The Threshold of Revelation - Seeing Angels in America at Playmakers Rep

                When I saw that the PlayMakers Repertory Company was doing Angels in America, I knew without hesitation that I had to be there.  I saw their production of Fences, and absolutely loved it.  I had never seen Angels in America performed on stage, and I was chomping at the bit for an opportunity to do so.

                Several years ago, I saw the HBO movie, and my then-roommate and I still can’t get over the fact that Meryl Streep was the rabbi.  I didn’t remember too much from it, except I remembered the line “my religion doesn’t believe in Mormons,” because I thought it was pretty hilarious.  I also remembered Patrick Wilson, because ever since then, I’ve had a huge crush on him – but I think the rest of America has, too.

                Back in December, when I was planning my whirlwind trip to New York City, there was a brief moment in which my friend Cliff and I thought we would go see Angels in America Off-Broadway.   Of course, tickets were sold out, and the way their schedule was running, we wouldn’t have been able to see both parts in order anyway.  But, when I was at PlayMakers Rep, it was like the distance between New York and North Carolina dissolved, and the difference between regional and Off-Broadway disappeared.  It was apparent from the get-go that I was seeing high-quality theater.

                First of all, the set was spectacular.  Appearing minimalist at first, it became clearer as the course of the play went on that it was a carefully thought-out design which really provided a lot for the telling of the story.  I really like how the pieces of the set slowly come apart, showing at the same time this sort of paradox between destruction and revelation.  The scenes change rapidly in Angels in America, and I appreciated how smoothly the actors and the set transitioned between scenes.

                I think my absolute favorite thing about this production was the sound.  I’m not a technical theater expert or anything, but I thought the placement and content of the sound design was phenomenal in what it brought to the show.  The set was pretty minimal, so sound was what really defined place for me.  The city noises, the nightclub music, all of it was perfect.

                Of course, the acting was great.  It is shows like this that make me wish I were an actor – I’d give anything to be onstage in a production like this, bringing these amazing characters to life.  All of the characters were so believable, which is tricky in a show like this.  The characters could easily be portrayed as over-the-top or larger-than-life, but the actors in this production were so controlled and tuned in to who these characters really are.  I appreciated their attention to Kushner’s words, and it was obvious that a lot of thought and work went into bringing those words to the stage.  I also appreciate the amount of time it must have taken to memorize all those lines!

                 I also loved the inclusion of the AIDS quilt in the lobby.  I grew up in DC, so my parents took me to see the AIDS quilt on the national Mall when it was there in 1996.  I was only ten, but I knew I was seeing something important.  The AIDS quilt is such a fascinating piece of American history, and I’m glad that a part of it was able to be in the lobby of the theater.

                So, all in all, this production of Angels in America is must-see theater.  I logged a total of 120 miles traveling to and from the show (30 miles each way, two round trips), and each mile was completely worth it.  It was all the little things that made the show remarkable.  Of course, the acting was great, something I expect of PlayMakers Rep, and the writing was great, but I knew that already.  It was the details that made it stellar – the subtle scenery, the sound cues, the scene transitions, the lighting, the AIDS quilt in the lobby… the list goes on.