march 1 .2 0 Û 2 »
THEATER
^he first time I crossed paths with Tony
Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-
winning Angels in America was during my
junior year at University of Idaho.
The campus was buzzing about an upcoming
controversial play, so I went to the library and
checked out a copy of the script. The second I
started reading, I was drawn to it. With every
page, I was forced to hold a mirror to my face.
For the first time in my life, 1 was being held
accountable for who I really was.
1 had been living in denial, always knowing
1 was different hut fighting the tmth of why. I
was brought up in a conservative military fami
ly, and being gay was simply not an option for
me. Reading a piece portraying homosexuality
in a frank, honest and unapologetic way affect
ed me profoundly and began to open the door.
As an assistant stage manager, I would go to
rehearsals each day and leave feeling drained, as if
what 1 was seeing on stage was hap
pening to me.
The character to whom 1 felt
most connected was Joe Pitt, a young
married man in the painful process of
coming to terms with his sexuality.
Despite all of his efforts and every
thing he has been conditioned to
believe, he no longer can deny he is
gay. His struggle was my struggle.
A country
deeply
troubled
ngels is set in 1980s Reagan-era
America and studies Mormonism,
ihomosexuality, addiction and
AIDS in its exploration of universal
issues such as tolerance, acceptance,
love, faith, loyalty and death.
Besides Joe’s faltering heterosexu
ality, the work deals with his
Lewis & Clark
College tackles
the controversial
Angels in America
by
M ic h a el W ayne K eck
depressed, lonely and
Valium-addicted wife,
Harper. We also witness
the destruction of one
gay relationship because
a partner is dying of
AIDS and the other
just can’t handle it.
We see a fictional
ized portrayal of real-life
lawyer Roy Cohn, who
is most famous for help
ing send Ethel and Julius
Rosenberg to the elec
tric chair. His character
evokes disgust yet, at the
same time, sympathy
for a man who has
AIDS hut won’t even
admit he’s gay.
Trust me, Angels is
as gut-wrenching and
riveting as it sounds.
Fortunately, Kushner
offers some comic
relief, specifically in
the character of
Belize, a former drag
queen.
Angels is written as
| two separate three-
ohour plays, Part One:
g Millennium Approach-
'es and Part Two: Per-
westroika. This month
p Lewis &. Clark C o l
lege tackles Part One of the theatrical epic.
D
irector Stepan Simek knows he’s got his work
cut out for him, calling Angels the greatest
play of the second half of the 20th century.
“What it does as a piece of theater and what it
says about this country is very profound,” he says,
noting it’s about an America “deeply troubled
and trying very hard to live some kind of wonder
ful potential but never quite managing."
Simek emphasizes Kushner’s multilayered
approach. “It uses the A ID S crisis and gay
struggle as a symbol,” he explains, to “examine
the limits of tolerance. This play is about many
things but primarily it is about being gay, and
Kushner wants us to know that.”
Lewis & Clark junior Eric Sammons
agrees. The only openly gay cast member,
he understands the importance of this
show. “It’s not something our school would nor
mally put on, but I’m sure our campus will appre
ciate it and embrace it.”
In an ironic twist of casting, Sammons is
playing the part of Joe. “It’s funny that I’m the
only gay cast member but I end up playing the
straight guy in the closet. Playing Joe has been
like going back into the closet. It can be very
intense bringing back those feelings.”
He notes the work is challenging but
rewarding for the other cast members as well.
“All the students are very involved. This play
means a lot to us."
It seems everyone touched by this play takes
something different away from it. Back in col
lege, I took with me the knowledge that I was
n’t alone in my struggle. A few years later, I
still carry that with me, but I also leave the
performance with a newfound patience and
empathy for what being gay really means.
That’s what Kushner does. Without being
overbearing, he challenges the audience to
take a look at themselves and their own con
victions. With powerful themes and strong dia
logue, Angels manages to reach out beyond its
time pericxl and resonate with a lasting and
memorable impact. J H
A ngels in A merica : M illennium
A pproaches plays 7:30 p.m. March 7 to 16 at
Lewis & Clark College's Fir Acres Theatre.
Tickets are $3-$8 from 503-768-7495.
M ichael W ayne K eck is a Portland free-lance
writer. E-mail your thoughts and reactions to Angels
in America at michaelwaynekeck@hotmail.com.
mm
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