- Critic James Fisher claims that “Belief in progress, in compassion, in the
transformative power of love, in true community is the religion Kushner offers
for the new millennium.” Students might analyze Angels in America from the
perspective of each belief in Fisher’s quotation to gauge its accuracy. Students
could also determine how these beliefs constitute a religion of sorts. A precise
definition of “religion” is a necessary element of the analysis. - Consider discussing the ways in which Angels in America is not only a gay/
AIDS play but also a drama about discrimination on the basis of gender, race,
and religion, as well as sexual orientation. Part of this discussion might profit-
ably focus on the moral message concerning bigotry and tolerance. See the
four essays grouped under the heading “‘I I I I’: Identities in Angels,” in Geis
and Kruger, pp. 103–169. - A major character in both parts of Angels in America is the conservative
lawyer Roy Cohn. (He also appears in Kushner’s short play G. David Schine
in Hell [1996].) As Kushner notes in the similarly worded disclaimers in
Millennium Approaches and Perestroika, he based Cohn on a real person of
that name and attributed to the stage version acts committed by him. The
playwright states, however, that the Cohn of Angels is “a work of fiction; his
words are my invention, and liberties have been taken.” Research the life of
the real Cohn, including his homosexuality and his role in the espionage
trial of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg (also in Angels in America). How much
artistic license does Kushner exercise in drawing his Cohn? To what extent,
and how, does he succeed in making Cohn a believable, three-dimensional,
dynamic—even appealing—character? To what degree is he flat and static?
How accurate is it to label him the villain of Angels in America? Sources to
consult include Nicholas von Hoffman, Citizen Cohn (New York: Double-
day, 1978); Michael Cadden, “Strange Angel: The Pinklisting of Roy
Cohn,” in Geis and Kruger, Approaching the Millennium, pp. 78–89; Atsushi
Fujita, “Queer Politics to Fabulous Politics: Pinklisting and Forgiving Roy
Cohn,” in James Fisher, ed., Tony Kushner: New Essays on the Art and Politics
of the Plays (2006), pp. 112–136.
RESOURCES
Primary Work
Robert Vorlicky, ed., Tony Kushner in Conversation (Ann Arbor: University of
Michigan Press, 1998).
Twenty-two interviews that present Kushner’s interests, opinions on social and
political issues, and other topics.
Criticism
Harold Bloom, ed., Tony Kushner (Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2005).
Collects eleven essays about Angels in America and other plays as historical, epic,
gay, Jewish, and medieval drama.