What does 'Angels' mean to you?

 We're now entering our third week of performances of our production of Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches, and we've heard wonderful responses from audience members afterwards. In fact, on Sunday, as a woman was leaving the building she told me in a whisper, "That was the best performance I've ever seen in my life." We've received great reviews from both the Asheville Citizen-Times and the Mountain Xpress, too. A lot of people, however, have told us, "I need some time with this one," and we understand. It's a doozy.

But if you have seen it -- either our production or elsewhere -- 

 and you're ready to share, we'd like to hear from you:  

What does 'Angels' mean to you? 

 

If you haven't been following the blog, you can go back and read what some of the designers and other production people have said about their experiences with the play. Also, we have what actor Willie Repoley shared with us on the significance of the play not just on a large scale, but personally as well. (A similar post about Angels that Willie wrote after we read Millennium Approaches a couple years ago in the (For)Play Series caught the attention of someone writing an article about the resurgence of Angels productions for its 20th anniversary, and now you can find a quote from Willie in the most recent Newsweek!)

Basically, we'd love to hear from you. Anything you've got... and if you'd rather share in person, we have three community discussions with Western North Carolina AIDS Project coming up regarding the play and AIDS. They are Friday, October 29 after the show; Saturday, October 30 at 2 PM; and Saturday, November 6 after the show. Angie Flynn-McIver will be at this Saturday's discussion if you have any questions for her. And don't forget to tell your friends to come see the show! Send 'em our link to buy tickets online: ncstage.tix.com or they can call our box office at 828.239.0263.

Visual Stimuli: Worldwide 'Angels' Poster Designs

NCSC's Basic Angels poster design

While I was doing some research on the production history of Angels in America, I came across a number of production posters from all over -- from college productions to Broadway, small town America to the Netherlands. Fascinating stuff, though many seem to focus heavily on the Angel or wings feature. Here are some I've come across... any thoughts, please share 'em! Thanks for reading and watch for more poster posts in the coming days.

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The poster for the original Broadway production in 1993.

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A more recent production of Angels from Amsterdam, the Netherlands... strays farther from the Angel/wing theme than many of the others. 

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Fort Lewis College in Colorado seemed to keep with the Angel bit for their poster, perhaps inspired by the Broadway poster, no? Very similar vulnerable pose for the angel.

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Interesting choice for a poster design... really embraces the setting being that of New York. Quite busy design, wings are very eerie for this one.
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Hmm... well, I know what play I'd be going to see, that's for sure. It just doesn't keep my attention for long.

 

I really like this one. It stays with the wing design, but remains simple and still it brings in the many themes of the play in the intricate feather-newspaper-clippings.

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As the poster says, this was the design for the British Premiere in the early 90s. Like the previous poster, it is very simple, but visually appealing in its simplicity. This one was produced at The National Theatre.

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Now this one has an interesting story... Intiman Theatre in Seattle produced both Part One (Millennium Approaches) and Part Two (Perestroika). From what I read on this design was that this poster was for Part One and the other half was for Part Two. The Intiman was the first regional theatre awarded the rights to the play, and Part One closed their 1994 season and Part Two opened their 1995 season. Perhaps the design seemed confusing to folks, but I find it very intriguing in the mystery of what is 'missing.'
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So, any thoughts? We'd love to hear from you. Watch for more posts in the coming days, and be sure to come out to see Angels at NC Stage!

Free Fall - Notes from Angie

Our first Angels blog post this season shared a bit from Angie about why NC Stage chose to produce the play in the first place. Today, the first night of our public performances (and Pay-What-You-Can Night), we have another snippet from Angie -- this time about how this amazingly talented ensemble has really come together in this project to put forth some stunning work. We had a smaller audience for our dress rehearsal last night, and our set designer, James Johnson, took some pictures. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll be seeing them in the very near future. For now, feast your eyes on the words of Angie Flynn-McIver, the director of Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches.

Free Fall

"When I start thinking about a play I’m directing, I begin with the cast. That may seem obvious.  For me, though, choosing the people I’ll be working with for upwards of thirty hours a week, spending days and nights, many meals, the requisite company-wide cold, the change of season…the decisions are crucial and can’t be fixed once we move forward. So I agonize and labor over casting, dragging it out for weeks.

 

And then it’s done. And we’re in rehearsal. And all the auditions and moving around of headshots and list-making start to pay off.  At the time of this writing, we are a little more than a week from our first performance. Rehearsals are going well, and we moved onto the set last weekend. But this play is huge, and even though we’ve had an extra week of rehearsal, I feel like I could use another week, or two; I’m afraid I’ll miss something. But aaahhh! The actors! They are smart, and they understand their craft.  I can throw myself off the trapeze, calling, “Heeeeey!  We have to fix this blocking but I’m out of ideas!” and one actor or another, or all eight of them, will swing by and grab me by the wrists, keeping us all aloft, or we all fall into the net and laugh and pick ourselves up again and tackle the dilemma of the moment together. 

 

Theatre is a collaborative art. We are all in this thing together.  The cast of Angels in America is a great example of this, in part because the cast is a mix of actors I’ve worked with before and some new faces. I love the rapport I have with an actor like Willie Repoley (playing Prior) because he and I have worked together half a dozen times—we know each other’s shorthand and trust each other implicitly. It’s also great to get to work with people I haven’t directed before, like Dusty McKeelan (playing Louis) because the newness keeps me on my game and pushes me to be better. The chemistry of the cast provides its own momentum, in many ways, and informs the process as well as the production."

Kat Martin, Production Assistant

We've been learning all kinds of fun facts about one particular member of our Angels production team lately, and that is intern and production assistant Kat Martin. Just the other day we found out that Kat's dad works with a company that owns and flies the biggest kite in the world. For real, it's in the Guinness Book of World Records. It's an American flag. Also, Kat's grandfather served two terms as governor of North Carolina. Remember Gov. James Grubbs Martin? Well, that's Grandpa to Kat. Her uncle, Joe Martin, also was in the news. When the 1996 Charlotte Rep Angels controversy flared up, he went on the defensive to keep the proposed arts funding cuts from going through.

Here are her words about the experience: 

    "I grew up in Charlotte during the controversy surrounding the 1996 Charlotte Repertory production of Angels in America: Part One the Millennium Approaches. I was too young to know what all the fuss was about but it was very clear that there was a fuss. Everyone  from politicians on the radio to artists in the paper and even my parents around the dinner table were talking about Kushner’s master work. My whole life I thought of Angels as an intimidating show that created division. I did not realize how wrong I was until NC Stage began working on their production. The show speaks for itself in its philosophical yet secular, beautiful yet grimy effect and speaks to the heart of what it means to be a modern American.

    As incredible and thought provoking as the script itself, the most exciting part of this process for me has been the chance to learn more about my own uncle. Politicians used the infamous Charlotte production of Angels as a tool to spark a political debate about arts funding. During this controversy, funding for the arts was cut under the banner of censorship although many suspect it was an early piece of regional morality legislation. My uncle, Joe Martin, was a passionate opponent to the arts budget cuts. I had always heard stories of the speech he delivered to the county commission (it has become lore within my family), but I had never read it for myself. Working on this show gave me an opportunity to read Joe’s speech and I could not be more proud or revved up. The power of labels is discussed throughout the play and could not have been more pertinent to the debate in Charlotte. According to Uncle Joe, “This debate is not about the arts is it? This about something more fundamental. This is about the power of government on one hand and the nature of community on the other.”

    This fundamental issue is an essential theme in Kushner’s work and creates the conversation that must happen to create true community and a true sense of “American-ness.” It is a very hopeful sign that society has become more tolerant and the NC Stage production can be produced without sparking a huge ideological controversy. This play and specifically this production will always remind me of the important role that open dialogue has in creating a tolerant cultural identity. I will always feel a sense of connection to this show because of the connection it created for me with my own uncle."

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Want to read "Uncle Joe's" opinion piece in the Charlotte Observer? Click here.

Sneak Hear: Radio Ad for Angels

We just got our newly recorded radio ad in the other day - give it a listen!

Holy sh*t!

What productions have you seen that made you think just that?

We're shooting for that kind of reaction with Angels, so I would suggest that you order those tickets you've been thinking about...