Perestroika: Angels in America Pt. 2: Reforming and Restructuring at Ritz Theatre Company

by Stephen Kreal

On Sunday, June 8th, I went to see the matinee performance of Angels in America: Perestroika at the Ritz Theater in Oaklyn. This production is the second half of the two-part story; the Ritz produced part 1 several months ago. The plays are written so that either play can be produced in isolation. Director Matthew Weil cast both plays with the exact same (outstanding) cast for both productions. The Ritz also included a summary page of the events of part one in the program (thank you, Ritz Theater!). The play is set in the second half of the 1980’s, but I assure you that it is relevant to events today.

Angels in America: Perestroika was first produced in 1992, and made its Broadway debut in 1993. In 2003 it was made into a six-part miniseries for HBO, directed by Mike Nichols. The cast included Al Pacino (as Roy Cohn), Mary Louise Parker (as Harper Pitt), Meryl Streep (Ethel Rosenberg/Hannah Pitt/Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz /Angel Australia), and Emma Thompson (Nurse Emily/homeless woman/Angel America), among other notable actors. The miniseries won numerous awards, including multiple Prime Time Emmys and Golden Globe Awards, among others. It maintains very high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes even now. It is a complex work with separate vignettes that sometimes intersect.

The production was presented “black box”-style, meaning there was no set and props were minimal. The scene changes were mostly quick and accompanied by original music from the highly talented local musician Nick French, with assistance from Sara Weinstein. Music was minimalist and helped set the tone for the scenes. Lighting designed by Jen Donsky, was highly effective at establishing the tone of individual scenes. The lighting booms were at opposite ends of the long, rectangular stage and shined across the stage. Lighting was used with great effect! We cannot forget to mention Lisa Palena (Stage Manager and Properties Manager), Will Bryant (Master Builder/Scenic Painting), Brian Gensel (Master Electrician), and Sean McGarry (Fight/Intimacy Coordinator) who as a team brought this production home. 

Lori Aleixo-Howard (Hannah Porter Pitt and several other roles) played at least four different characters, and I mean different. This massive undertaking requiring multiple quick costume changes with one particular change so quick that I had to do a double-take. In addition to changing costumes, Ms. Howard deftly changed her voice and her character(s) completely which made her performance remarkable in its scope and theatrical brilliance. 

Peter Herrick (Roy M. Cohn) confronted the challenge of playing a truly despicable character, based entirely on the notorious real-life NY bigshot lawyer Roy M. Cohn. Mr. Herrick mastered the NY accent and does an excellent portrayal of the racism and ableism and utter contempt that Roy Cohn was known for. This role required an intensity that Mr. Herrick met and mastered. I have seen Mr. Herrick in multiple productions and he is a highly talented actor who fully commits himself to his roles.

Brian Gensel (Prior Walter) was absolutely incredible in the first production. He continues with an amazing performance as a man suffering from the effects of AIDS. Mr. Gensel’s performance is powerful and gut-wrenching. He is not only dealing with the physical effects of the sickness, but also the emotional torment of his lover leaving him. His performance really projected great sadness, which was authentically portrayed. I also feel that Mr. Gensel’s costuming choices helped amplify his remarkable performance.

The Angel, played by Kacy Hofstetter, provides a mystical quality to the production in various scenes as she appears to Prior. Ms. Hofstetter‘s body movements and gestures, combined with an ethereal voice are highly effective at establishing the dreamlike quality of her scenes. I would also like to congratulate Megan Iafolla on designing the impressive costume for this character.

Zachary R. Taylor plays Louis Ironson, a man in torment. While there are no traditional villains in this play, Louis can be seen as despicable for abandoning his lover. He then has a complicated relationship with Joseph, which is fraught with miscommunication and strife. Mr. Taylor’s performance is a master class in confusion, indecision, and self-loathing. He vacillates in his feelings for Prior, and is skeptical of Joseph’s true intentions. This performance was challenging in its complexity, and I congratulate Mr. Taylor on his performance (bravo Mr. Taylor!).

MJ Santry (Harper Amaty Pitt/Angel Africanii) plays a character with apparent mental illness, perhaps exacerbated by Valium abuse. Her portrayal is impressive in its consistency across two plays. Her facial expressions greatly enhance her performance and was particularly impressive in scenes where the character was hallucinating. She also provides some interesting insights into Mormonism and the role of women.

Dominic Santos (Belize) plays a nurse who cares for Roy Cohn (as well as Prior) and provides much-needed comic relief with witty retorts. But this character is far more complex than just that. Belize has several scenes with the Roy Cohn character, it is here we get to experience the depth of this character. It is in these scenes where the racism and homophobia are addressed forcefully and responded to firmly and gracefully. Santos has magnetic stage presence and a captivating baritone voice.

William Bryant (Joseph Porter Pitt/Angel Europa/The Father). Porter is a Mormon lawyer from Utah who is mentored by Roy Cohn. This character, like Louis, is conflicted, but for different reasons. He stridently resists his true self and his inner turmoil is well-acted by Mr. Bryant. He is a conservative Republican raised in the Mormon tradition, thusly, he struggles with his homosexual urges. His arguments with his wife Harper (and conversations with his mother, Hannah) are intense and quite impactful. Mr. Bryant’s performance was powerful and bold. 

The performance was excellent, the ensemble cast was brilliant, the direction was detail-oriented. I would like to now address the “elephant in the room”, this play is very long. It runs a little over three hours, however there were two intermissions to break it up. This may dissuade some people from attending, but I would like to assure you that the action of the play moved along smoothly and was so engrossing and powerful, that the long duration was a non-issue. One thing that was a challenge was the height of the stage relative to the height of the seats. I found that I had to look up to see and that was less than ideal for the neck. 

I would like to congratulate director Matthew Weil, The Ritz Theater, the cast and technical crew on successfully producing an epic play. “Angels in America: Perestroika” runs through Sunday, June 22nd. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/RitzTheatreCo/6520