‘Angels in America Part 2 – Perestroika’ at the Umbrella in Concord, MA
Through October 18, 2014
The Umbrella’s current presentation of Angels in America Part 2 – Perestroika marks the culmination of Director Nancy Curran Willis’ second time around with Tony Kushner’s epic about the dawn of the AIDS epidemic. In 2008, Willis won an Elliot Norton Award (with co-director Jason Southerland) for Boston Theatre Works production of Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2.
Having seen Part 1 last spring and now Part 2 at the Umbrella in Concord, I can understand why Willis waited six years before undertaking this daunting and demanding show again.
But theater-going audiences will be grateful that she did. And you don’t need to have seen Part 1 to enjoy Part 2, although there is a condensed five minute video of Part 1 to bring you up to speed.
Angels in America is a snapshot of a time in American history. It’s 1985, President Ronald Reagan has just been re-elected and the deadly AIDS epidemic is reaching its height. If Part 1 was about the destruction of lives and relationships, Part 2 is about the attempt to rebuild a shattered world into something new.
Like Part 1, Angels in America Part 2 follows eight characters in New York City just as the AIDS epidemic was taking hold in America. Their stories and lives intersect in ways that highlight the fear, heartbreak and devastation of a disease that ignored social, political and economic barriers. But it’s also about hope, mercy and love – and the ability of people to come together as human beings regardless of religious, political or lifestyle differences.
The epiphanies that the characters experience as the play moves between conscious reality, dreams and drug fueled hallucinations are presented without judgment on their relative validity. Kushner also allows his fictional characters to interact with real historical characters like Roy Cohn (played by David Berti) and the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg, who haunts the dying Cohn because of his role in the espionage trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, which resulted in their execution.
The play is also a study in overcoming ingrained mindsets and prejudices.
Belize (played by Damon Singletary), is an openly gay hospital nurse who provides the best care for his abusive patient, the closeted, AIDS-stricken Cohn, despite Belize’s deep antipathy for everything that Cohn stood for politically.
On the other hand, AIDS sufferer Pryor (Peyton Pugmire) expects little in the way of compassion from the older conservative Mormon woman, Hannah (played by Liz Robbins). But Pryor is taken aback when Hannah gets him to a hospital and stays the night in his room after he has a sudden, acute attack of symptoms.
“I wish you’d be more true to your demographic profile,” Pryor says when he realizes Hannah isn’t totally heartless.
Hannah is in New York because she’s concerned about her son Joe (James Barton), a protégé of Cohn’s who is experiencing a crisis of his own after coming out to his mother and to his wife, Harper (Jennifer Shea).
Meanwhile, Joe has sought comfort in the arms of Louis (Kendall Hodder), a narcissistic office clerk who walked out on Pryor, his longtime lover, as soon as he learned that Pryor had AIDS.
Pryor continues to have encounters with The Angel (Sharon Mason), who convinces Pryor that his is a prophet. Although The Angel visits Pryor in dreams, he comes to believe that she is real. “Maybe all of us who are dying have got the virus of prophecy,” Pryor muses.
Like Part 1, Angels in America Part 2 is rich with literary and theological imagery, and is presented with great theatricality. Nor is any effort is spared on the special effects, the intensity of which make this no easy production to mount.
Once again, Nancy Curran Willis has managed to put together a top-notch cast and a professional-quality production. This is a great opportunity to see this modern classic of American theater at affordable prices.
Angels In America Part 2 – Perestroika runs through October 18 at the Umbrella Community Arts Center, 40 Stow Street, Concord, MA. Performances are October 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, October 12 at 3 p.m. Purchase tickets online or phone 978-371-0820.
[Angels in America Part 2 – Perestroika, by Tony Kushner. Directed by Nancy Curran Willis. Scenic Design, Brian Boruta. Costume Design, Elisabetta Polito. Lighting Design, PJ Strachman. Sound Design, Alex Savitzky. Properties Design, Sarah Marshall.]
Filed under: Art, Columns & Essays, Feature stories, Politics, Reviews, theater | Leave a Comment
Tags: AIDS, Angels in America, Concord MA, Damon Singletary, David Berti, Emerson Community Arts Center, Ethel Rosenberg, James Barton, Jennifer Shea, Kendall Hodder, Liz Robbins, Mark Sardella, Nancy Curran Willis, New York City, Perestroika, Peyton Pugmire, Roy Cohn, Sharon Mason, Tony Kushner
Search this site
Categories
Flickr Photos
Archives
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
Recent Comments
Mark Sardella on Brave New World John Terravecchia on Brave New World Carole Scovel on Sentimental journey Dr. Ed on High school math Dr. Ed on High school math Blog Stats
- 351,637 hits
LINKS
No Responses Yet to “‘Angels in America Part 2 – Perestroika’ at the Umbrella in Concord, MA”