The California State University, Dominguez Hills Department of Theatre and Dance presents the second show of the 2014-2015 season, “Agnes of God,” written by John Pielmeier, adapted and directed by theatre faculty member Naomi Buckley.
Performances in the intimate 70-seat Edison Theatre, located in the University Theatre Complex, will be held over three weekends, October 10-12, 17-19, and 24-26, with Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m. and Sunday performances at 2 p.m.
Summoned to a convent, Dr. Martha Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, is charged with assessing the sanity of a novice nun, Agnes, accused of murdering her newborn. The Mother Superior keeps young Agnes from the doctor, arousing Livingstone’s suspicions further. Who killed the infant and who fathered the tiny victim? Livingstone’s questions force all three women to re-examine the meaning of faith and the power of love, leading to a dramatic, compelling climax.
WHAT: “Agnes of God”
WHEN: October 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, at 8 p.m.; October 12, 19, 26, at 2 p.m.
WHERE: Edison Studio Theatre, California State University, Dominguez Hills, 1000 E. Victoria St., Carson 90747
TICKETS: $15 General admission; $10 for students and seniors citizens. To purchase tickets online, visit http://nbuckley6453.wix.com/agnesofgod or for other payment options, call the box office at (310) 243-3589.
In adapting the play for the CSUDH production, Buckley has added two new ensemble characters to the original three-woman cast. The two characters—Agnes’ mother (Erin Kremer, senior, psychology) and The Lady (Mariah Walsh, senior, theatre arts), a figure Agnes sees in a vision when she is 10 that follows her through the rest of her life—help create the mental instability within Agnes and set the tone for the piece, Buckley said.
In addition, the lead actresses (Stefani Baez, ’13, B.A., liberal studies; theatre arts minor; Amanda Hubbell, senior, theatre arts; and Krystle Tugadi, senior, theatre arts) will switch between playing Agnes, Dr. Livingston and Mother Superior throughout the play, reinforcing the theme of identity and sanity, as well as how one deals with personal tragedy.
“Agnes of God’ is a taut psychological thriller that forces the audience to analyze the very fabric of reality,” Buckley says. “‘Agnes of God’ is a play for 2014 just as much as it was a play for 1980. It is a tour-de-force that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the shocking ending.”
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and senior citizens. Group rates are available.
For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit the production’s website at http://nbuckley6453.wix.com/agnesofgod or for other payment options, call the box office at (310) 243-3589.
Herbal cigarettes are used in this performance at the beginning of Act I and Act II.
Parking is located near the CSU Dominguez Hills University Theatre complex in Lot 3 or Lot 6. Daily visitor parking permits are $5 and can be purchased, using cash, Visa, MasterCard, or debit cards, at kiosk machines located in each lot. For a campus map, visit: http://www.csudh.edu/VisitUs/campusmap.shtml.
For more information about the CSU Dominguez Hills Theatre and Dance program, contact the theatre office at (310) 243-3588 or visit: http://cah.csudh.edu/theatre.
