Palm Beach Dramaworks' production of Agnes of God is not for the faint-hearted. Three women journey toward shipwreck in a tautly skippered production crewed by electrifying performers.

Helmed by William Hayes, Dramaworks' production unfolds with a relentless forward momentum in which all the characters' defenses disintegrate...

...Michael Amico's ascetic set frames the stage with segments of dark wood, leaving the drama to John Hall's lighting, which ranges from antiseptic to effulgent.

Margery Lowe, who's perfectly cast as the fragile, fey Agnes, has appeared several times on Dramaworks' stage, but she's never had a chance to show off her singing voice. Anyone who hears her sublime a capella renditions of liturgical works will regret that.

Livingstone, in a hard-boiled and unsparing performance by Lisa Morgan, is determined to ferret out the truth of Agnes' situation...

Mother Miriam Ruth, played with ferocity by Barbara Bradshaw, believes Agnes channels the divine, and that the doctor's probing will shatter her. As doctor and nun clash over treatments and the role of faith in today's world, their own secrets come to light...

Austere and passionate at the same time, this production pulls no punches, but it will reward those with heart enough to see it through.