Angels in America
at Friends' Central School

Reviewed on October 24, 2014

Lucy Silbaugh
Abington Friends School
Submitted for publication to Inquirer-1

A dramatic exploration of sexuality, AIDS, and mental illness, Angels in America is not your usual high school theatre production, but the talented students of Friends' Central School took to the challenge with gusto.

Winner of the 1993 Tony Award for Best play, the 1993 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play, and the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (among others!), Tony Kushner's Angels in America is widely considered to be a monumental work of theatre. The play draws a detailed web of lives -- from AIDS victims to volatile lawyers to hallucinating Mormon wives -- casting light on the painful secrets and sheltered truths of gay men in 1980s America.

Friends' Central's production of this play was ambitious, astonishing, and poignant. Rooted in the accomplishments of its exceptional lead actors and actresses, the performance shimmered with nuance, showcased especially in the seamless transitions between magic and reality. The spare set and the actors' masterful pacing drew pain from the simplest moments and gave silences thunderous weight.

Spectacular lead performances included Julian Shapiro-Barnum as Prior Walter and Grace Kauffman-Rosengarten as the dazed Harper Pitt. Shapiro-Barnum's assured deliverance of lines and harrowing depiction of pain brought the audience to tears; Pitt struck the perfect balance of humor and tragedy in her portrayal of the mentally unstable Mormon housewife. Also notable was the stunning performance of Elliot Davis as Roy M. Cohn. Davis delivered each line as if pulling back a new layer on the onion of his character, divulging for the audience a precise and comprehensive spectrum of emotion: rage and irritation, defeat and sorrow and denial. Each footstep and shrug seemed planned and crucial. In short, he crackled.

Additionally, Sahva Gebrehiwet and Rose Gendelman sparkled in their scenes, providing much-needed comic relief as Mr. Lies and Ethel Rosenberg, respectively. Although the cast as a whole seemed to lose energy as the play progressed, all of the performers shouldered the enormous tragedy of the subject with integrity, maturity, and jarring profundity.

Technical flourishes enhanced an already strong production. For example, the cyan cyclorama imbued the production with a glowing haze and a magical mood. Bright red lights and swirling celestial images underscored the dramatic peaks of the play; impressive wing-like swooshing sounds gave the impression that an angel truly was descending. The occasional addition of beautiful student-composed music (Rebecca Buxbaum and Derin Caglar) reinforced the contemplative mood of the piece.

Overall, Friends Central produced a marvelous interpretation of a very challenging and provocative work. The theatrical prowess of the performers, as well as their evident understanding of the subject matter, contributed to an unforgettably poignant experience.

Eli Russell
Abington Friends School
Submitted for publication to Inquirer-2

"Greetings Prophet! The great work begins! The Messenger has arrived!" This declaration epitomizes the bold and courageous tone of Friends' Central School's production of Angels in America. Friends' Central students did great work with very difficult material, ultimately producing a beautiful and provocative work of theatre.

Tony Kushner's monumental play Angels in America premiered to critical acclaim in 1991, winning the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1993 and 1994 Tony Awards for Best Play (it was originally produced in two parts). What begins as an examination of two New York City couples evolves into an epic of intersecting fantasies, magical realism, and much more.

As one of the first plays to demand an open conversation about homosexuality and AIDS, Angels in America is an ambitious undertaking for a high school, but the students at Friends' Central proved to be up to the challenge.

Julian Shapiro-Barnum (Prior Walter), Lior Wolf (Louis Ironson), Kellan Barr (Joe Pitt), and Grace Kauffman-Rosengarten (Harper Pitt) led the cast. All four actors skillfully portrayed their complex and challenging characters. Shapiro-Barnum and Kauffman-Rosengarten were particularly notable for their ability to transition between humor and tragedy in a matter of seconds.

A large supporting cast energized the show. Elliot Davis, who played Roy M. Cohn, had great stage presence and fully explored his emotional range. Other standout performances included the hilarious Grant McCord as Belize and the entertaining Rose Gendelman as Ethel Rosenberg. At some points, actors reached the emotional climaxes of their scenes too early, but the cast as a whole did a tremendous job in this challenging endeavor.

The show was also boosted by solid technical elements. Simple, white set pieces and costumes lent an apt angelic aura to the production, while original music composed by students Derin Caglar and Rebecca Buxbaum created more than a few magical moments. The use of projections contributed to the show's ambiance and simplified otherwise complicated transitions.

Friends' Central School's production of Angels in America was hilarious and heartbreaking, often at the same time. Despite occasional losses of momentum, every cast member in this ambitious production impressed with their courage and commitment, collectively creating a beautiful and powerful night at the theatre.

Olivia Avery
Abington Friends School
Submitted for publication to Mainline Media News

"Angels in America: Millenium Approaches" is the first part of the trilogy written by Tony Kushner, which discuss the AIDS epidemic in the 1980's and how those living with AIDS in America at that time, specifically in New York City, were perceived both by themselves and others.

Within the first few minutes of this performance at Friends' Central, it became very clear that this play was not about to hold anything back, and that the actors were truly putting all the had into their individual roles, and the cast as a whole. Not only did the actors impress, but the technical elements of the production were stellar. And while this is an ambitious play to even attempt in a high school setting, Friends' Central appeared to have tackled this goal head on and to have come out with a win.

Elliot Davis playing Roy M. Cohn, a lawyer who has contracted HIV, was a perfect example of giving the character all that he had, especially throughout the first act. He managed to seamlessly transition his character through bouts of rage to his next ecstatic line. Another exemplary example was Grace Kauffman-Rosengarten playing Harper Pitt, a mormon woman who struggles with an addiction to Valium, which sometimes produces hallucinations that the audience experiences with her. She managed to portray a woman who was very obviously not in her natural state, while not overdoing the character or simply portraying her as insane. Julian Shapiro-Barnum, playing Prior Walter, a gay man struggling with AIDS, was entertaining to watch, and simultaneously heart-breaking. The audience watched Prior deal with the illness and with his partner Louis Ironson (played by Lior Wolf) deal with what could become the loss of a loved one. Neither one of the actors made his character appear too stereotypical while still bringing life into the character.

The set was simple, several shapes made of what appeared to be a wood frame, covered in white fabric, mimicking the New York City skyline, with projections cast upon them which helped prevent confusion throughout the show, and an alluring mural done by Shira Prusky. The simplicity made the set adaptable to many different settings, which is essential in this show, and was ultimately, stunning.

While some would argue that Angels in America is not meant to be done by high schoolers, Friends' Central pulled it off in a way that was captivating, and truly impressive.

Sarah McKellar
Ridley High School
Submitted for publication to The Ticket

In response to the AIDS epidemic that swept the nation during the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan declared, "My criticism is that the gay movement isn't just asking for civil rights; it's asking for recognition and acceptance of an alternative lifestyle which I do not believe society can condone, nor can I." There is no doubt that this statement would experience a massive uproar if it were said in modern day society.

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes is a 1993 Pulitzer Prize-winning play in two parts, Millenium Approaches, and Perestroika by American playwright Tony Kushner. It deals with homosexuality, AIDS, religion, and the decadence of society in modern times.

Performed at Friends Central School on October 24th, the production has scenes from both parts of the original productions. The play opens with Louis, a gay Jew, learning that his boyfriend, Prior Walter, has AIDS. As the play and Prior's illness progresses, Louis becomes unable to cope with the emotional stress and moves out. Meanwhile, closeted gay, Mormon Joe Pitt, a law clerk in the same office where Louis holds a clerical job, is offered a major job opportunity by his mentor, the McCarthyist lawyer Roy Cohn. Joe doesn't immediately take the job because he feels he has to check with his Valium-addicted, agoraphobic wife, Harper, who is unwilling to move. Roy is deeply closeted himself, and soon discovers that he has AIDS. Prior is visited by ghosts throughout the plot and by an angel who proclaims him to be a prophet.

The heartbreakingly beautiful character of Prior Walter was played by Julian Shapiro-Barnum. His portrayal of a man with debilitating AIDS was both spunky, and moving. Lior Wolf, playing his lover Louis, filled the neurotic character with charisma and spark, especially in his lengthy monologues pertaining to politics. Another standout included Elliot Davis playing the right-wing, infamous lawyer Roy Cohn. His boundless energy, even up until an attack on his immune system, seemed to grow exponentially every scene. Grace Kauffman-Rosengarten's appearance as a pill-popper Harper Pitt was very reminiscent of Lady Macbeth's sleepwalking scene, and Ophelia's descent into insanity. Her depiction was honest, raw, and at times, frightening.

This show is extremely difficult to pull off, in terms of the emotion, and the maturity of the subject matter. The production crew pulled this off seamlessly. Clad in white, the crew moved the minimal sets on and off efficiently. In the most technical scene, where the angel appears and flaps her wings, the crew coalesced, and it went off without a hitch. Original music was written by Derin Caglar and Rebecca Buxbaum, and added to the mood in every scene. Samara Bradley sang a beautiful rendition of "Hallelujah."

The costumes however, could have been a bit more intriguing. Some characters wore the same outfit almost the entire time, and the results were on the bland side.

All in all, the groundbreaking performance was well done and was extremely emotion-filled, pulling at the heartstrings. Congratulations to the cast and crew on an outstanding performance.

Jane Mentzinger
Westtown School
Submitted for publication to News of Delaware County

Friends' Central took a big risk when they chose to stage Angels in America. Their daring move paid off big time. The play challenges the audience to reexamine attitudes about difference and health threats.

Angels in America, written by Tony Kusher in 1991, tackles the pain of characters dealing with repressed homosexuality and AIDS. In its entirety, Angels in America is a two-part show that runs seven hours. Friends' Central performed a slightly abbreviated first part and the ending of the second part. Angels in America won both the Tony and the Pulitzer prizes but has been performed rarely by a high school. Kudos to Friends' Central. Without a brave student body, this show would have been impossible.

Friends' Central flawlessly executed the frenzied scene shifts. The rapid-fire production required organization and precision. The pace would occasionally slow to allow the actors to more intimately connect with the audience. The frenetic scenes reflected the anger, and the slower ones the pain of isolated, desperate characters. All cast members handled the mature material with sensitivity and finesse. Angels in America will most likely be the most challenging student production of the year.

Grace Kauffman-Rosengarten brilliantly portrayed Harper Pitt, a hallucinogenic drug addict. The character required drama, but Kauffman-Rosengarten gave her life without going over-the-top. Julian Shapiro-Barnum gave an equally strong, and at times quite funny, performance as Prior Walter, a gay man dealing with AIDS. In one of the last scenes, Shapiro-Barnum, delirious from his medications, talks to an angel, begging for more time on earth. The actor impressively conveyed the terror of impending death. Additionally, Lior Wolf, as Louis Ironson, gave a praiseworthy performance.

Friends' Central has a deep bench. The supporting cast was excellent. Elliot Davis (Roy Cohn), Moira Zerbe (homeless woman), Rose Gendelman (Ethel Rosenberg), and Grant McCord (Belize), stood out in the universally strong ensemble.

The background lighting constantly changed to innovatively reflect the mood of the scenes. The stage crew, surprisingly dressed in white to represent angels, became part of the show. Students Derin Caglar and Rebecca Buxbaum composed the show's music, which was performed by an accomplished student orchestra. With live, original music, Friends' Central made the show their own.

Reliving the tragic AIDS hysteria of the 1980's might temper our response to the current Ebola crisis. This powerful production of Angels in America is welcome and timely.