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For the love of God....or is that the love of
theatre?
11th August 2008
By Michael Butler
After hastily repenting for many a sin I walked through the doors of
the Church to track down director Jayde Kirchert and cast members
Carina Waye, Nicola Bramham and Nina Barry Macaulay to discuss their
upcoming production of ‘Agnes of God’.
TP: So Jayde tell me, what is Agnes of God about?
Jade: It's a show about miracles and the mind. It tells the story of
a novice nun who has a child but insists it is the result of an
immaculate conception. She is found unconscious by the door with the
dead infant in a wastepaper basket. Court psychiatrist, Dr Martha
Livingstone is called in to determine Agnes' sanity, although Mother
Miriam Ruth, the convent's Mother Superior is desperate to protect
the fragile Agnes from any cross examination.
The play explores religion from the perspectives of an atheist, a
devout catholic and an ex-catholic, as well as the notions of faith
and justice.
 TP:
Carina, how did you approach the character Agnes?
Carina: It was pretty daunting at first and I was really worried
about how I was going to get there. But when we started approaching
the scenes from a physical perspective, it started to make more
sense and then it all just seemed to click. We did quite a lot of
character workshopping too, which really helped me develop my
relationships with the other characters.
TP: What made you choose the venue?
Jayde: I knew all along I wanted the venue to be in a church or
chapel of some sort. So I started looking around and found this
perfect little venue in Box Hill called Chapel on Station Gallery
which is part of the Box Hill Baptist Church. When I approached them
about the possibility of performing there, they were extremely
supportive. They have a really strong program for emerging artists
and have new exhibitions for visual artists every month, so it's a
really vibrant and exciting place to involved with. The actual
chapel where the performances will take place is just perfect and
serves as another character in itself. It has provided me with so
many interesting choices for blocking and staging each scene.
TP: Is it true you're donating profits to charity?
Jayde: Yes. Because the play deals with child abuse and the
traumatic after effects involved with the healing process, we felt
it necessary to take the messages from the play and do something
constructive about it. By producing this play, we are making people
aware and educating them, but also taking an active step in bringing
the issues of the play into a relevant context by 'practising what
we preach'. So, we will be donating profits to a charity that helps
victims of child abuse.
TP: Is it true you have a composer writing original music for the
play?
Jayde: Yes we managed to get Chris O'Neill on board to compose
original music. He has done such an amazing job - he has managed to
capture the feel of the play perfectly. He has done some
underscoring of some of the dialogue, as well as creating melodies
for Agnes to sing the words from the traditional hymns written in
the play. It has given the show a sense of continuity and unity, as
well as strengthening the characters and their relationships. It has
also provided a really strong thematic link throughout the play.
 TP:
What can people expect?
Jayde: A FREE SUPPER! Not only will the audience see some brilliant
performances by 3 amazing young actors, they will also be able to
view the latest art exhibition for free before and after the show
whilst enjoying a free supper. They will also walk away feeling
great because their $10 (if they are concession) or $15 (if they are
adult) will be going to a worthy cause!
TP: What challenges have you faced directing this play?
Jayde: Initially we had some delays in obtaining the
rights but eventually it all worked out. I also found it challenging
with this being my first attempt at directing a full show, to be
able to communicate exactly what I wanted from the actors. However,
after much experimentation and brainstorming, I discovered some
techniques that worked really well. It's amazing to see just how far
all the girls have come - I'm so proud of all of them for the
transformations they have made due to the countless hours of
preparation and rehearsal.
TP: What made you want to put on a play like Agnes of God?
Jayde: I first saw Agnes of God a few years ago when it
was performed by Leo9 Productions, who have recently just performed
Babes In The Woods. I remember thinking how great the story was and
how refreshing it was to see a really strong script involving three
incredible female characters. It wasn't until I was studying music
theatre at Box Hill Institute along with Nina, Carina and Nicola
that I thought it would be the perfect show to showcase the acting
talents of the girls. Since leaving Box Hill, we decided to go ahead
with the show anyway to get a taste of what it's like to produce,
direct and perform a piece on our own and it has been a great
learning experience.
 TP:
Nicola, how similar are you and the character Doctor Martha
Livingstone?
Nicola: Well we both tend to get obsessed with things
pretty easily! I think she's a really great character - although she
has this professional and strong exterior, she's human just like
everyone else. There are a lot of things that are similar and
different about us, but I think the thing I like most about her is
that she's so compassionate and really wants to help Agnes.
TP: Nina, what is your favourite scene/moment?
Nina: I really love the opening scene. The music creates
such a strong atmosphere, along with the candles in the church
windows. I also really enjoy the scenes I do with the psychiatrist.
They are so powerful. The script just gives you so much to work
with.
Agnes of God will be playing at
Chapel on Station Gallery
Box Hill Baptist Church,
Cnr Station Street & Ellingworth Parade,
Box Hill.
Dates:
Friday 22nd August
at 8pm
Saturday
23rd August 2008 at 8pm
Tickets are $10 concession, $15 adults.
Bookings and enquiries 0409 933 493 or via email
jayde_mk@hotmail.com.
You can also reserve tickets and pay on the night.
For more info, join their facebook event
www.facebook.com
or visit their myspace page
www.myspace.com/bhagnesofgod
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