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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Angels in America: Perestroika Also see Gil's reviews of Into the Woods , Alfie Boe with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra, and Angels in America: Millennium Approaches
Perestroika begins pretty much exactly where Millennium ends, with the Angel having crashed through Prior's bedroom ceiling, telling him that he is a prophet and that "the Great Work begins." The AIDS-stricken Prior wants nothing to do with the Angel, especially once he finds out that she hasn't come to save him. Ravaged by AIDS and on death's door in the hospital, Roy Cohn is in even worse shape than Prior when he finds out that he is also about to be disbarred. Prior's former lover Louis, who abandoned him because he couldn't deal with Prior's illness, ends up having an affair with Joe, the closeted Republican Mormon, while Joe's pill popping wife Harper is still having hallucinatory dreams, including one where she chews down a pine tree. Yet Kushner manages to bring all of these self-absorbed, fractured, yet still likable individuals together as a new version of a "family" dealing with crisis when Prior's friend the nurse Belize ends up caring for Cohn, and Joe's Mormon mother Hannah ends up doing the same for Prior. It is the sense of compassion that comes through strongest in Kushner's play as well as how assumptions we make of others don't always prove to be truthful. Director Damon Dering's cast has grown in their roles since their debut of Millennium last week. As Prior, Drew Swaine is simply stellar in the part. He throws himself into the role of this man who refuses to have any self-pity and never lets the illness get in the way of his comical view of life and his determination to soldier on. He make be sick but his role as a prophet has energized him. The sense of compassion and honesty that KatiBelle Collins brings to Hannah is very moving. Mike Largent allows us to see the sadness and passion that Louis feels, and the scene in which he and Collins, as Ethel Rosenberg, deliver the Kaddish for Cohn is deeply touching. Vickie Hall effectively displays the clarity that Harper encounters through her Valium-induced haze, now that she knows the truth of what is going on with her life, while also having a firm grip on reality. Raheem De'Angelo's instills Belize with a strength and dignity even while caring for Cohn, while Cohn taunts him with hateful statements. De'Angelo has a wicked sense of humor as well as a good sense of comic timing and delivery. Pat Russel's Cohn is less nasty than before, which makes sense as he is close to death, but Russel still manages plenty of negative outbursts of rage as well as one moment that is especially hilarious. One of my major complaints with Perestroika is that Kushner doesn't quite seem to know what to do with Joe, which means that Thomas Hicks has less of a character arc to play than the rest of the characters, though he still manages to show us the small changes that Joe makes. Brandi Bigley makes for a forceful Angel as well as a caring and matter of fact nurse. Dering does a good job in keeping his actors focused, even with the multiple characters some play, and keeps the over three hour play moving along, but even he can't do much to help with a few of Kushner's scenes that seem unnecessary or overly long. The same small issues I had last week with the set design are less noticeable now, though some of the scene changes are still a bit noisy due to the natural noise that the raised wooden platforms and picnic tables make when being walked upon or moved. Unfortunately, those noises sometimes detract from the actors who are speaking in scenes happening at the same time, since they aren't wearing microphones. While Perestroika isn't quite as good a play as the first part, it concludes with a rewarding ending with most of the characters experiencing a feeling of self-awareness as well as forgiveness. While seeing Angels in America today doesn't have quite the emotional impact it did back when it first premiered in the early 1990s, Nearly Naked Theatre's production is admirable, with a good cast, clear direction, and fine creative elements. At the very end of Perestroika, Prior speaks to the audience and delivers a message of hope, repeating the statement the Angel said to him: "the great work begins." Even though it's been over 20 years since I first heard that call to action, it remains as moving today as it did then. Angels in America runs through June 20th, 2015, with performances at Phoenix Theatre's Hormel Theatre at 100 E. McDowell in Phoenix. Tickets can be purchased by calling (602) 254-2151 or at nearlynakedtheatre.org. Director: Damon Dering Cast:
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