Angels in America is a play by Tony Kushner about the AIDS epidemic in the United States in the 1980s. It tells the stories of several characters who are affected by AIDS, including Prior Walter, a gay man who is diagnosed with the disease, and his lover, Louis Ironson. Other characters include Roy Cohn, a closeted gay man who is one of the architects of the AIDS crisis, and his protégé, Joe Pitt. The play takes place in New York City and covers a period of several years.
Angels in America is divided into two parts: “Millennium Approaches” and “Perestroika.” “Millennium Approaches” focuses on the characters’ individual experiences with AIDS; “Perestroika” focuses on their relationships with each other.
The play uses magic realism as well as frank depictions of sex and drug use to explore themes such as identity, love, and loss at a time when HIV/AIDS was killing tens of thousands of Americans every year.
It won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993 and has been adapted for film and television multiple times since its premiere production in 1991 at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Festival before moving to New York City later that year at Lincoln Center Theater (LCT).
