Angels in America

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a play in two parts by American playwright Tony Kushner. It has been made into a television miniseries and an opera. The play is written for eight actors to perform, with all of them playing two or more roles.

Story

Set in New York City in the mid-1980s, Act One of Millennium Approaches introduces us to the central characters. Louis Ironson is a neurotic, homosexual Jew who lives with his lover, Prior Walter. Until, that is, Prior develops AIDS—still a poorly understood disease— Louis, unable to cope with the stress, moves out. Meanwhile, closeted Mormon and Republican clerk Joe Pitt, is offered a major promotion by his mentor: McCarthyist Roy Cohn. However Joe doesn't immediately take the job because he is worried about his Valium-addicted wife Harper.

Related Topics:
Characters - Neurotic - Jew - AIDS - Disease - Stress - Mormon - Republican - Clerk - McCarthyist - Roy Cohn - Valium

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As the seven-hour play progresses, Prior finds himself being visited by ghosts and angels who proclaim him as a prophet; Joe finds himself struggling to reconcile his religion with his sexuality; Louis deals with his remorse and guilt at abandoning his lover; Joe's mother Hannah moves to New York to attempt to look after Harper; and Roy finds himself in hospital, his only companions being his black nurse Belize—an ex-drag queen and good friend of Prior—and the ghost of Communist Ethel Rosenberg.

Related Topics:
Ghosts - Angels - Prophet - Religion - Sexuality - New York - Drag queen - Ghost - Communist - Ethel Rosenberg

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The play is filled with moments of black comedy, tragedy, and spectacular dialogue. The play is deliberately performed so that the moments requiring special effects often show their theatricality. Most of the actors play several characters, for example the actress playing Prior's nurse also plays the Angel of America. There are heavy biblical references and references to American society, as well as some fantastical scenes including voyages to Antarctica and Heaven, as well as key events happening in San Francisco and at the Angel of Bethesda statue in Central Park.

Related Topics:
Black comedy - Tragedy - Dialogue - Special effects - Nurse - Biblical - Society - Antarctica - Heaven - San Francisco - Bethesda - Central Park

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The play is widely regarded as one of the most influential American plays of recent years.

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