The Exorcist Coming To The Stage Courtesy Of Agnes Of God’s John Pielmeier

A new stage play based upon William Peter Blatty‘s The Exorcist is to be written by John Pielmeier, author of Agnes of God.*

Seems like either the author’s got a nice little bias going on or he’s been typecast somewhat. The director will be John Doyle, having another break from his typical musical theatre and opera.

Unlike William Friedkin’s film of The Exorcist (which isn’t anywhere near the best film of all time, just for the record), this play will “focus on the psychological aspects and questions of faith.” At least, that’s according to Ken Novice, the MD of New York’s Geffen Playhouse, where the play will premiere in July 2012. I can see that the film is at least supposed to focus on those same things, and when it works, it’s because it does.**

Novice tells Arts Beat:

I think it’s going to be more powerful than green pudding and spinning heads. Not that the show will be without some kind of theatrical effects. It’s still going to be very interesting to look at. There will be a spectacle to it, but we don’t want people coming in and expecting the movie.

“More Powerful Than Green Pudding” should be on the poster. If not for this film then maybe for… Red Pudding?

I think I’d be more intrigued if I was being promised a version of The Exoricst with none of the effects but all of the tension and fear and, frankly, damn nastiness. That’s the kind of pitch that would catch my eye, something stripped down and terse like that. Something that sounds hard to pull off, but exhaustingly brilliant when it does work.

Pielmeier’s definitely interesting. I’m looking forward to finding out how this winds up, stage tricks or no.

*Never saw the play, saw Norman Jewison’s film version with Jane Fonda, and rather liked it.

**The scene in the hospital where the little girl is scared because she doesn’t understand what’s happening and why she has to go through this is the most powerful moment in the film, I think, because it cuts to what it’s really about.