Agnes of God Author:John Pielmeier A new born baby has been found dead, umbilical cord wrapped about its neck, in a wastebasket in the room of Agnes, a young nun in a contemplative order. Agnes, a simple, na?ve individual, who was found lying unconscious suffering from severe blood loss at the time of this grim discovery, lacks memory of the conception of the baby and of the even... more »ts surrounding its birth and death. Preliminary to her trial for the murder of the child, the Court has ordered that Agnes have a psychiatric evaluation.
The play's ultimate revelations will unlock some of the answers concerning the baby?s birth and death that the psychiatrist is seeking. However, the play mostly centers on the conflict between Dr. Mary Livingstone (the female court appointed psychiatrist) and Mother Miriam Ruth (the convent's Mother Superior). The former seeks to uncover the "scientific" truth, whereas the latter believes there is a metaphysical explanation for the baby's conception.« less