Agnes, God and the possibility of miracles

The young nun radiates innocence and purity. Her smile is a glimpse of heaven, and she sings in a beautiful, unearthly voice. She has visions; stigmata bloom in her palms.

She also stands accused of a horrific crime, so a court-appointed psychiatrist must assess her state of mind.

As this process unfolds in the 1980 psychological drama “Agnes of God,” the psychiatrist and the nun’s mother superior engage in conversations that seem to pit fact against mystery, science against religion.

The construct is awfully formulaic, and the characters’ behavior violates the bounds of professional conduct. But little miracles emerge from John Pielmeier’s script, as can be witnessed anew in a carefully crafted presentation by International City Theatre.

Inspired by a true story, “Agnes of God” sometimes comes across as a B-grade TV movie. And it is toward television that Pielmeier has gravitated, having written teleplays for such projects as “Sins of the Father” and the upcoming “Hitler: The Rise of Evil.”

But for the Long Beach staging, director Michael Michetti and three remarkable actresses -- Marcia Rodd as the psychiatrist, Mimi Cozzens as the mother superior and Madison Dunaway as Agnes -- focus resolutely on the truths that enable “Agnes” to resonate.

Michetti’s eye for detail has manifested itself in everything from the Stephen Sondheim musicals “Sweeney Todd” and “Anyone Can Whistle” to the gentle drama of “Driving Miss Daisy.” Here, he and designers Tom Buderwitz (set) and Rand Ryan (lights) create an environment imbued with mystery. As a backdrop to action that often rewinds into memory, the team presents the protective walls of Agnes’ convent, with its harmonious religious architecture and comforting statues of Mary. A supernatural light occasionally glows in an upper window.

Rodd and Cozzens replace a long list of previously cast actresses that includes Linda Hamilton and Mariette Hartley.

As the psychiatrist, Rodd projects a crisp demeanor and intellectual rigor, yet there is a softness around her edges that indicates a desire to believe in the possibility of miracles. (She stumbled over some of her lines at Friday’s opening, but then, she has an enormous amount of text to remember.) As the mother superior, Cozzens is full of surprises, from her playful sense of humor to her earthy understanding and her blunt frankness.

The production hinges on Agnes, however. Smiling beatifically and speaking in soft, sweet tones, Dunaway can seem childlike and even saintly. But once the truth is unlocked, the horrors of Agnes’ past are grimly written on Dunaway’s face.

Meanwhile, the script takes note of a little mystery of human behavior. As sometimes happens in this unpredictable world, the psychiatrist’s and the mother superior’s seemingly contrary viewpoints actually spring from a remarkably similar set of values. The mother superior puts it this way: “The wonder of science is not in the answers it provides but in the questions it uncovers. For every miracle it finally explains, ten thousand more miracles come into being.”

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‘Agnes of God’

Where: Center Theater, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach

When: Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 2 p.m.

Ends: May 18

Price: $27-$35

Contact: (562) 436-4610

Running time: 2 hours