Agnes of God Played with depth, nuance, and a whole lot of heart by Lisa McConnell, Dr. Martha Livingstone, the central storyteller in this brilliantly acted two-hour drama from Aleatoric Theatre Company, says, “I believe in the existence of an alternate last reel.” But a happy ending never materializes. The same holds true of her encounters with Sister Agnes (Courtney Stennett) and the Mother Superior (Joette Waters). Agnes is accused of killing her newborn child, whose father remains the ultimate mystery, and Dr. Livingstone is appointed by the court to determine her sanity. Mother Superior calls Agnes an innocent, but she’s not an enigma, and unraveling her psyche raises more questions about God, faith, and miracles than the doctor could have imagined. —Marissa Oberlander
Hand in Hand Akvavit Theatre bills prolific Swedish playwright Sofia Fredén’s overcrowded comedy—five young, aimless Stockholm residents and one middle-aged rich guy become ensnared in increasingly dire romantic, familiar, and domestic entanglements until they’re all unlikely roommates in a one-room apartment—as madcap. But Fredén’s philosophical musings on the nature of desire, ambition, and autonomy, as well as her beguilingly porous logic, make the two-plus hours semihypnotically droll. Director Breahan Eve Pautsch cagily exploits the humor and dread inherent in the play’s elusive tone, aided by her cast’s sophisticated performances (as the ultimately self-absorbed burnout Alan, Jae K. Renfrow delivers the evening’s funniest and most harrowing moments). Akvavit artistic director Chad Eric Bergman provides the fleet English translation as well as the crafty scenic design. —Justin Hayford
You on the Moors Now The tranquil moorland, home to the Brontë sisters, serves as backdrop for this battle royale between prominent heroines of 19th-century lit and their equally famous gentleman callers. Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Cathy Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights), Lizzy Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), and from across the pond, Louisa May Alcott’s Jo March (Little Women) set conventionalism ablaze when they—what else?—turn down marriage proposals. That leaves their heartbroken suitors Mr. Rochester, Heathcliff, Mr. Darcy, and Theodore “Laurie” Laurence with just one choice: fight. Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus’s Chicago debut is irrepressibly charming through most of its two-hour length, though some aspects, like the climactic battle, verge on overkill. Director Devon de Mayo’s tender touch is also evident here, which helps make the Hypocrites’ season opener a winner. —Matt de la Peña
