This winter, the DePaul Theatre School has a show that transcends entertainment and becomes an experience. “Angels in America, Part Two: Perestroika,” written by Tony Kushner and directed by Jane Drake Brody, is the second installment of a brave two-part show. It is lengthy, intense and severe, but those who are willing to brave it will leave pleased and gratified.
“Angels in America” tells a winding and complex tale that is grounded in the relationship between four individuals. Joe and Harper Pitt are a young Mormon couple who are torn apart when Joe discovers he is gay and leaves his wife. He seeks refuge and love from another man named Louis, who is the ex-lover of Prior Walter, a man infected with AIDS. The play begins when an angel comes down through the roof of Prior’s bedroom and leaves him with a vision that convinces him that he is a prophet.
The tale is infused with multiple components and winding story lines, though there is some grounding force within it that never leaves the audience behind. It serves as a striking commentary on the tragic AIDS epidemic and the incredible intricacies of humanity as a whole.