‘Angels’ in Pittsburgh hit the stage

‘ ‘ ‘ In the pursuit of excellence on stage, The Pitt Repertory Theatre is not afraid of a… ‘ ‘ ‘ In the pursuit of excellence on stage, The Pitt Repertory Theatre is not afraid of a challenge and a little controversy. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ And with the final show of its season, Tony Kushner’s magnum opus ‘Angels in America,’ it is certainly fighting against both. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Starting Friday, Feb. 20, Pitt’s premier theater ensemble will stage part one of the epic play, ‘Millennium Approaches,’ with part two, ‘Perestroika,’ to be performed in April. The two parts have separate directors and casts, save for two of the teacher artists playing Roy Cohn and Ethel Rosenberg, who appear in both. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Set in the 1980s and subtitled ‘A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,’ the play weaves the narratives of a wide assortment of characters dealing with the emergence of the AIDS crisis in the time of Reaganomics. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We talked about doing it for over a year, and the original reason we wanted to is because it is a very important play ‘mdash; one of the most important of the 20th century,’ said director Holly Thuma, a Pitt teaching artist. ‘It’s a real challenge for the actors and a good learning experience for them.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Throughout its more than three-hour running time, stories involving real-life figures Roy Cohn and Ethel Rosenberg are intertwined with those of a not-so-happily married Mormon couple, a nurse who happens to be a drag queen, a struggling gay couple and, of course, a couple of angels. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The emphasized themes are vast and encompassing ‘mdash; from AIDS’ effect on America and what it meant to be gay in the 1980s to more abstract, yet never underemphasized, ideas like the power of love and human interconnectedness, the play has a little bit of everything. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For Thuma, the play’s array of sociopolitical commentary could not be more relevant in our post-Bush political climate. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I want the audience to walk out thinking about the issues raised in the play,’ she said. ‘It’s about a very crucial time in history. Though it’s 2009, we still have a ways to go as far as civil rights and acceptance with the homosexual community.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ This is the first time the play has been performed in Pittsburgh in its entirety [with both parts] since the national Broadway tour in 1995. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Because of the extensive technical work required to put on the show, as well as its more than three-hour length per part, it’s understandable that the show is infrequently performed, and yet Thuma can’t think of a more appropriate time. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We have the design and tech staff right now required for the whole thing, and we thought, ‘If we are gonna do it, we are gonna do it big,” she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Thuma acknowledged the difficulty in staging the show with a group of actors who are not studying theater at a conservatory level. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘We have students from all sorts of majors, from English to biology, so it can be a challenge [for the actors] trying to balance the material of the play with maintaining a high GPA,’ she said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ One such student is John Graham, a senior communications major who considers theater his true passion. In the production, Graham plays Prior Walter, a gay man trying to salvage his relationship after discovering he is HIV-positive. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘I was thrilled when I found out we were doing ‘Angels,’ because I love the play,’ he said. ‘I was surprised because it is such a mammoth production, but I was never worried.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ To earn the part, Graham endured ‘the most intense auditioning process of my time at Pitt. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ At times, it felt like ‘American Idol.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever had, acting wise. Dealing with the material is incredibly draining, but I want to do the play justice. It’s the most pressure I’ve ever felt to do well,’ he said. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In order to balance out the overwhelming nature of the material, Graham said that loosening up and joking around with the tight-knit cast backstage is a big help, along with relaxing with his iPod at the end of the day. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Thuma understands the potential strain such a thematic show can have on actors, but she said it’s been a more positive experience than anything. ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It’s the kind of material you love to work on because you can sink your teeth into it. Actors love it, even if it’s a little disturbing sometimes,’ she said. ‘The cast is wonderful. I can’t stress enough how much effort is going into the production from the entire department.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Graham emphasized the spectacular technical aspects of the show and thinks the ‘lighting design, sets, music ‘mdash; everything ‘mdash; goes above and beyond what anyone could expect. It’s going to blow people away.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The play illustrates the idea that everyone is inexorably connected to one another, even if it’s in an unusual way,’ said Thuma. ‘I hope students walk out with an understanding that homosexual love is as valid as any love. Two men kissing on stage is as romantic and beautiful as any love could be.’ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The show is playing at the Charity Randall Theatre and student tickets are $12.