Angels in America: Perestroika
Reviewed by Julia Stier
Foolish Productions Co.
Through May 8
RECOMMENDED
Angels in America by Tony Kushner does not get enough credit for how funny it is. When I first received my assignment to watch and review Angels in America: Perestroika (the second play of a two-part epic), I balked. The Tony Award-winning play is known for its heavy topics, abstract explorations, and run time — all of which are a lot for a Sunday afternoon.
The play, which takes an unflinching look at the AIDS epidemic and those it ravaged in its wake, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, the Tony Award for Best Play, and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play.
However, despite my reservations, Foolish Productions Co., under the direction of Michael Mulhearn made a believer out of me. Foolish’s Perestroika greatly impresses, thanks to both the grounded performances of an all-around strong cast, and the actors’ abilities to mine Kushner’s text for nuggets of comedy. The fact that I laughed as much as I did (nothing too crazy, but definitely more chuckling than I expected) is not only a testament to Kushner’s nuanced writing, but to the skill of the cast as well.
Standout performances are brought forth by Michael Matts as Belize, the night nurse whose patience could qualify him for sainthood; Gregory Blair as the cruel, yet afraid, Roy Cohn; and Mikey Mulhearn as Prior, the unwilling prophet. The various couplings – both romantic and platonic – have great chemistry. Each character comes with their own set of flaws, which challenge the audience to see these people as who they are, not who they’ve been.
While the black box setting does allow the show to be presented in a stripped-down way, resulting in what feels like an intimate peek into the lives and heartaches of these characters, the minimalist set, at times, causes some confusion. A singular mattress in the middle of the stage works as a placeholder for the various hospital and/or apartment rooms the characters occupy, but makes it hard to track when they are outside.
Confusion of setting aside – and it’s a very easy thing to forgive – Foolish Production Co.’s daring to decision to mount the epic “A Gay Fantasia on National Themes” has paid off.
Foolish Productions Company at The Broadwater, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd, Hlywd.; Angels in America, Parts I and II (Perestroika and Millennium Approaches) perform in rep through May 8. Run time 3.5 hours including two 15 minute intervals. https://foolishproductionco.org/angels-in-america. Run time 3.5 hours including two 15-minute intermissions.
