'Amazing performances' mark local production of celebrated play BETSIE FREEMAN

WorldHerald Staff Writer

REVIEW

Don't let anyone convince you that Omaha doesn't have the talent to credibly produce one of the most celebrated plays in recent history.

The current show in the Howard Drew Theatre at the Omaha Community Playhouse proves that's not true.

"Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches" is rife with amazing performances, so much so that I find myself thinking about certain dramatic moments even days after seeing the show. It also has a set that rivals many you'd see in Chicago or New York City.

The 1989 script by Tony Kushner had an immediate impact on a country that had been struggling with the AIDS crisis. It has been called one of the most important plays of the 20th century and won a Pulitzer Prize, and Tony and Drama Desk Awards for best play.

It follows three stories that eventually intersect: "

■ Prior Walter (Travis Manley) and Louis Ironson (Eric Grant Leanna) are in a relationship, though Louis hasn't come out as gay to his family. When Prior announces he has AIDS, Louis can't cope with it and leaves.

■" Joe Pitt (Patrick Kilcoyne) is a Mormon Republican who works in the same judge's office as Louis. He is married to Hunter (Olivia Howard), who is agoraphobic and addicted to Valium. She suspects Joe is gay. He is offered a position in Washington, D.C., by his mentor, the notorious lawyer Roy Cohn (Brett Foster), but is reluctant to take it because Hunter doesn't want to leave New York City.

"■Cohn, meanwhile, is told he has advanced AIDS and is dying, but refuses to publicly admit the diagnosis and that he is a gay man. He claims he has liver cancer. Cohn, who has misappropriated a client's money, wants Joe in the Washington job to ensure that he is not disbarred.

In dreams, hallucinations and other ways, the characters' lives become entangled. The stories are fairly complex, and I found that even following them closely, I still didn't totally understand some of the metaphors, especially where the angel was concerned. I definitely would benefit from seeing it again, along with the second part, "Perestroika."

I also thought it was a tad long at three hours with two 15-minute intermissions. Some of the long monologues could have been shorter, although part of me thinks, "Who am I to say this about something that won so many honors?"

Some of the plot isn't as relevant now as it had been because there are far fewer AIDS cases -- and deaths -- than there were at the height of the epidemic, though HIV is still an issue. Considering that, I think the play needs to be absorbed partly as a historical piece.

But other things remain relevant, notably the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, especially in light of recent political rhetoric. So even though it's more than 35 years old, it still has something to say today.

The Playhouse production is uniformly excellent in the hands of guest director Allison Price and her well-chosen cast, which also includes Anna Dragon, Rose Glock and Wayne Hudson II.

It was a true ensemble, with outstanding work from each actor.

A few deserve special mention. As Prior, Manley so realistically portrayed someone who is in excruciating pain much of the time that I am still thinking about the agony AIDS patients must endure. The role was physically demanding; he spent a fair amount of time writhing and crawling on the floor. It was hard to watch, yet I couldn't turn away.

Howard also portrayed authentic anguish and anger as the tortured Harper -- a scene in which she confronts Joe about his sexuality was especially compelling -- and Kilcoyne was her equal as the troubled, confused and cowardly Joe.

Foster played Cohn exactly how I have pictured him in real life: a blustering, sarcastic, mean, bullying but ultimately tragic figure.

At the beginning of the play on opening night, there was a sound glitch that prevented me from understanding any of the opening speech, which was performed by Glock as a rabbi at the funeral of Louis' grandmother. But that problem, whatever it was, disappeared as the play progressed.

The set, by Cody Tellis Rutledge, was impressively otherworldly if somewhat desolate. With corners and a trap door, it ably accommodated the many scenes in the play, including apartment interiors, a synagogue, the hospital and Harper's wild hallucinations, all with few props.

And J. Isaiah Smith's wonderful music added depth to the production.

This is definitely not a show for anyone under 16 or so (and maybe even older, depending). It has brief nudity and simulated yet surprisingly realistic sex scenes. (Some might think the play wouldn't suffer without them.)

I can recommend it for everyone else, however, because it will give you a lot to ponder no matter who you are. And I suspect there's more to think about in part two, because part one leaves you hanging.

So how about it, Playhouse? Will "Perestroika" be in next season's lineup?

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