Tony Kushner ID Left to Right DarNell Benjamin as Belize and Joshua Murphy as Louis Ironson Photo by Deogracias Lerma1.jpg" border="0" alt="" hspace="10" width="200" align="left" />
Angels in America is now playing at the Know Theatre and it's well worth the small price of $12 ($15 at the door, but reserve in advance to avoid the risk of it being sold out) for the chance to see intriguing, contemporary theatre in Cincinnati.
An often times dark and comedic piece with elements of the supernatural, Angels in America by playwright Tony Kushner, tells the story of a group of individuals in New York City in the mid-1980s. This epic play is divided into two parts, Millenium Approaches and later this month Know Theatre will present part two, Perestroika. With a stellar cast of eight, the play explores multiple themes, including the discovery of a deadly new disease, AIDS, homosexuality, political corruption and Reagan-era politics, all while the characters struggle in their love lives. While their stories start separately, their paths end up crossing, as usually happens.
The play tells the story of Joe (Christopher Guthrie), who is a Mormon and although he has tried for years to suppress his identity as a homosexual, begins to acknowledge his sexuality instead of hiding it. Joe is married to Harper (Courtney Brown), a neurotic housewife who has a very small grip on reality and a dangerous addiction to valium which causes hallucinations. When Joe comes out to his mother, Hannah (Amy Warner) she makes a cross-country journey to find what is going on.
Joe meets Louis (Joshua Murphy) one day at work where he finds Louis struggling to deal with the fact that his partner is dying from AIDS. He can't handle it and despite his promise to his partner Prior (Rob Jansen) to stay faithful, he abandons him when things get tough. While Prior is struggling with his disease, he experiences heavenly visions and visits from two ancestral ghosts. Prior's nurse (Liz Vosmeier) and his best friend, Belize (DarNell Benjamin) also weave into the storyline.
There's also Roy Cohn (Michael Bath), another closeted gay man, but this one has a position of power. He's a McCarthyist lawyer, famous for his work on the trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. Roy is Joe's boss, and has also been recently diagnosed with AIDS, though knowing what it would do to his career added to his desperate attempt not to be labeled, decides he's dying from liver cancer instead.
The Know Theatre team has assembled a remarkable cast for this production. Not one actor failed to amaze me. While I've previously been impressed with a couple of the cast members from a previous production, it was also a delight to be introduced to new actors as well. The talent is immense and it's difficult to single one specific person or part out from the rest.
Since the play is staged in Know Theatre's small space, limited scenery and props are used, yet with the engaging dialog and fast pace of the storyline, one doesn't miss mind the sparseness. Often times, the stage is separated down the middle and each side is set up for a different scene. Guthrie, Brown, Murphy, and Jansen also pull off an amazing split scene where each couple are in their respective settings but the meaning of the lines apply to both stories and emotions are running high. The juxtaposition of the two makes for compelling theatre. There are a few split scenes in this piece, but the timing of this one in particular were perfection for opening night and I imagine it will stick in my memory for a long time.
Don't let the length of this piece scare you away. It's a gripping piece and it doesn't feel like three hours (plus they give you two intermissions). Part one - Millenium Approaches is now playing at the Know through May 8th. I can't wait to go back for part two - Perestroika, which opens April 23rd until May 8th. Purchase online at www.knowtheatre.com or call the Know Theatre box office at (513) 300-KNOW (5669).
