NPR: Two decades ago, in 1991, the first part of an ambitious work of theater by playwright Tony Kushner took the stage in San Francisco. It was called Angels in America, and its two parts — Millennium Approaches and Perestroika — clocked in at an epic seven hours.
Monday, September 26, 2011
'Angels In America,' 20 Years Later
NPR: Two decades ago, in 1991, the first part of an ambitious work of theater by playwright Tony Kushner took the stage in San Francisco. It was called Angels in America, and its two parts — Millennium Approaches and Perestroika — clocked in at an epic seven hours.
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This is a wonderful play that offers insight into several different people’s life. There is something very raw and real about the characters and although it was based in the past it still fits well in the present. AIDS is still a very prominent issue is American society. Also the pain that the characters feel is timeless and everyone can relate to it. Even if we have not been in the same situation we know what it’s like to be in pain and I feel that the writing captures people’s pain well.
I remember seeing both parts on its [first?] tour at the Kennedy Center in 1996 or '97. Even young, it blew me away with just how frankly it talked about its issues. I also remember thinking, "How can a PLAY have a 'to be continued' ending?" and I knew theatre was changing.
While it's always fascinating to read perspective from an author or playwright [and anything by Tony Kushner, frankly], it surprised me how mundanely nostalgic this particular perspective is. "I feel that [these periods] were comparatively innocent and carefree times compared to where we are now." seems somewhat...naive to me. I dunno, I guess I expected something more poetic from Kushner but I suppose that's why his play could connect with me so easily almost twenty years ago when I saw it because it WAS just so mundanely human...
It's great that we are seeing this show resurface. As others have said, AIDS is still a major issue in America that deserves much more attention than it has been getting in recent years. The face that this is one of the biggest epidemics in America, and the rest of the world, means that this show is unquestionably relevant. Good to see it back.
I'm happy to be reminded of this play. There are a couple of things I especially like about the interview highlights. For one, Tony Kushner remembers that when he originally wrote this mammoth drama, he was more influenced by a "millennial consciousness than an apocalyptic consciousness." Also, he spoke of 'eco-cide,' and the crumbling ozone. This is a topic that is in full force nowadays, and it was very ahead of his time to discuss it as such.
The fact that Angels In America still has such an impact on society and new audiences as well as the fact that it is being performed and studied in colleges and even some high schools really speaks volumes about where our society is with the issues covered in the text. Being able to come into contact with the play at a high school age really shows progress in the perception of AIDS and gay issues. However, just because this show is now more easily accessible by a larger group of people, that does not mean that these issues are less prevalent. One of the reasons that Angels In America continues to be a successful and well loved play is that it is not so far away. It's relatable. The issues are now largely viewed differently, but they are still issues. I love this play and I think it's extremely powerful. It has made it's mark on our society and I'd be incredibly curious to see what it will mean to all of us in 20 more years.
I agree with Kushner's speculation that the world today has come to more openly accept the concept of being homosexual and the lifestyle that comes with it. I also think that society in the late 80's and early 90's was more closed off to dealing with AIDS, mostly because no one really knew how to deal with the epidemic. Nowadays, I feel like this epic would be extremely important in telling the stories of characters effected by AIDS, and the general public would be much more accepting of the show's content because there's more knowledge now about the disease.
Angels suffers from same of the same difficulties as Rent. It's an "AIDs play" that is strongly rooted in the culture and time period in which it was written. Both shows to me seem a bit dated when watching them, since so much has changed since they were written. While they are an interesting cultural study and certainly of high historical importance, I think we are due for the next version. It's time a new play is written that reflects on these issues in contemporary society, especially in the wake of the marriage equality and DADT rulings. I'm not arguing against the production of Angels (which I still contend is one of the better written epics of my lifetime), I think it is important that we are theatre artists keep moving forward.
Never have i actually seen the entire show but i have read seen and performed that climatic scene it on many occasion. Very few drama's match the emotional distress and psychological trauma that these two characters endure in that scene alone. A brilliant play and amazing to think that its now 20 years old.
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