Two veteran actresses return to stage with 'Agnes of God'

"Agnes of God", a local version of the popular American play by John Pilmeier will be restaged on Jan. 9 until Feb. 7 at Chongdong Theater near Duksoo-gung, downtown Seoul. The American play attempts to relive its glory of the past with passionate performances by the same cast from over a decade ago.

Park Jeong-ja and Son Sook, two veteran theater actresses and influential figures in the country's cultural scene, return to stage in the same roles they took 15 years ago.

"Agnes of God" is a psychological drama that digs deep into the human soul and questions the existence of God and miracles, triggered by a mysterious incident involving an ignorant nun who gives birth and insists the dead child was the result of a virgin birth. The drama which was the talk of the town here in the 1980s also questions the credibility of logic and science.

In the 2007 version of the drama, Park, 64, takes the role of Mother Miriam Ruth who confronts a psychiatrist during the investigation over Sister Agnes indicted of killing her new-born baby. To dramatize the conflicts and differences in beliefs, Sohn, 62, will play Martha Livingstone, the court-appointed psychiatrist who battles to solve the miracle pregnancy through science.

"The two actresses have chosen 'Agnes of God' without hesitation saying the drama piece was the one they wanted to play at most", said Park Min-hee, promoter of the drama.

Based on an actual incident of a nun killing her baby, the play focuses on relieving sins not through the sacred relationship with God but by having relationships among people of conflicts and anguish.

The Korean version of the script was translated again to improve dramatic accuracy and rearranged in order to get as close to the writer's original intentions for the play as possible, the promoter said.

The professional performances of the two theater actresses will be complimented by TV actress Jeon Yeo-seo who plays Agnes in the drama.

Shows start at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (no performance on Monday) and 7 p.m. on weekends. The drama will stage a Wednesday show only for homemakers. Tickets are 30,000 to 50,000 won. For more information, call (02) 3272-2334.

By Cho Chung-un

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