By Jake Sandvick
What happens when you put a psychiatrist, a nun, and an insane person in the same room for many hours? It gets worse: what if it was all women in the same room? Well, you write a script and call it “Agnes of God,” according to John Pielmeier. Our very own Theater Department is putting on a production of the famous play, “Agnes of God.”

Our “Agnes of God,” directed by Professor Bette Skewis, stars Whitney Gries as the Psychiatrist Dr. Livingston, Geana Schneider as Mother Miriam Ruth, and Maddie Mardesen as Sister Agnes. “Agnes of God” is a serious drama with adult themes–this production is definitely not meant for children. The play is very thought-driven, so be prepared to think while watching this production.

Gries will be on stage the whole time during both acts. Gries plays a psychiatrist who wants to solve Agnes. Schneider plays a nun who is more relaxed. “She is not a sheltered nun,” says Schneider. Mardesen plays Agnes, a very disturbed young woman who is a postulate, a nun in training with some dark secrets.

The big theme going on during the whole play is religion versus religion/spirituality. Pielmeier never completes his biased thoughts about them; he makes the audience decide the bias for themselves. “The whole area is gray, there is no black or white,” Skewis said.

One interesting point about the play is that it is supposed to have no set, no props, and no furniture, just the actors on stage. So if you walk in and think the set is very basic, well, it is meant to be, because otherwise there would be no set. Skewis noted this is a challenge for actors to work with.

When I asked Professor Skewis about why the theater department had a show that is only a cast of three women, she responded by saying: “We have strong women in the program.” She also said it is really different to work with a cast that is all of the same gender.

The times and dates of the show are November 12-14, 7:30 p.m and November 16th at 2:00 p.m. (Nov. 5)