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Summary: Undeniably the greatest piece of American Literature . . .
Review: "Angels in America" is truly one of those rare, astronomical events that defies simple description. I certainly couldn't put under 1000 words what I think about this play. This semester for Dramaturgy Class, I wrote a Research report on "Angels in America" discussing everything from Roy Cohn (both a villian and a piteous figure)to It was 75 pages long, double-spaced. I'm not kidding. You could, and can, spend years trying to understand all the layers of this play, discovering something new every time you open the pages. "Angels in America" is something can cannot be prepared for. You can't say to yourself "I'm going to be reading about gay people" or "I'm going to be reading a comedy about A.I.D.S", or anything else, because "Angels in America" simply is too complex, steeped in metaphor and language to really prepare yourself for. I had tried to, and I was shocked at was I was reading, and it's most likely that at least one aspect of this play will make you cringe in some way or another, no matter who you are, but that's part of the plays power. Just sit back in a comfortable chair, get relaxed, and open your mind. You won't regret it, and the power that Kushner evokes will both enable and enlighten you.
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Summary: It leaves you wanting more life.
Review: "Angels In America" offers us new insight on self-discovery. Throughout the play, characters talk of "Threshold of revelation." While reading this, you ask yourself, "What is this revelation they always speak of?" Tony Kushner magnificently magnificently answers this question thorough his troubled characters. Prior fights with his disease, Joe wrestles with his identity, Louis challenges his ability to love, and Harper tests her sanity. Each character is able to learn and reveal something about themselves as a result of their individual struggles. It is these revelations that set them free. It is because of each character's story that "Angles in America" touches every person that reads it. We can relate to trying to overcome obstacles that have been thrown in our way. Through their remarkable stories, we learn about true love, accepting who we are, and making sure to live life to the fullest no matter what blockades life may throw in your way. This dramatic play discusses serious issues such as AIDS and religion, but it never loses its humor in the process. Overall, "Angels In America" is an inspirational play that shows us how difficult life can be, but that should not keep us from wanting more life. Kushner's characters learn life's terrible lessons, but manage to handle them in an extraordinary way. By the end of the play, we catch ourselves saying, "I want more life" just as Prior does.
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Summary: A Humanization (revised review)
Review: A Humanization Tony Kushner's Angels in America skillfully presents genuine heartaches: loss, addiction, love, sexuality, and sickness. The play contrasts searches for integrity with complete denials of the self and releases a sense of authentic frustration. Kushner provides fascinating characters with realistic strengths and flaws. Courageously standing in the face of stereotypes, he embraces the development of individuals. Joe's identity becomes clear as he allows himself to develop into a more truthful person. Roy, on the other hand, continues to build walls hiding who he really is. Kushner not only brilliantly captures real personalities while dealing with fantasy, but also relates them to the complicated, sometimes heartless world in which they exist. He poignantly addresses the loneliness and loss that is living, but does so with a sharp humor that keeps the pages rapidly turning. Angels in America is an incredible dramatic masterpiece that challenges a transformation of the soul into a true reflection of who we really are.
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Summary: Angels in America: Brilliantly Confusing
Review: After reading both volumes of the play, Angels in America, I was left as a reader both confused and amazed. The sheer confusion I speak of comes from reading on my own and not having any idea what some of the conversations between characters were meant to have revealed. This play however has a certain brilliance that stems from its pure ability to captivate its audience through the use of coy imagery and explicit emotion. Aside from this, the topic of homosexuality, which is already a touchy subject in the world today, does not make the play any easier to read. The character of Joe, a straight heterosexual male, or so we are lead to believe, is found married to his valium addict wife who is yearning for sexual satisfaction. As book one progresses, we soon learn of Joes homosexual tendencies which quite strangely come as a revelation to his wife during a drug induced hallucination with another of the plays prime homosexual males, Prior. Building upon the weakness of Joes character, who is ultimately unable to make a decision whether or not he wants to actually make something of himself in life, the relationship between he and Harper (his soon to be estranged spouse) quickly begins to evaporate. At the same time on the other end of the spectrum, we find two males caught in a turbulent relationship, both of which not knowing exactly what they want. Prior, one of the men, is stricken with what is said to be AIDS and is dying very quickly. Louis, the other fellow, who happens to be in the relationship with Prior becomes frightened by what he sees, and although he thinks in his heart that he loves and he believes he is in fact loved, for some reason unknown to us, he just cannot manage to face the situation. The interjection of minor characters here and there as well the esteemed lawyer Roy Cohn, who also at this time has contracted AIDS but claims to be a heterosexual who has a deadly form of cancer (he certainly wouldn't have fooled me) enters the picture as perhaps a person the dishevled Joe can possibly open up to. As the second part of Angels in America begins to unfold, we soon learn this to be true. The parts of this play that confused me were mostly in Perestroika, as I had a little trouble understanding some of the dialogue and its direction in accordance with the rest of the story. Prior's experience with the Angel leads him to believe he is a prophet which also was a part that I was a bit puzzled about. Nevertheless, Angels in America was certainly a different type of play that what I thought it would be, although it did have some graphic detail that I can openly say I would have rather not read, it did also have an immense sense of humor which inevitably played the part of bringing everything down to earth. This play showed how difficult it was and would have been for a person struggling to cope with the early disease of AIDS in the late 80's without any knowledge of its patterns or capabilities. Utlimately, however, I can say that i did in fact get something from this play, and that is it made me for the first time believe and perhaps even ponder on my own that cruelty exists not only in the heterosexual world but also can be magnified many times by a disease as lethal as AIDS.
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Summary: A review of Angels in America: Parts One and Two
Review: After reading Tony Kushner's Angels in America, volumes one and two, I was left amazed. Having never before come across such a unique play. When reading plays they often do not reach me as this one has. I often find the issues being discussed fairly irrelavant to today's societal issues. I am very happy to report that this is not the case in Kushner's Angels in America. Kushner touches on various issues prevelant in the 90's although the play was written in the 80's. Issues such as racism, politics, sexuality, and Aids are as important today as they were in the eightes. Kushner smoothly ties in past issues with future isssues and shows that the past is often a lesson for the future. The characters throughout the play are easy to relate to and you find yourself undestanding their pesonalities and struggles. My two favorite characters are Joe and Louis. Joe is unable to face the reality of his sexuality-living in constant denial. Louis who runs away scared afraid to show his weakness and experience anyone else's. The most amazing aspect of the story is how by the end of the play all of the characters are somehow involved in one another's lives. In a city as vast as New York (where the play is set in) it shows the reader that every human being is intrinsicly connected to one another. Overall, the text takes an amazing look into the human psyche with all of its pitfalls and fragilties. It also allows those of us who have not been closely touched by the Aids epidemic to experience it through the characters. Lastly, this play gives the reader an up close and personal look at the lives of gay men. I overwhelmingly reccomend this book to anyone who yearns to better understand themselves, others, and society-and this should be everyone.
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Summary: I LOVE this play!
Review: Amazing. A perfect ending. I find this to be the epitomy of excellent playwrighting. If you have any interest in becoming more well-read, please read this two-part series. It only gets better as you go along.
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Summary: Angels in America is worth reading
Review: Angels in America holds a mirror up to your face and forces you to look into it and concentrate on what is looking back at you. What looks back at you in the case of this book is something you might afraid of or something you never wanted to deal with but now are forced to. Some of these fears may include AIDS, homosexuality, or even contact with angels. It is a very complex piece of work which encompasses a wide range of situations that all relate to each other. One can learn a great deal about themselves by the way in which they, the reader, react to the events occurring in Angels in America. This book provides helpful insights on people who are perceived as being "different" and shows the reader that they have the same problems as everyone else, and maybe even more complex problems because of how they are perceived. Hopefully the reader can take the knowledge they acquire from this piece of literature and keep it in mind when they are confronted with a situation similar to the ones in Angels in America. No one deserves to be discriminated against for any reason and Angels in America does an excellent job of showing the reader that those people know they are looked at differently and feel as if there is nothing they can do to change that perception. It is our responsibility as a fellow human being to help those in need, because as Angels in America shows us, everyone needs a friend.
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Summary: Reveiw Of "Angels in Ameica, Parts One and Two"
Review: Angels in America Part One and Part Two, although in the same context with the same characters, are very different books. Part One, is more serious. It focuses on the main character (Prior) and his struggle with AIDS and with his boyfriend, Louis. Although I laughed through both of them, Part Two was more funny and conclusive. Tony Kushners brilliant style creates a setting where you can approach a solemn subject and still have humor. I highly reccommend this book to anyone interested in the lives of people- however similar or different.
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Summary: I could not stop reading for a second! I loved the book.
Review: Angels In America, Tony Kushner's two part play was an intriguing play to read. I could not put this book down. The graphic detail kept me turning page after page. This is one of the only authors who kept me intrested throughout the whole play. Tony's attention to detail gave incite to someone like me, who has no real idea of the trials that homosexuals, may incur, in dealing with day to day life. The characters, wether homosexual or hetrosexual, all struggled with the American way of life. Each and every character seems to be content in their own way of life, their dream if you will; however, once they come to terms with their sexuality, religion, or mental state, they realize that their perfect dream world has become a nightmare. Kushner does an amazing job keeping the reader enthralled with the lives of these characters. However, the choppy scenes and constant referal to the beginnning of the book began to confuse me. Overall, I believe that this book should be read by all because it is very informative about current issues in today's world such as AIDS, death, religion, and sexuality. Kushner's main issue that he is trying to portray to the reader is that everyone, at some point in time has a rise and a fall. The life lesson is learning how to pull yourself up again.
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Summary: THE GREATEST AMERICAN PLAY SINCE DEATH OF A SALESMAN
Review: Death of a Salesman, Long Day's Journey Into Night, A Streetcar Named Desire. These are all twentieth century classics and, in 1993,Tony Kuschner's Angels in America opened on Broadway and deserves to be compared with these great works of the American theatre. The play reads like all great works; filled with allusions, strong emotions, great passion, and timeless characterization. The story is poignant and although AIDS research and treatment has changed greatly since this play was written, that does not change the mark left on the lives of those touched by it. This play defines the attitudes of Americans in the last half of the twentieth century and deserves to be studied in literature classes for many years to come.
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