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Angels in america
- 1. Written by TonyKushner
- 3. Angels in America(Millennium Approaches, and Perestroika) A Bright Room Called Day The Illusion Slavs! Thinking About the Longstanding Problems of Virtue and Happiness Caroline, or Change (musical) Munich (screenplay) Lincoln (screenplay)
- 5. Ronald Regan isPresident (George Bush Sr. is Vice President) “We Are the World” is recorded in Hollywood FDA approves a blood test for AIDS Mike Tyson makes his professional debut The Unabomber is active “Back to The Future” opens in movie theaters Richard “The Night Stalker” Ramirez is captured The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) premiers in America President Regan meets with Mikhail Gorbachev for the first time The actor Rock Hudson dies The space shuttle Challenger tragedy happens in January 1986
- 6. Stands for “AcquiredImmunodeficiency Syndrome” First reported cases of the AIDS virus in America: 1969 Considered “gay cancer” initially, due the high rate of infection in gay males Initially, death was reported in 1-2 years after diagnosis
- 8. Prior Walter- agay man suffering from both AIDS, and “heavenly visions” Louis Ironson- Prior’s boyfriend, who abandon’s him after discovering his AIDS diagnosis Joe Pitt- a closeted gay man, who eventually abandons his wife for Louis; a clerk at the US Court of Appeals Harper Pitt- Joe’s wife, who suffers from a Valium addiction, which gives her hallucinations Roy Cohn- based on the real-life lawyer; a closeted gay man, who insists his AIDS is “liver cancer” Ethel Rosenberg- a ghost, based on the real-life spy Belize- a drag queen, Prior’s ex, and eventually Roy’s nurse The Angel- a visitor from Heaven, who speaks to Prior
- 9. Louis breaks upwith Prior Prior experiences “heavenly visions” Joe is offered a major promotion, discusses it with Harper, who reacts poorly Joe begins a secret relationship with Louis Roy finds himself in the hospital, due to AIDS Harper and Joe separate Prior receives treatment for AIDS
- 10. Received the TonyAward for Best Play (1993 for Millennium Approaches, 1994 for Perestroika) Millennium Approaches received the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama Perestroika won the 1994 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play Is included on Harold Bloom’s list of most important works of literature, The Western Canon
- 11. Two major adaptations: HBOmini-series in 2003, staring Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Patrick Wilson, Mary-Louise Parker, Emma Thompson, and Justin Kirk Opera, written by Peter Eötvös
- 12.
- 13. Considered by manyto be a very influential piece of theatre Contested by conservative groups for the frank treatment of homosexuality and AIDS Often taught in high schools and colleges Has been translated into numerous languages Brought gay characters, and even gay theatre, “out of the closet” Did the same for the topic of AIDS Is considered a “play about everything”
- 14. The Laramie Project,Moises Kaufman RENT, Jonathan Larson M. Butterfly, David Henry Hwang Marisol, Jose Rivera
Editor's Notes
- #3 Born in 1956 in Manhattan, Tony Kushner moved with his family to Louisiana as a young child. He attended university at Columbia University in 1974, graduating with a BA in Medieval Studies, then studied at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, graduating in 1984. He began his career in theatre writing and directing plays while in graduate school, both original works and classics. He began writing for film in the early 2000’s. http://thecolbertreport.cc.com/videos/wvf1nd/tony-kushner-pt--1
- #4 Tony Kushner has written a number of plays, screenplays, adaptations, and books. Some notable/familiar ones are listed above.
- #5 Set in 1985, in New York City. Angels in America takes place during the height of the AIDS epidemic in America, and during Regan-era politics.
- #6 Some notable events of 1985 in America. Several notable events happened in the entertainment world, including the death of the famous actor Rock Hudson, who led a secret gay life and suffered from AIDS. He had only been diagnosed with HIV the previous year; at the time, AIDS was a misunderstood illness, and was considered a death sentence, as it killed quickly when left untreated.
- #7 HIV/AIDS has suffered major misrepresentation over the years. In the 1980’s in America, to contract AIDS meant certain death; few treatments were available, often restricted, and those diagnosed were faced with immense stigmatism. Many considered AIDS to be a “gay disease”, even though there were many reported cases among heterosexuals. Today, treatments for AIDS have vastly improved, and life expectancy has soared among those infected in developed countries; however, many rural areas still experience much difficulty with the virus.
- #8 First performed in Los Angeles in 1990, by the Center Theatre Group, as a preview. World premier in 1991 in San Francisco, Broadway debut in 1993 on May 4th, with Part One: Millennium Approaches (part two, Perestroika joined the production on November 23rd the same year).
- #9 The staging for the play calls for 8 actors, many of whom play multiple parts throughout the play, often as the opposite sex. All characters are featured in both parts of the performance.
- #12 Tony Kushner adapted his original play into the screenplay for the HBO series; the series was broken up into two, 3-hour chunks, and 6 “chapters” (3 in each chunk), each representing a portion of the play. The opera premiered in France, and holds less of a political focus than the original play. Follow the link for the official HBO trailer for the mini-series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTDcbJcCGTE
- #13 Follow the link for a clip from the series where Prior and Belize “visit” Joe, with the intention of seeing who has replaced Prior in Louis’ life. A great look into the character of Prior, and the invasion on Joe’s life that he can’t control.
- #15 All of these productions share some sort of focus with the themes of Angels in America, and I feel would benefit a reader in a similar way.