Spotlighters' "Perestroika": Powerful Fantasy

◊◊◊◊ 1/2 out of five.

In the 1990's, when Angels in America was first produced, it had the subtitle "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes."  The thrilling, provocative production of the second part of this epic work, Perestroika, which opened last weekend at Spotlighters Theatre, seems staged entirely with that subtitle in mind.  This production seems destined for success with the coming together of all the theatre gods - direction, technical theatre and excellent acting - at once.  Rare, indeed, so miss this production at your own peril. 

Perestroika is the more fantastical of the two plays, even if it is more grounded in reality.  This part is funnier, more "out there" and much less heavy.  Make no mistake, Tony Kushner did not go "Angels lite" this time around, it is just that the medicine he is serving goes down a bit easier than with part one, Millennium Approaches.  The play chronicles the further adventures of the Pitt family (Joe, Harper and Hannah), torn between their beliefs and affairs with gay men and Prozac.  It also details the progression of Prior Walter's AIDS, both the disease and the implications it has for the world (he, according to the Angel is a prophet), as well as his estrangement from his former lover, Louis.  Finally, the play deals with the downfall of one of America's most hated men, Roy Cohn, who is dying an agonizing death from what was then known as "the gay plague."  Pretty complicated stuff, right?  Well, on paper, yes.  But thanks to superb direction from Alexander D. Carney, and an amazing cast of seven actors, and some excellent sets, lights and music, Perestroika is clear as bell and deeply affecting. 

Carney has directed each minute moment of this epic work as if each scene were its own play (each scene kind of is…), and the amount of detail he gets from his company is astonishing.  The result is scene after scene of smoothly flowing, polished theatre, unlike pretty much any local theatre recently.  And he seems equally at home directing the more reality driven scenes as he does the more fantastic.  Some of those scenes, like when Ethel Rosenberg's ghost (Rebecca Ludwig) visits Roy Cohn (Frank Vince), are low key in action, coupled with fierce acting.  Others, where reality is the visitor, rather than the host, are larger than life.  Among these scenes are a humorous jaunt to Antarctica with Harper (Karina Ferry) and her imaginary friend, Mr. Lies (Troy Hopper), and a trip to Heaven for Prior (Shaun Gould) and the Angel (Nancy Flores).  And to really balance things, poor Louis (Chris Homberg) bounces between the fantasy-like relationship between him and Joe (RoBert Scott Hitcho) and the reality of life without his beloved Prior.  Belize (Troy Hopper), the nurse with compassion and biting sarcasm, bridges all of them together, as he plays a part in all of these stories.  That Mr. Carney gives equal weight to both types of scenes gives the entire play importance, thus making Mr. Kushner's themes and points all the more poignant and clear.  Even the scene changes, accompanied by meaningful music (skillfully provided by musical director Michael Tan) and sound effects (designed by Fred Nelson) are choreographed with an eye toward continuing the story and maintaining the fantasia atmosphere.  Here the actors change scenery and props, often dancing careful steps, while interacting non-verbally and in character.  Not a single second of this breathtaking production is wasted.

Galen Linde's lighting design, made all the more remarkable for the fact that the theatre itself is smaller than most living rooms, astonishes with its theatricality and contribution to the themes.  Fuzz Roark's simple yet lovely set design calls to mind the Greek Pantheon, the Bethesda Fountain in New York (recreated with understated beauty in the final scene), and even the cold harshness of reality, underscored by the stone motif of the painted floor and columns.  All of this suggests the epic theatre of the Greeks and the timelessness of the story under the guise of modern issues.

The only misstep in the technical aspects of this production is the costuming of the more "realistic" scenes (designed by Nan Willis), clearly, and very importantly set in the late 1980's.  Almost nothing the characters wear is from that period - thick soled tennis shoe clogs and air pocketed athletic shoes did not even exist then, for example, and yet there they are on Harper and Belize.  There are many such anomalies, and they are significant when compared to the amount of work that has gone into specifically delineating the time period and the realities of it.  The more fantastical elements are costumes most excellently designed, though - particularly the sequence that has all of Earth's Angels converging for a meeting about the "upcoming" disaster at Chernobyl.  Ms. Willis's costumes in that scene are colorful and lavish.  Her most impressive work though is creating the titular angel costume that inspires awe and is still practical for moving within the tight confines of this space. 

The biggest highlight of this production, however, is its cast - to a person spot on, and unique.  Creating five distinct characters that often appear in consecutive scenes would be a challenge to any actor, and Rebecca Ludwig does an excellent job.  Each persona is clearly developed, and easy to differentiate between simply by looking at the actor's face.  She is particularly good as Hannah Pitt, on the surface an almost unmovable force, stoic and without humor.  But underneath it all, Ms. Ludwig imbues her with flashes of warmth, anger, joy and that most human of feelings, love.  Without those subtle touches, the character could be a female Mr. Spock, happily avoided here.  Nancy Flores also plays three characters with similar success, but it is as the Angel that Ms. Flores really shines.  She is all sinew and grace, lovely and mesmerizing as an angel might be, but also somewhat dangerous and even scary.  Her interaction with her "prophet," Prior is as complex as any marriage and this actress is to be commended for finding nuance in the most cryptic of lines.

Most of Roy Cohn's scenes are spent arguing with his nurse, Belize or his "muse" Ethel Rosenberg.  Yet, even though he engages in dialogue, his prolonged speeches play more like epic soliloquies.  Frank Vince, complete with New York Jew accent, give a subtle and simultaneously bombastic performance in the role.  He, like Cohn, is a bitter pill to swallow, let alone feel for, but eventually, even though Cohn is a monster, Mr. Vince gives us just enough to chew on to make us actually care (a little bit, anyway) about his passing.  Troy Hopper, as Belize, is often his scene partner, and he gives as good as he gets.  While Belize is sort of the heart of the play, Hopper plays him with a very tough veneer.  Pain and suffering has caused Belize to throw up walls around all of his emotions, making him even somewhat cold.  But that coldness is more pragmatic than problematic.  Anyone who can get through those walls will find a strong ally and friend for life.  This is very difficult to play, and Mr. Hopper, so brilliant in last year's Dreamgirls, shows he is as at home on the dramatic stage as he is on the musical one. 

Chris Homberg, as Louis, nails the confusion and frustration of the character that enjoys the physical with his new sex partner, Joe, while fearing any emotion these unions might cause (he practically runs away when he finds that Joe has fallen in love with him).  Like most of these characters, Homberg's Louis has developed a protective shell around a very vulnerable need for love and understanding.  Homberg also brings a stirring sensuality to some rather explicit scenes.  He handles them well, making them thrive with potent sexuality, but never vulgarity.  Some of that praise must also be lavished upon RoBert Scott Hitcho, who plays these scenes with Mr. Homberg.  As Joe Pitt, Mr. Hitcho delivers a complicated performance, as first basking in the glow of happiness that comes when you can finally be who you really are, then the guilt of letting down those you love and guilt associated with religious beliefs.  Then, of course, there is the difficult push and pull of a marriage he still wants, but in which he is unhappy.  To his credit, Mr. Hitcho never lets his Joe wallow too long and never whines. 

Harper Pitt, who spends most of the play in an drug induced emotional haze caught in an emotional trap between her husband and his gay lover, her mother-in-law, and a serious chemical dependency.  Karina Ferry milks this role for all it is worth, running and jumping around the set and engaging in several pithy confrontations as she learns to become her own woman.  In lesser hands, this ferocious portrayal could become quite annoying and rather one-note.  But in Ms. Ferry we find equal parts bravura and nuance, making her Harper both frightening and pitiable, and ultimately someone you root for. 

In the pivotal role of Prior Walter, Shaun Gould offers a complicated, totally unexpected performance.  Mr. Gould plays the role unlike any other actor I've seen, without a trace of irony and almost zero flamboyance.  Gone is any hint of drag queenery or swish.  This Prior does not hide behind his feminine side.  In fact, he doesn't hide from much.  Gould's take on the character is that he is coming to terms with his own mortality and is reluctant to be any kind of universal spokesman for his people and his plight.  Naturally, that entire burden, coupled with increasingly difficult health issues causes a swirl of emotion - anger, fear, introspection, self-loathing, etc.  The result is a portrayal less about being gay, but more about being an everyman.  And, in the years subsequent to Angels' debut, we have found that AIDS is no longer a "gay plague", but rather a "human plague."  And, in Mr. Gould's fresh take, we find a troubling universality - the very one Prior seems bent on avoiding. 

In many ways, we have come far, but in so many more, we have not changed, or worse, gone backwards.  Angels in America points that out all too well. 

Angels in America: Perestroika contains sexual situations, graphic language and realistic portrayals of health issues.  Parental guidance is suggested. 

PHOTOS:  By Amy Jones, courtesy of Spotlighters Theatre.  TOP to BOTTOM: Shaun Gould and Nancy Flores: "The Great Work Begins!"; Frank Vince and Rebecca Ludwig: Ethel Rosenberg laughs at the dying Roy Cohn; Chris Homberg and RoBert Scott Hitcho: Louis seduces Joe; Karina Ferry and Troy Hopper: Harper and Mr. Lies in Antarctica; Troy Hopper and Shaun Gould: Belize and Prior.

 

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