Let me explain. In 1992, everyone who had AIDS died. Everyone did or would. In the 18 months after I saw Angels in America I probably went to 10 funerals – including my lover’s. And I skipped dozens of others. So the anger, the pain, the invisibility was terrifyingly real (hard to imagine now that there was a time thousands of dead gay people were invisible – but we were. Now we are everywhere, mainly as a result of watching so many thousands die).
Angels in America screamed out that we will fight death. We will not go quietly (like we ever could). Pryor Walter is still alive 5 years later in the play – which seemed more like wish fulfilment than reality.
So how is it possible to see if through last century’s eyes? It is like watching yet another play about the Potato Famine or the Holocaust. Those wereterrible, sad phases of history. But it is history. Thank God. And now the constant brooding specter of death hanging over AIDS in particular and gays in general is history. Thank God!
Now... on a pure “how was the play” level, it was amazing. The Mark Taper show was played on a nearly empty stage – which was confusing, but made it more ethereal. Today's show handles the huge number of scenes and sets amazingly well with grace and seamlessly. They do it by having 2 main sets that revolve (but people pushing them) that handle the 5 major sites. The other scenes occur in between the 2 sets or on the proscenium – it sounds confusing but it isn’t. And where separate characters come together in a delusional space (either you know what I mean or you don’t – but trust me) the cross out of these sets wonderfully.
As for people – baby Zachery Quinto rocked! Rocked! He plays Louis and makes an unsympathetic character hold your attention. Christian Boryle as Pryor was really good, but the original, Stephen Spinella, had the role essentially written for him – it is hard to get him out of your mind.
Finally, I didn’t like this Roy Cohen. I saw Ron Liebman in the role in LA. He won the Tony for it in New York. He FUCKING WAS ROY COHEN, YOU ASSHOLE, AND DON’T FORGET IT! Honey, can you connect me to the 202555 1239. Girlie – come on here, I can’t get an outside line. FUCK TALKING TO THE DOCTOR IF YOU DON’T DO IT RIGHT THIS MINUTE I AM GOING TO STRANGLE MYSELF WITH THE IV. DO YOU WANT THAT? THE DOCTOR WILL FIND ME DEAD. Ok, thank you. No, don't ring back call. NOW NOW!! See, that wasn’t so hard, Thank you.Yes that is Ron Leibman as Rachel Green's father on Friends. That's were most people know he from.