Angels in America

The climactic struggle between Prior and the Angel is not the only clash within Tony Kushner’s two-part play, Angels in America. Two conflicting schemes, one of order and one of entropy, develop throughout this “gay fantasia.” It was hard to appreciate the complexities of the play after only reading the first part, Millennium Approaches. After watching the entire play, however, I found myself surprised at some of the scenic designer and director’s decisions. All of the set and props, lighting, costumes, and sound contribute to the seamless transitions, the notion of mystic realism, and the fight for order amidst the natural tendency for chaos.

With all of the different locations—including Salt Lake City, New York, Antarctica—it is necessary for the transitions to flow smoothly scene to scene, from one setting to the next. The actors in the first part of the play would incorporate the set changes into their entrances and exits. For instance, when Joe exited the stage after being in Roy Cohn’s office, he moodily dragged the chair along with him, indicating the hindering presence of his wife on his career path. The changing environment is easily marked by the different prop usages. For instance, when the Antarctica backdrop switches to become the wagon covering in the Mormon center, and later the beach, the audience is pulled from location to location, without the use of detailed sets. Much of the play relies upon imagination, specifically Harper’s pill-induced fantasy land, so it is fitting that Kushner and the set designer use multi-purpose props. The lighting was also effective in establishing the different settings in the play. The striking lime green lampshade is in multiple scenes, as well as the lighting from behind the giant black backdrop. To ease through scenes, the lighting would highlight different on-stage actions, casting others in shadow. Finally, the main characters rarely changed their outfits. I think that this was an effective decision because it allowed for the fast scene changes that kept the seven-hour play endurable. A little bit of a change would have been nice, but I am glad that they chose to maintain the emblematic production style, rather than one of complete scenic reality.

Angels in America is an example of mystic realism, a style which is characterized by realistic language and characters in combination with both a linear and disjoint narrative. The elements of mystical realism in Angels in America are emphasized by three design elements—setting, costumes, and sound. The bizarre expeditions to places like Antarctica are preceded by normal settings, like an office building or an apartment. The simple sets and props of the everyday settings are mirrored by the minimal sets and props of the extraordinary. As is the case with Harper, she can be sitting by her lamp one moment, and the next carrying a Christmas tree she shopped down with her teeth in the middle of Antarctica! We not only witness this event, but we accompany her. The second element of mystic realism is normal events matched with epic figures and larger-than-life themes. One way this is highlighted is through the costuming of the Angel. She wore something that reminded me of the Matrix. That outfit is a polar opposite of Prior’s hospital gown. When you look at the two actors side by side, the contrast between reality and mystic reality is apparent. The third element of mystic realism involves the music. Much of the sound the audience hears is from Harper’s tape player. The familiar pop tunes that echo out of her stereo are so real, and yet so part of the past—the 80s—that they seem distant and peculiar. Not only that, but the sounds are familiar, everyday noises, which help balance out the themes of AIDS, homosexuality, and addiction.

Entropy is a measure of disorder that exists within a system. Assuming that Angels in America is a system unto itself, it is easy to see how in Millennium Approaches, the order is maintained by constant set cleanup. However, in Perestroika, the clutter is never tidied up on stage. The actors would leave behind papers and groceries and props and all sorts of junk. In the end, the stage was a pigsty! It is easy to want things, at the end, to be in order—to be clean. The floor though, is as dirty as the angels at the end of the play! The angels’ costumes, the mess of props, and the overlapping sets all challenge the audience to accept the fact that life is not organized and perfect. We cannot expect to live our lives free of the impacts of disease, homelessness, and fear. Even each audience member is connected; we have come from different backgrounds to share this same seven hour experience. We, in essence, are as connected as Prior, Louis, Harper, and Joe are.