Agnes is a complex role that Holcomb masters with remarkable intensity and instinct.

Agnes is the centerpiece of the table that sets Dr. Martha Livingstone (Ms. Michaels), the voice of reason and science, at odds with Mother Miriam Ruth (Frances Murphy), the protectress of faith and mystery. While the court-appointed psychiatrist works at revealing the facts about the murder, the Mother Superior prefers to let things lie. In due course, they discover that they may not be as solidly anchored in their persuasions as they thought.

Ms. Michaels is sterling in her role as the self-assured professional whose certainty chips away as she is, one might say, seduced by Agnes's vulnerability. As she narrates her experience, she shares the experiences of her own upbringing that draw an unbreakable tie between her and the young nun. And, as she trades barbs with the Mother Superior (for example, questioning whether the saints would have smoked if tobacco had been popular in their time), it becomes clearer that no one holds the corner on morality.

At play's end, we are left with a mystery that cannot be resolved and a debate that will endure. But, as Mother Miriam noted, the essence of the journey is in the asking, not in answers that may never be known. We are left as well with a bouquet of solid performances.

AGNES OF GOD runs through December 17th in the McMillin Theater at Peoria Center for the Performing Arts.

Photo credit to Compass Players