PlayMakers’ ‘Angels in America’ a ‘must-see’

PlayMakers Repertory Company’s production of Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America,” directed by Brendon Fox, has taken flight.

When producing the two-part epic, a theater not only encounters the stratagems and difficulties of staging a seven-hour show, but also the inevitable hype attached to perhaps the most influential theater piece of the late 21st century.

PlayMakers’ production of Part 1, “Millennium Approaches,” at times was flat and fell short of Artistic Director Joseph Haj’s claim that “Angels” may be the most important show PlayMakers ever puts on.

But Part 2, “Perestroika,” had rolling momentum and the power to floor attendees.

Detailing the strife of two couples, one heterosexual and one homosexual, enduring the 1980s AIDS epidemic amidst the cultural politics of the Reagan-era United States, “Angels in America” is a monster of thought provocation.

In the American melting pot “where nothing has melted,” laundry lists of hefty issues are illuminated in settings ranging from Department of Justice bathroom stalls to Valium-induced hallucinations of Antarctica.

Part 1 had many of these spectacularly staged episodes.

Jeffrey Cornell’s Roy Cohn is modeled after a widely detested New York lawyer and is raised out of a trap door, blaring high powered Gordon Gekko-like obscenities into an office phone.

To symbolize the South Pole fantasy of the sanity-slipping Harper Pitt, played by Marianne Miller, a white sheet is used to envelop the playing space while a fog machine accents the frozen environment.

Part 1’s finale is impressive — a wooden backdrop crumbles to reveal the enormous wing span of the Angel, played by Kathryn Hunter-Williams.

But the highly intellectualized discussions of homosexuality, politics and love quarrels do not always match the intensity of exhibition.

Part 1 rarely allows for willful suspension of disbelief. Emotional moments of despair were upstaged by grand spectacle.

Though Matthew Carlson — who plays the HIV-infected Prior Walter — excels in providing warm-hearted humor, his portrayal of fear and sadness pales in power to the amplified voice of the Angel, echoing over speakers when in conversation.

Prior Walter and his boyfriend Louis Ironson’s break-up and good-bye is stale compared to the following scene, in which Jeffrey Meanza’s Ironson has a graphic sexual encounter.

Meanza and another actor mime sex while located on opposite sides of the stage — mirroring exactly the staging of the original production in 1992.

Where “Millenium Approaches” has moments lacking energy, “Perestroika” has none. But when both parts are observed in conjunction, the ensemble’s acting effort must be deemed invigorated.

Julie Fishell, playing a host of different characters, is extraordinary.

Opening “Millennium Approaches” as an elderly Rabbi and starting off “Perestroika” as a crippled Soviet, Fishell moves between distinctive accents with meticulous care. Further versatility permits Fishell to optimize the internal conflict of a Mormon mother coming to terms with a homosexual son.

Matching Fishel’s skill is Cornell’s Al Pacino-inspired Roy Cohen.

Cornell lends empathy to a scoundrel, and the relationship established between Cornell and his drag queen night nurse — played by Avery Glymph — produces “Perestroika’s” highlights.

In “Perestroika,” Carlson better utilizes Louis Walter’s emotional potential while interacting with the Angel.

Heaven appears in Paul Green Theatre, and floor lights checker the stage to create a beautiful aesthetic.

“Perestroika” exceeds “Millennium Approaches” in sustaining captivation and passion.

PlayMakers’ production is heavy and psychologically invigorating — it will leave an audience soaked in Kushner’s ground-breaking drama.

PlayMaker’s has signed, sealed and delivered a must-see gift to the UNC community.

Contact the Arts Editor at arts@dailytarheel.com.