[On Stage] From 'Avery' in Hot Pants and Fishnet Stockings to 'Agnes' in White Nun Habit

Actress Lee Ji-hye as 'Agnes' in the play 'God's Agnes'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The actress who boldly roamed the small theater stage dressed in a leather jacket, hot pants, and fishnet stockings left a strong impression. Six months later, that actress appeared on the stage of the large CJ Towol Theater at the Arts Center, wearing a pure white nun's habit. Actress Lee Ji-hye, playing 'Agnes' in 'Agnes of God.'

Lee Ji-hye appeared in 'Joy, Blisters, Burns' at the Seoul Theater Festival last May. She portrayed Avery, a 20-something babysitter living a fearless life. 'Joy, Blisters, Burns' depicts the story of two middle-aged women who were graduate school roommates but chose different lives due to family and work. The two middle-aged women envy each other because they chose different paths. While the two women led proper lives, Avery seemed to have already tasted the sweet and bitter flavors of the world. Despite her young age, Avery was a character who advised the two middle-aged women on how to live. Lee Ji-hye performed stylishly like an older sister who has chewed gum. The result was the Best Acting Award at the Seoul Theater Festival.

As different as their changed outfits, Avery and Agnes are characters who lived completely different lives. When I recently met Lee Ji-hye at the rehearsal room of the Arts Center, she said, "Avery and Agnes are characters with completely different personalities, so it's fun to act. Unlike me, they have extreme sides, so acting them gives me pleasure." The only commonality between the two who lived very different lives is their age. Lee Ji-hye said, "Both Agnes and Avery are 21 years old."

A scene from the play 'God's Agnes.' Lee Ji-hye (left) as Agnes and Park Hae-mi as Livingston [Photo by Seoul Arts Center]

'Agnes of God' is a play written in 1979 by American playwright John Pielmeier. Pielmeier was inspired by a true story in which a baby was found suffocated in a trash bin at a convent in Brighton, New York, and a bleeding nun was discovered. The play premiered in Korea in 1983. It has been loved for nearly 40 years through continuous performances.

"I think it becomes a classic because it deals with humanity. When you look inside the work, it shows how blind, weak, obsessive, and fearful humans can be, and how they can be healed. The more I act, the more I feel drawn into the work. So I think it's a great piece."

The characters are three women: Agnes, accused of killing a baby; Dr. Livingston, a psychiatrist who tries to understand Agnes's mental state and uncover the truth of the case; and Sister Miriam, the convent's head who helps Dr. Livingston but prioritizes protecting Agnes.

As Dr. Livingston approaches the truth of the case, the play takes the form of a psychological thriller and investigative drama. However, as the play progresses, the focus shifts from whether Agnes is the real culprit to new hidden truths. All three women have their own pains as mothers, wives, and daughters. The play shows that because of these pains, their attitudes toward the infant murder case inevitably differ.

Agnes was subjected to distorted overprotection and sexual abuse by her alcoholic mother. She was unable to attend school properly. She suffered gaslighting from her mother. Gaslighting is a psychological term referring to the act of subtly manipulating another's psychology or situation to lose judgment and strengthen control or dominance over them. Gaslighting usually occurs through brainwashing in close relationships.

"Agnes grew up only inside the house and did not experience TV, books, or school. Her life was deeply connected to her mother. When her mother smiled, she felt very happy; when her mother frowned, she felt bad. Her feelings toward her mother must have been complicated. Because she was abused, she probably felt both hostility and deep love. She must have felt fear and love at the same time."

Three actors from the play 'God's Agnes.' From the left, Lee Ji-hye as Agnes, Park Hae-mi as Livingston, and Lee Su-mi as Miriam.
Photo by Seoul Arts Center

Agnes entered the convent four years ago, after her mother died when she was 17. While her mother was alive, she stayed only inside the house; after her mother's death, she lived only in the convent. A life isolated from society. Therefore, Lee Ji-hye said, "Agnes seems like a person without language."

"Except for religious matters, she seems to have no language. Everything is expressed as God's love and punishment. If she had experienced or encountered the world a bit more, she might have spoken differently, but it feels like God's love and punishment are all she can express. I think that might be a kind of obsession. Although she experienced abuse from her mother, I wonder if Agnes even knows the word 'abuse.' She probably doesn't understand the concept of 'abuse.' Anyway, as a human, she must feel likes and dislikes, fear and pain, but due to gaslighting, she might have thought, 'I'm a bad child, so I'm being punished. I deserve this punishment.'"

Therefore, the feeling Lee Ji-hye has toward Agnes is close to compassion, like Sister Miriam's.

"I want to reveal who the baby's father is and let her know that there is a wider world and a happy life, but that's Lee Ji-hye's wish. Agnes doesn't seem to think that way. So it's difficult to act her. From an outsider's perspective, I feel very sorry and pity, but I can't act Agnes with those feelings."

A scene from the play 'God's Agnes.' Lee Su-mi (left) as Miriam and Lee Ji-hye as Agnes

In the play, Agnes says she is happy in the convent. "From someone's perspective, it might look like she's trapped and unable to see the world, but from Agnes's point of view, she probably didn't feel the need to see the world. She prayed every day, spent time with the nuns, talked about faith, and felt God's love, which must have been truly happy for her. There's a line where Agnes says she sleeps well in the convent, and that line is both beautiful and heartbreaking."

The pains of Agnes, Dr. Livingston, and Sister Miriam are not shown directly but are gradually revealed through their conversations and monologues. Without special stage effects, the story unfolds over two hours solely through the characters' dialogues, so the audience might miss the story if they don't concentrate. Special attention must be paid to the characters' conversations. The actors are the same. Especially Dr. Livingston remains on stage for the entire two-hour performance without leaving. Agnes and Sister Miriam repeatedly enter and exit while conversing with Dr. Livingston.

"To convey the story to the audience, you have to focus every moment. The amount of dialogue is huge, and perhaps because of the story or the history of the long-running play, the pressure is considerable."

The performance runs until the 29th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.