Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition

Still timely - the plight of AIDs victims is a symbol of the high cost of the loss of community (Reaganism) in modern America and dangers of self-interest (Reaganism and Ayn Rand, the latter via Roy Cohn); and, ultimately, of the triumph of the human desire for "More Life" (Prior, Belize, Hannah, Louis). God has abandoned heaven; the Angels want him back; the price is human life (we must "stop moving"). We suggest that the Angels sue God (as opposed to Cohn's advice that everyone sue someone just for fun - wonderful discussion of law v justice in this text).Definitely read both plays - Millennium Approaches and Peteroiska - because the themes in the first are developed and resolved in the latter. I taught the play to my college students: it really helps if they also watch the HBO production (it is a play, after all, not a novel). My students were bewildered at first, but the HBO version clarified much for them. I think that they ended up really loving Angels and will be thinking for a long time about its important themes. (They all loved Prior a lot.)Finally, for the theory wonks and those teaching the play at college level: a major influence on Kushner's own work was Walter Benjamin's "The Work of Art in An Age of Mechanical Reproduction." Kushner has stated in interviews that the name, "Prior Walter," is derived from a joking reference to Benjamin between Kushner and a friend. An interesting essay assignment might be to examine the connections betweem Benjamin's theories and Angels. (I'm sure Kushner would think such a comparison totally beside the point - but a wonk is a wonk, and I teach theory (-;

After watching the Angels in America DVD, I wanted to see how it was originally as a play, and it does not disappoint. In many ways, I think it's a better experience reading this play than it was to see it on my tiny television. Angels in America is essentially a theatrical work, and the miniseries came off just as that, a filmed stage play, espcially in Part 1: Millenium Approaches, so that it seemed really static, even with, if not because of, Mike Nichols' direction. It was, on the other hand, tremendously faithful to the play script. As far as I could tell, not a word was changed.Part 2: Perestroika, however, had a few changes from the script to screen, and those changes worked well, making the filmed version far more dynamic than Part 1. There's some additional backstory that got dropped in the translation, but the spirit is very much the same.Ultimately, I recommend that you watch the DVD to get an idea of the characters' mannerisms and the staging, then read the script to fully appreciate the poetry of Tony Kushner's language. Buy it and love it!

This is my favorite play. Tony Kushner rendered a heart-wrenching story, and this most completed version brought it even closer to perfection. Noticable changes have been made, especially to Part 2: "Perestroika," but I think they all work to the overall story's advantage. The two scenes that were cut from the original published version are still available to read in the back. There are also notes and an intro written by Kushner himself. For someone who claims not to care for intros, he makes decent work of them. ;)The book itself is very sturdy (I bought the hardcover version), the cover beautiful (even if I'm not a fan of dust jackets) and the pages have held up through three read-throughs so far as I carry this book all over town like a security blanket and read it everywhere from the breakfast table to waiting rooms to my local park. Most satisfying purchase I've made yet. I recommend this to anyone who needs their heart broken and/or healed, or just has space on their bookshelf.

This was and continues to be one of my favorite plays of all time. The subtitle describes exactly what the play is all about: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. Bear in mind, this play takes places in the mid 1980's: President Reagan was in office and the new Millennium is approaching, a time of uncertainty. Some call it an AIDS play, but it is much more than that. It's about love, betrayal, abandonment, religion, forgiveness, friendship, and the supernatural. The dialogue can be preachy, but that does not mean it's bad. Quite the opposite. It's pretty excellent. Mr. Kushner's use of words are quite exquisite. Probably my favorite scene of this play occurs in part 2 of the play, when the character Harper is alone in the Mormon center, and she obtains advice about life from an interesting source. Overall, the play is worth re-visiting after 23 years since its world premiere at Eureka Theatre Company in San Francisco, CA.

The use of queer and religious themes to theorize America, or at the very least, say something about the country, is compelling and dramatic. Sometimes the play gets lost in itself, and it falters for it, but otherwise it's very good, even if it's long.

One of the top 3 gay and AIDS related films of all time... The roster of star power is unmatched, really, while the direction by Mike Nichols is stellar! Al Pacino has, in my opinion, delivered the absolute best performance of his career while filming this made-for-TV (HBO) film, while Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson have outdone themselves as they each play 3-4 different roles in the same movie... Of outstanding quality was also Patrick Wilson's performance who masterfully managed to walk the line mixing good looks with brilliant acting... Of course, all this cinematic marvel would have never taken place if it hadn't been for Tony Kushner's brilliant script! This film, projected in two parts, is a must-see for everyone out there... Especially since it is somewhat based on real events and characters...