Controversy is always hot, and the one surrounding Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: Millennium Approaches is alone enough to incite interest in Mask & Bauble’s newest production. A drama that circles around the theme of homosexual love, Angels in America is directed by Caitlin Lowans (SFS ‘03), who proposed producing the play after the disappointing outcome of the LGBTQ resource center campaign. The controversy engendered by that dialogue proved the issue wouldn’t disappear quietly. Angels in America proves an effective way to initiate such dialogue, as it deals not only with issues of sexual orientation, but also themes of love, racial tension and the changing identity of America. Though Mask & Bauble presents only the first part of Kushner’s 6-hour drama, Nomadic Theater will present the second part as their spring play.
A long production at two-and-a-half hours, Angels in America is concerned primarily with the story of two couples-one gay and one straight-both in their own ways struggling with sexuality, unhappiness and love and the people and circumstances surrounding them. The first couple consists of a man with AIDS, his guilt-ridden partner who is trying to escape him and their increasingly-painful relationship together. The other couple, a Mormon legal clerk and his pill-popping wife, attempt to deal with their respective personal battles independent of each other in some of the plays most clever moments, as Seth Miller (SFS ‘03) and his stiff Mormon counterpart swap witty repartee. Supporting characters include a bloodthirsty lawyer played vibrantly by David Applebaum (CAS ‘03), who classifies himself as a man who just likes to seduce other men (but is not a homosexual) and a hilarious ex-drag queen. As the plot unrolls, the characters realize the pain caused by their duplicity and struggle to reach new levels of honesty with themselves and each other.
Loneliness, a theme drawn taut across the play, is embodied by Tara Everhart (CAS ‘03) as a hallucinating housewife whose visions blur the line between fantasy and reality. Her unself-conscious portrayal stands out, especially in the captivating scenes she shares with her husband, played by Bobby Ramsay (GRD ‘03). Brian Soja (CAS ‘03) plays the casorful if overly flamboyant gay man condemned to die. The beauty of Kushner’s dialogue is that it evokes either laughter or tears, depending on the combination of characters and their relationship to one another, as each actor aptly embodies the confusion and vulnerability of each character.
At times, though, the emotionally charged dialogue comes across as stilted. Occasionally the passion and pain conveyed by the actors fails to hit the mark and feels forced, especially in the beginning of the play. However, this is a problem found primarily in the early acts, as the play later finds its stride. As the heavy emotions find their context and the relationships between the characters unfold, the interplay between the actors becomes far more natural and appropriate. By the time the last act rolls around, the actors are clearly more comfortable in their roles and effectively render their characters’ emotions.
The stage is set by designer James Sullivan (CAS ‘03) in shades of gray, as are most of the costumes, created by Cora Weissbourd (CAS ‘06). The set consists of rolling partitions moved to create a multiplicity of spaces: bedroom, living room, doctor’s office, caf? and bathroom, among others. Partitions are geometrically painted in drab squares of gray with sensitive placement of casor. Contrast is appropriate in the costumes as well—the bloodthirsty lawyers sport black power suits with scarlet ties and the sick ex-drag queen wears red, later fading to pale pink, then blue as the illness progresses. The set and costume design both serve their purpose admirably without appearing obtrusive.
With its deft juxtaposition of light wit and emotional anvils, Angels in America is an ambitious play for a college company to produce, but the Mask & Bauble production does a solid job of presenting a notable drama. While not a bulls-eye production, the daring and provocative Angels in America: Millennium Approaches is by no means a hit-and-miss—it comes impressively close to its target.
