Nun's Sense

Virgin births aren’t just the domain of the Bible and episodes of House. They were also the extraordinary claim of a real-life, 36-year-old nun living in a New York convent in the late 1970s, and the result was far from heavenly. The baby’s body was found asphyxiated in a convent...

By John Thomason

January 31, 2013

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Virgin births aren’t just the domain of the Bible and episodes of House. They were also the extraordinary claim of a real-life, 36-year-old nun living in a New York convent in the late 1970s, and the result was far from heavenly. The baby’s body was found asphyxiated in a convent wastebasket, and the nun was eventually found not guilty of its murder by reason of insanity. This bizarre case inspired the enduring Agnes of God, a Broadway sensation in 1982 that was later adapted for film. Opening Friday at New Theatre at the Roxy Performing Arts Center (1645 SW 107th Ave., Miami), it’s a play that turns up frequently on regional theater seasons, prized for its demanding portrayals of three women who run emotional gamuts: the nun with the astonishing claim, dead baby and tortured past; the complex Mother Superior; and the psychiatrist appointed to investigate the phenomenon, who is on stage every minute and undergoes dramatic shifts in her views on faith. At New Theatre, Ricky J. Martinez will direct Barbara Sloan, Christina Groom and Pamela Reza, the latter returning to the stage after a three-year absence.
Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 1 & 5:30 p.m. Starts: Feb. 1. Continues through Feb. 17, 2013

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Miami New Times has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.