Fool Moon Theatre Company presents "Agnes of God"

Published by New Jersey Stage
originally published: 10/12/2026

(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Fool Moon Theatre Company presents John Pielmeier's mysterious play Agnes of God, which was turned into an award-winning movie, at studio;space in Somers Point from October 22-25, 2026.

The tightly focused psychological drama, “Agens of God” is both a character study and a murder mystery. When a newborn child is discovered dead in a cloistered convent, a court-appointed psychiatrist must unravel the mystery surrounding a young novice nun who claims to have no memory of the birth. Called by the New York Times, “a melodramatic clash between rational science and divine faith,” “Agnes of God” will leave audiences questioning their own beliefs long after the curtain falls.

The cast is filled with all veterans of Fool Moon Theatre productions. Kate Read, who plays Dr. Martha Livingstone, was most recently seen in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and A Bad Year for Tomatoes; Pattye Herron performs as Mother Miriam Ruth and is known for Lost In Yonkers and Blue Yonder; and playing the young Sister Agnes is Satya Byers, seen in Fool Moon’s Pippin and The Drowsy Chaperone.

(Left to Right) Kate Read, Satya Byers and Pattye Herron

“This is a terrific cast performing a challenging play,” said the Director Paul Herron. “Fool Moon Theatre loves to push the boundaries of the local theatre scene and Agnes of God will do just that.”

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Performances take place from October 22-24 at 7:30pm and October 25 at 2:00pm. Studio;space is located at112 Woodland Ave. in Somers Point, across from The Crab Trap. Ticket prices are $30 general admission, $25 seniors, and $20 for students. Seating is limited. Tickets are available at FoolMoonTheatre.org. Cash, check and Venmo will be accepted for tickets at the door. For group sales, text 609-457-0903.

After a reading at the 1979 Eugene O'Neill Playwrights' Conference, Agnes of God made its professional premiere at Actors' Theatre of Louisville in March 1980. The play premiered on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre on March 30, 1982. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the production starred Elizabeth Ashley, Geraldine Page and Amanda Plummer, who won the 1982 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. The 1985 film adaptation, directed by Norman Jewison and starring Jane Fonda, Anne Bancroft and Meg Tilly, earned three Academy Award nominations.

Author John Pielmeier is an actor and writer who began his career with the internationally acclaimed play and movie Agnes of God. Since then he has had three more plays mounted on Broadway and over 25 film, television movies and miniseries produced. Most recently he has written and acted in the internationally successful limited series The Pillars of the Earth (named the 5th Best Miniseries of All Time!) and premiered his stage adaptation of The Exorcist in London’s West End prior to its New York opening in 2019. His first novel, Hook’s Tale, has recently been published by Scribner to wonderful reviews and he is currently adapting it as a one-person show for the stage.

He has received the Humanitas Award (plus two nominations), five Writers’ Guild Award nominations, a Gemini nomination, an Edgar Award, the Camie Award, a Christopher Award, and his projects have won a Gemini Award and been nominated for the Emmy Award (three times) and the Golden Globe Award.

Fool Moon Theatre’s next production will be Love, Loss & What I Wore, on November 12, at the Eagle Theatre in Hammonton as a benefit for Funny Farm Rescue & Sanctuary in Mays Landing.

This production was made possible by funds from the Atlantic County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.