Everyone who's reading Angels, let me know when you're available and I'll see if NCW can still get us a video copy of her staged version. I think it would really benefit all of us to see it, in addition to reading it. After all, it is a play; it was meant to be seen.
I really loved this play but I have no idea what to make of it. This play focuses on everything controversial: politics, race, religion, sexuality. I was struck by the fact that this play is heavy on discussion of religion, but it didn't come across as religious. I would love to work on understanding how the whole communism/Soviet Union (Bolsheviks, Ethel Rosenberg, perestroika, Army/McCarthy hearings) fits in because I think it went over my head. Also, I thought it was interesting that the only continent that didn't have an angel in heaven (I loved that it looked like a beat-up San Francisco) was America. Also, any thoughts on the title?
Just realized that Ms. Anderton emailed us the link to the blog.
There is SO much to say and so little time! First of all, I'd like to address Maddy's comment. This is not the first time that a reference is made to streetcar! In fact, I bet that there are a ton of other references that I missed because I wasn't looking for them. In my book it's on page 65 - "Prior: Stella. Belize: Stella for star. (Blanche) Let me see. You look like shit." (that last part is NAHT a Streetcar reference)
The other quote refers to a line that Blanche says as she is being escorted out of the Kowalski household by insane asylum doctors - "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers" - in the moment, the line evokes bitter sympathy while inspiring hope at the same time. If you compare Hannah's character with Prior's character, the former - a mormon who can't accept that her son is gay, and the latter - a gay man clinging to life as he dies of AIDS, the comparison works. Hannah perhaps represents the audience's reaction as we watch Blanche say her line - we think, "Well, that's pretty dumb of her. She was just betrayed by her sister. HELLOOo." However, for people like Blanche and Prior, who really can't depend on anyone (because they are constantly left to fend for themselves), sometimes, the kind acts of strangers: nurses, doctors, even Hannah, is all they can depend on, and inspires a bit of hope in humanity. When friends turn out to be enemies, strangers step up - this relationship seems to be one of the few redeeming factors of "America" in "Angels in America."
The reference I brought up - I'm not really sure it has any real significance. I think, generally, these Streetcar references are TOTALLY appropriate, because streetcar, like Angels, explores gender roles, and most importantly, themes of reality vs. fantasy (and escape). Think of Blanche, who creates a fantasy life and drinks heavily to escape her disgraceful reality - then, think of Harper, who takes valium to escape reality, or Hannah, who denies the reality that her son is gay, or Louis, who runs away from his dying lover, or Roy, who denies that he is gay or has AIDS because he won't accept his reality. It's the same deal - characters pretending that reality doesn't exist - but as we see in the development of Angels (and in Streetcar), "When the shit hits the fan..."
Other references:
"I took the bus that I was told to take and I got off — well it was the very last stop, so I had to get off." -Hannah (Blanche)
Also, a note: Kushner is a gay playwright. Williams was also a gay playwright. Harper and Blanche both fell in love with a gay man knowing (or at least thinking) that he was gay, and try to escape the reality by pretending that it’s not there. Every line reference in Angels seems to refer to Blanche, whose struggle (as I mentioned before) mirrors, in some way, the journey of almost every character in Angels.
I think the strangers in the story, like Hannah and Emily, are much more dependable than the people Prior knows, like Louis. Everyone else has abandoned him, so he has no choice but to depend on strangers.
Also, the Angel plays far more parts than anyone else does in the story, which disproves what Louis said about there not being angels in America. I think the point of that double-casting is to show that there are angels all around us. The angel is also portrayed in a much more human, less sanctified way, which again shows how angels are a lot more common than we might think.
5 comments:
Everyone who's reading Angels, let me know when you're available and I'll see if NCW can still get us a video copy of her staged version. I think it would really benefit all of us to see it, in addition to reading it. After all, it is a play; it was meant to be seen.
Did you guys catch the Streetcar reference towards the end of Perestroika?
In my book, it's on page 271 Act 5, Scene 7.
PRIOR: I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.
HANNAH: Well, that's a stupid thing to do.
What do you guys make of this particular allusion?
I really loved this play but I have no idea what to make of it. This play focuses on everything controversial: politics, race, religion, sexuality. I was struck by the fact that this play is heavy on discussion of religion, but it didn't come across as religious. I would love to work on understanding how the whole communism/Soviet Union (Bolsheviks, Ethel Rosenberg, perestroika, Army/McCarthy hearings) fits in because I think it went over my head.
Also, I thought it was interesting that the only continent that didn't have an angel in heaven (I loved that it looked like a beat-up San Francisco) was America.
Also, any thoughts on the title?
First of all - LAWL at Maddy having a picture.
Just realized that Ms. Anderton emailed us the link to the blog.
There is SO much to say and so little time! First of all, I'd like to address Maddy's comment. This is not the first time that a reference is made to streetcar! In fact, I bet that there are a ton of other references that I missed because I wasn't looking for them. In my book it's on page 65 - "Prior: Stella. Belize: Stella for star. (Blanche) Let me see. You look like shit." (that last part is NAHT a Streetcar reference)
The other quote refers to a line that Blanche says as she is being escorted out of the Kowalski household by insane asylum doctors - "I've always depended on the kindness of strangers" - in the moment, the line evokes bitter sympathy while inspiring hope at the same time. If you compare Hannah's character with Prior's character, the former - a mormon who can't accept that her son is gay, and the latter - a gay man clinging to life as he dies of AIDS, the comparison works. Hannah perhaps represents the audience's reaction as we watch Blanche say her line - we think, "Well, that's pretty dumb of her. She was just betrayed by her sister. HELLOOo." However, for people like Blanche and Prior, who really can't depend on anyone (because they are constantly left to fend for themselves), sometimes, the kind acts of strangers: nurses, doctors, even Hannah, is all they can depend on, and inspires a bit of hope in humanity. When friends turn out to be enemies, strangers step up - this relationship seems to be one of the few redeeming factors of "America" in "Angels in America."
The reference I brought up - I'm not really sure it has any real significance. I think, generally, these Streetcar references are TOTALLY appropriate, because streetcar, like Angels, explores gender roles, and most importantly, themes of reality vs. fantasy (and escape). Think of Blanche, who creates a fantasy life and drinks heavily to escape her disgraceful reality - then, think of Harper, who takes valium to escape reality, or Hannah, who denies the reality that her son is gay, or Louis, who runs away from his dying lover, or Roy, who denies that he is gay or has AIDS because he won't accept his reality. It's the same deal - characters pretending that reality doesn't exist - but as we see in the development of Angels (and in Streetcar), "When the shit hits the fan..."
Other references:
"I took the bus that I was told to take and I got off — well it was the very last stop, so I had to get off." -Hannah (Blanche)
Also, a note: Kushner is a gay playwright. Williams was also a gay playwright. Harper and Blanche both fell in love with a gay man knowing (or at least thinking) that he was gay, and try to escape the reality by pretending that it’s not there. Every line reference in Angels seems to refer to Blanche, whose struggle (as I mentioned before) mirrors, in some way, the journey of almost every character in Angels.
I think the strangers in the story, like Hannah and Emily, are much more dependable than the people Prior knows, like Louis. Everyone else has abandoned him, so he has no choice but to depend on strangers.
Also, the Angel plays far more parts than anyone else does in the story, which disproves what Louis said about there not being angels in America. I think the point of that double-casting is to show that there are angels all around us. The angel is also portrayed in a much more human, less sanctified way, which again shows how angels are a lot more common than we might think.
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