Angels in America
Tony Kushner
I was worried at first about reviewing this epic work, mostly because it is a play and I tend to stick to prose. Upon reading it, however, I found myself fully engrossed by the plot and characters, all of whom are intricately interesting if lumped into certain categories and occasionally insufficiently developed. Angels in America is nothing if not ambitious, but occasionally it reaches too high and sacrifices realitic plot lines or dialogue (even for a fantasy, some of it is a stretch) for sheer wonder, which often leads to confusion and requires the re-reading of several passages. Indeed, if I had not seen the HBO adaptation immediately upon finishing the play, many of the crucial plot points and character interactions would continue to elude me. Kushner's work is well-executed and gives an interesting glimpse into modern America, but it is lacking in a few crucial ways.
Kushner centers on the AIDS crisis as a turning point for America, a hinge upon which the door of the Millennium is about to swing shut. The main characters are introduced economically and, especially through Kushner's liberal use of description, get a good sense of who they are. All of them are at a breaking point and each scenario is realistic and heartwrenching as relationships fall apart. The play's dialogue is usually believable, though some rants (such as Louis talking to Belize in a diner) seem entirely out of character and, while adding important thematic depth to the play's dismantling of modern America, are out of place and annoying. Despite some extraneous matter and rampant stereotyping (all gay men do not call each other "girl"), each character is fully realized and many develop incredibly throughout the play, which traces its set of coincidental encounters very carefully and in a straightforward, often funny, manner. Kushner's characters are three dimensional, vibrant, and are the major reason that the play succeeds.
It is when the Angel of America enters that things get a bit muddy. While I am no opponent to fantasy elements, the Angel is done clumsily and is often too Biblical without adequate preparation. While the central problem facing America is old news (think Nietzsche), it is handled with originality and fits within the scope of the play, which pits the conservativism of Angels and, well, conservatives, against the inevitable tide of change and progress. The play unfortunately misses the mark and spends too much energy condemning Ronald Reagan and his brand of conservatism; while AIDS is at the center of the play it is largely ignored thematically and becomes just another disease. The play could almost be about cancer and retain crucial elements. Ultimately, Kushner is a bit too forward with his personal political opinions and does not forge them into something useful for understanding his characters or the play's relationship to America.
Certain elements of the play, such as Joe Pitt's inner struggles, are at once brilliantly depicted and utterly ignored; on one hand, we see him grow and fail to grow. On the other, there is no indication of what is going on within his head. These flaws embody the main problems with the play. Humor is misplaced and awkward: "Millennium Approaches" (the first half) is far more serious than "Perestroika" and the tone change does not make any sense, as their events overlap. Kushner alternately adopts postures of deepest gravity and strange, ironic humor, which do not mix well in this particular story. The play is interesting and certainly isn't bad, but ultimately it is a bit too pretentious and tries to do too much. Kushner underestimates the power of subtlety and, though introducing wonderful ghosts (Ethel Rosenberg is fantastic) and a fairly well-conceived extended metaphor, aims a bit too high to be truly great. This play deserves revisiting, as my experiences with the miniseries prove, but as a first-time reading experience it disappoints.
Grade: B
Tony Kushner
I was worried at first about reviewing this epic work, mostly because it is a play and I tend to stick to prose. Upon reading it, however, I found myself fully engrossed by the plot and characters, all of whom are intricately interesting if lumped into certain categories and occasionally insufficiently developed. Angels in America is nothing if not ambitious, but occasionally it reaches too high and sacrifices realitic plot lines or dialogue (even for a fantasy, some of it is a stretch) for sheer wonder, which often leads to confusion and requires the re-reading of several passages. Indeed, if I had not seen the HBO adaptation immediately upon finishing the play, many of the crucial plot points and character interactions would continue to elude me. Kushner's work is well-executed and gives an interesting glimpse into modern America, but it is lacking in a few crucial ways.
Kushner centers on the AIDS crisis as a turning point for America, a hinge upon which the door of the Millennium is about to swing shut. The main characters are introduced economically and, especially through Kushner's liberal use of description, get a good sense of who they are. All of them are at a breaking point and each scenario is realistic and heartwrenching as relationships fall apart. The play's dialogue is usually believable, though some rants (such as Louis talking to Belize in a diner) seem entirely out of character and, while adding important thematic depth to the play's dismantling of modern America, are out of place and annoying. Despite some extraneous matter and rampant stereotyping (all gay men do not call each other "girl"), each character is fully realized and many develop incredibly throughout the play, which traces its set of coincidental encounters very carefully and in a straightforward, often funny, manner. Kushner's characters are three dimensional, vibrant, and are the major reason that the play succeeds.
It is when the Angel of America enters that things get a bit muddy. While I am no opponent to fantasy elements, the Angel is done clumsily and is often too Biblical without adequate preparation. While the central problem facing America is old news (think Nietzsche), it is handled with originality and fits within the scope of the play, which pits the conservativism of Angels and, well, conservatives, against the inevitable tide of change and progress. The play unfortunately misses the mark and spends too much energy condemning Ronald Reagan and his brand of conservatism; while AIDS is at the center of the play it is largely ignored thematically and becomes just another disease. The play could almost be about cancer and retain crucial elements. Ultimately, Kushner is a bit too forward with his personal political opinions and does not forge them into something useful for understanding his characters or the play's relationship to America.
Certain elements of the play, such as Joe Pitt's inner struggles, are at once brilliantly depicted and utterly ignored; on one hand, we see him grow and fail to grow. On the other, there is no indication of what is going on within his head. These flaws embody the main problems with the play. Humor is misplaced and awkward: "Millennium Approaches" (the first half) is far more serious than "Perestroika" and the tone change does not make any sense, as their events overlap. Kushner alternately adopts postures of deepest gravity and strange, ironic humor, which do not mix well in this particular story. The play is interesting and certainly isn't bad, but ultimately it is a bit too pretentious and tries to do too much. Kushner underestimates the power of subtlety and, though introducing wonderful ghosts (Ethel Rosenberg is fantastic) and a fairly well-conceived extended metaphor, aims a bit too high to be truly great. This play deserves revisiting, as my experiences with the miniseries prove, but as a first-time reading experience it disappoints.
Grade: B
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