angels in america alarm table

8/11/2019 Angels in America Alarm Table

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Angels in America Part One: Millennium ApproachesBy Tony Kushner Director Eamon Flack28 May - 27 July 2013Upstairs Theatre & Theatre RoyalA gay fantasia on national themes.

ANGELS IN AMERICA: Belvoir 2013

TECHNIQUE

EOD: SPACEIn the 2013 Belvoir production ofAngel’s in America they used a blandspace; the bricks on the wall backdrop were beige in colour andblended immediately in with thefloor; the curtain at the rear, whichoccasionally provided entrances,also blended with the beige space;and the chairs were also beige andthe beds were equally sterile incolour. It was a space that wasoverly plain in colour and wastherefore able to be painted on withlighting or costuming to change theaesthetic.

EXPLAIN

This space is spacious, thereinallowing room for all the taboothemes within the text. They beige/bland visual aesthetics make no judgement on the content and leaveroom for an audience to decide howthey feel about the characters andthe issues they are experiencingwithin their lives.

ANALYSE

Kushner’s challenging writing style

addresses issues in society that hebelieved needed to be heard, theaudience/ viewer of this productionis allowed the time and “space” toconsider what they are presentedwith, it is formal; like a well-constructed debate, where each sideis respectful of the opposingopinions but determined to presenttheir ideas.

APPRECIATE

Tragedy is issue based theatre anddoes not necessarily present positiveoutcomes; however, it does openforums of discussion within society.It is like a debate in which theaudience member themselves is theadjudicator who must decide whatthey believe.

TECHNIQUE

EOP: LIGHTINGThe lighting in this production

EXPLAIN

This scene allows the “magical

ANALYSE

Kushner overlaps realities several

APPRECIATE

Tragic heroes have their fate



completely transforms theexpectations of the spectator, Theyare observing a production that hasfairly regular lighting and areasonably realistic stage space and

then the lighting floods the stagewith a dramatic splash of blue light.This is the final scene in theproduction, in which the Angel“arrives” to directly communicatewith Prior.

realism” the seep into theproduction as the fairly regularsetting and stage are now overcome,as they all become a projectionscreen for the Angels entrance. Even

her costume is overcome with bluelight; therefore creating an imagewhere Prior has now entered “herworld”.

times within the text, using setpieces bursting up through the floorand the Angel breaking through theceiling. In this production theaudience have experienced a softer

transformation of space as it isencompassed by light rather thanbeing broken and forever changed,the use of lighting allows for theworld to cross but return to theiroriginal state. There by show howher magic can affect this world butalso leave it.

enacted upon the by higher powers,it is an inescapable situation. Societyunderstands the frailty of humanityand how different things can beenacted upon individuals and groups

of people. Tragedy highlights thiswell-known truth.



ANGELS IN AMERICA: PART ONE WOLLONGONG UNIVERSITY BCA 2010 PACT THEATRE in ERSKINEVILLE DIRECTED BY: TIM MADDOCK AND CHRIS RYAN.

TECHNIQUE

EOD: Role & Character

In the university of Wollongongproduction of Angel’s in Americathey separated the character of the“Angel” into three, separating thetext and making the speechdisjointed and allowing the threewomen to haunt the space atdifferent times in the production.The women were not fully seen untilthe end of the production.

EXPLAIN

This separating of the character

gives the role more power, thecharacter appears omniscient andother worldly. Her speech isdisjointed and therefore she is alsoseparated from the world of peopleas she requires three distinctlydifferent voices to communicatefully.

ANALYSE

The audience gather that she is an

all-powerful being by her universalpresence in the space. She crossestimes and adds to the post-dramaticstyle of the text. Kushner strived tocreate a magical realism and here inthis production the audience canrecognise how the worlds of “higherpowers” and reality collide.

APPRECIATE

Tragedy carries an element of

seeking, these characters are allseeking some kind of fulfilment inlife and it is ironic that they a rethemselves followed by Angels.There is a real “God is Dead”aesthetic in this play that adds to thetragedy of the human condition asthey live in hope and anticipation ofsome form of joyful afterlife but findout there is none on offer. Tragedyshows the struggle with this all too

real concept and encourages societyto question the reality of theirexistence too.

TECHNIQUE

EOP: SETIn the university of Wollongong

EXPLAIN

The set contains some literal

ANALYSE

Kushner wanted a text that would

APPRECIATE

Tragedy transforms the lives of a



production of Angel’s in America t heset is a transformational set. There isnothing overly special about setspace: On stage right sits a large pileof clothing, taller than any person;

across the rear of the stage theyhave hung a plastic sheet scrim; andeverything else comes and goes.They bring on IV drips, use whitebenches as beds, have a variety ofchairs that both lie down and standupright and lighting is used to focuseach stage moment.

elements that tell the audience inwhat time and place the action ishappening; however for most of theshow the audience must suspenddisbelief as they travel from an office

space, through to a hospital and intoHarper and Joe’s home only usingwhat is available on stage. This isuseful because there are no overlyclunky set changes to take awayfrom that fast paced rhythm of thispiece.

express a “fantasia on gay themes”this interpretation access’ that byusing a space that becomessomewhat magical in how it movesthrough time and place. It is like a

canvas on which a story can bepainted and the audience canimagine beyond the action.

whole society and Kushner is tryingto represent numerous tragedieswithin our society. That is, thenegative way we treat homosexuals;the way religion confines people’s

individuality; the way politicscrushes the humanity within thepolitical players; and how AIDSaffected the entire world. Kushner’splay expresses Tragedy in a universalway that can be felt across society’s ages, sexes and creeds. He hascreated a text that can transforminto a real story for the “everyhuman” and UOW brought thistransformation to life in their set.

TECHNIQUE

EOP: LIGHTINGIn the university of Wollongongproduction of Angel’s in Americathey used both darkness and light toseparate scenes, and allow them tocross over one another. In Angelsthere are many scenes that occurconcurrently and UOW managed thisthrough lighting. Lighting would

define space, time, become alocation itself and become a part ofthe character of the Angel.

EXPLAIN

This allowed the audience tounderstand the immediate scenetransitions as they were guided bythe lighting. It also gave the Angel asometimes haunting aspect as hershadow appears and a gloriousradiance in her final and fullappearance.

ANALYSE

Kushner intended to use large anddramatic stage effects, like the biblebursting through the floor and theroof bursting open. Lighting allowedfor a different and softerinterpretation that was moreappropriate to a universityproduction budget. The Lighting inthe final scene created a column of

light that shone from the ceiling andwithout having the ceiling crackopen allowed the audience tounderstand the other worldlycharacteristics of the Angel.

APPRECIATE

Tragedy is a grandiose form oftheatre, travelling from theauditorium style of performance inthe Dionysus festival and movingtowards a contemporary grandeurwith large special effects aided bymodern technology. This grand styleof presentation demonstrates theincredible theatrics required to deal

with and present these tragic tales inan appropriate way for society tocomprehend and enjoy.

angels in america alarm table

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