On December 8th, senior theater student, Jacob Kilburg, will see the show he’s been directing come to life. The play, Agnes of God is centered around  a court psychologist who is given a case about a young novice who is found lying unconscious with a dead baby.
Jacob started the process of student directing last year when he submitted three proposals for shows. He says he “wanted to choose a heavy drama that combined theater and psychology,” both of which he is majoring in. Although this is his second time directing a full length play at Augustana, there are still plenty of challenges to overcome with this show. He says, “this piece is so complex and you need to really work on making the characters connect well. You also have to make sure that you’re not being offensive to people who might suffer from the disorders depicted in the show.”
Sophomore cast member, Aubrey Lyon, has had a great time working on such a complex show. She says, “this show is so intense and intricately layered, and it really makes you think. Everyone gets something a little bit different out of it, even each of the members of the cast.” She also notes that she “really enjoys being able to work with a student director because it brings the cast together in a way that it doesn’t quite with theatre faculty. We’re all really comfortable bouncing ideas and questions off of Jacob, whereas I personally might not do that with theatre faculty.”
Perhaps one of the most interesting parts of the show is the concept of the unknown. Jacob mentions that “There are so many unknowns for both the actor and the audience, and it’s important to come into it with an open mind.” Aubrey Lyon agrees that it’s been challenging but well worth the final product, saying “it’s really cool to be faced with these challenges because I’ve never been in a show like this, and it’s really helping me grow as an actor.”