Towson University: "Angels" Takes Flight

It is truly ambitious of the Towson University Department of Theatre Arts to mount both parts of Tony Kushner's epic, Angels in America.  What a fantastic learning experience in all aspects – this is modern theatre with all of the classical trappings.  Larger than life fantasy sequences, multiple, edgy plotlines, and enough politics to keep all sides happy makes Angels ripe for the learning.  Part one, Millennium Approaches, which opened last Friday, and part two, Perstroika, which opens this Friday, features two completely different casts and directors, which gives even more students a chance to play  in what is probably the single most important work of the late 20^th century.  Millennium Approaches, directed by Peter Wray, is a mostly hit, somewhat miss production, due largely to important miscasting and what feels like a serious lack of true understanding of the history of the material.

In a lot of ways, Millennium feels a tad dated, even though its major themes are sadly as relevant as ever.  Much of the play is mired down in Reagan/Republican bashing and such politics that only make sense if you lived then, and makes even less sense in the hands of some very talented young people who say the lines right, but with none of the deeper understanding of the history they are portraying.  This is somewhat surprising given that TU has a dramaturgy club and the program is chock full of background material to help the largely college age crowd in attendance.  After nearly three hours, I'd be willing to bet that very few in the audience really understood the implications of the Reagan era ignorance, manipulation and illegalities portrayed.  Another way the play seems dated is that today's youth only know a world where safe sex is a common place term (albeit largely ignored) and one can live relatively comfortably with HIV and AIDS for years.  Not knowing how life was when no one knew where AIDS came from and the media fueled culture of fear really informs how they are playing the AIDS scenes.  In a way, I'm jealous of their lack of understanding.  But I remember all too clearly walking the halls of TU in the mid 1980's terrified that I might catch the dreaded disease – every bruise and pimple scrutinized for fear that it might be a lesion.  That undercurrent of fear and epic tension is largely missing from the production, though I give the entire company much credit for even the attempt.

Mr. Wray's staging is fluid and virtually non-stop as scenes float in and out of view on the moving platforms of Daniel Ettinger's appropriately epic set.  The fluidity of the scenes is added to by a nearly cinematic cross fade of lighting and sound effects, designed by Jay Herzog and Chas Marsh, respectively.  Keeping things moving is a great asset to this piece, which despite tight direction and excellent timing still feels long (I felt exactly the same way when I saw it on Broadway).  Ettinger has created a setting that is both intimate and epic – much like the play itself.  A large, glowing panorama of the Manhattan skyline looms over all of the set.  The platforms which glide on and off are set with specific set pieces that immediately give us time and place, and without the need for much thought after, allowing the focus to be on the players.  All of this is set atop an expansive, stepped platform which reaches entirely across the entire wide stage of the space, creating a sort of coliseum-like feel entirely appropriate for the epic, sweeping Greek tragedy feel of the play.  Herzog's lighting is moody and evocative, and when occasionally paired with Marsh's eerie sound effects, gives the fantasy scenes a spectral, gooseflesh inducing aura.

The pivotal role of Roy Cohn is somewhat diminished by the lack of history the production has as mentioned above.  Unfortunately, the role is diminished even further by a woefully miscast Michael Carothers, who is in completely over his head.  It is apparent from his first entrance that he is tenuously holding onto the larger than life qualities of the man – the blustering, posturing and spiteful arrogance.  The result is a one dimensional portrayal of a very complicated man.  At no point is Carothers imposing, scary or even really mean.  He is, occasionally, cocky in that college actor kind of way, which is a shame because he has a real opportunity to do some tough work here.  It would help, however, if he had a full mastery of his lines, which he went up on many times during the opening performance.  Had he a better grasp on the character, he never would have had that "deer in the headlights" look – heaven knows Roy Cohn would never let us see him sweat.

In much smaller roles, an equally unimpressive William Shelton diminishes the role for Belize, friend and confidante to two of the main characters.  He is literally unintelligible.  I understood not one word of his performance.  His scenes as Harper's hallucinatory tour guide may as well have been done like a silent film, so in effective is his projection.  Only his stereotypical flailing around and almost insultingly gay costumes garnered any kind of reaction from the audience, who was otherwise thoroughly engaged throughout.

Oddly, the effect of that miscasting is actually to the benefit of the rest of the cast, which has really brought their "A Game" to the table (minding of course the overall lack of history).  Harper and Joe Pitt, the struggling Mormon couple – he with a deeply hidden secret, and she with a Valium addiction, are played with startling maturity by Jaclyn Keough and Brandon Beatty.  Their connection seems so real – the details of their interaction reflect a genuine gift on both their parts.  At first, she has the much showier part, what with hallucinations, wild rants and emotional episodes.  It is to Miss Keough's credit that she keeps her performance grounded and very real, even when she thinks she's in Antarctica, parka and all.  Her fears of reality and of her husband are achingly realistic.  Mr. Beatty's Joe is at first a doormat at the office, though a rock solid keeper of the faith, grounded in the Mormon teachings.  Soon enough, though, when he is confronted by his inner demons in the person of an "out" homosexual, Beatty begins the slow, steady crumbling of the rock solid man Joe thinks he is.  So understated is Beatty's wonderful performance that it is as if we and he are making personal revelations together.  Joe Pitt's firm grasp of his faith, it turns out, is a desperate clinging.  Bravos to both fine young actors.

In the challenging roles of lovers Louis and Prior, Robert D. Selman and Will Parquette give a strange first impression, which is not entirely their fault.  Both young men are diminutive in size and have boyish looks.  Therefore, when they first appear – Prior at his drag queenly best, and Louis, an emotional mess of gay nerves – it feels like we are watching little kids play dress up.  However, that impression is fleeting within minutes; one sees that both have created very full characters.  They are at their best when they are together – the quiet moments in bed talking, holding each other are very real, and their screaming matches full of rage, fear and pain are powerfully moving.  They portray the love of life partners beautifully.  Separately, they suffer a bit.  Parquette is not that successful at being a drag queen – wig cap and boa do not a queen make.  He spouts lines from such gay favorites as Sunset Boulevard, but with little conviction (has he even seen the film?  He may want to revisit it…) However, as Prior's health fails and he is left alone, Parquette really comes into his own, with blistering delivery and tearful anguish.  Selman really nails the geekishness of Louis, and is so genuine in his emotions.  There are times, though, when the actor looks visibly uncomfortable (notably and understandably during an anonymous sex encounter scene) and others where he seems to have run out of steam altogether.  Still, the minute the two are back together, sparks fly.

Kasey Glorioso and Taylor Craig are called upon to create several characters, and do so very well.  Both actresses create vividly different people, be they aging rabbis, nurses or Washington bigwigs.  Miss Glorioso is particularly good in her role as Joe Pitt's mother, a hard woman who comes to New York to save her sinning son.  And Miss Craig scores with her caring nurse character – her empathy is palpable.  She also is quite imposing as the Angel unseen until the final moment of the play.  Her vocal warnings that she is coming are powerful and even a little scary. 

Her final entrance is a reminder of all that is right with this mostly terrific, beautifully staged masterpiece.  When the Angel appears floating above in a bright beautiful light, it is the perfect coming together of all elements of theatre.  Wings spread, power in her voice, with lights, sound and costume to match her magnificence, it is then that we see the power of this production.  True, the focus has changed and a lot of it feels like old news, but when this play is good it is really excellent.

 

Angels in America: Millennium Approaches plays the following schedule at Towson University: Saturday, April 21 at 8PM, Sunday, April 22 at 2PM, Thursday, April 26 at 8PM, Friday, April 27 at 8PM, Tuesday, May 1 at 8PM, Wednesday, May 2 at 8PM, and Saturday, May 5 at 2PM.  Patrons will be able to see both parts of Angels in America together on Saturday, May 5, as Perestroika will be performed on Saturday, May 5 at 8PM.

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