Back on October 30, 2014, audiences were blown away by the Gustavus production of Angels in America, a play filled with issues such as the AIDS epidemic and the gay community back in the 1980s. However, due to the play´s length and scheduling conflicts, not all of it was shown.
For those interested in seeing what happens to the characters and the ending to this story, there will be a staged reading this Sunday March 15, in the Kresge Studio at the Fine Arts Building from 6-9:30 p.m. The same cast as the production will do the reading.
One cast member is Sophomore Sam Keillor, who portrayed Louis Ironson. In part one, Ironson was the boyfriend of Prior Walter, but abandons him after Walter contracts AIDS and begins a relationship with Joe Pitt.
In part two, Ironson is at odds with his feelings for Walter and for Pitt, struggling to find out what kind of person he is. Nearly half a year later, Keillor reflects on the audience reception of the production.
“A lot were blown away by the production,” Keillor said. “They loved the technical work and the themes involved in the story. There are just so many different responses I got, one who talked about the AIDS victims or different discussions like moving into the unknown or Progress vs Stasis. People came out discussing which themes they felt were more important. I thought it went really well. It was a big production and I thought we did it justice and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
For Keilor, the characters and how the audience can connect with them despite various differences play a big role.
“I think Louis is a huge jerk but I love him. The playwright also stated that he relates very closely to him. He is conflicted with his views, desires, and what he believes is right. These are very real people, not archetypes. They are affected by the stuff that goes on around them in a powerful sense. Louis constantly questions what love means and how it goes along with his beliefs,” Keilor said.
Another character is Roy Cohn, played by Senior Brady Mueller. Roy is a closeted, corrupt gay lawyer based on a real person with the same name. He was the mentor of Ironson’s boyfriend Pitt, and discovered in part one that he’s dying of AIDS. Mueller has made a name for himself in Gustavus’ theater department, as he also portrayed Algernon in the recent production of The Importance of Being Earnest.
“People really liked how much history is found in Angels in America,” Mueller said. “The play is set when AIDS was not as treatable as it is now; it was more of a death sentence. So, it was great to hear that people liked it. Also, the production quality was so high for this show. Everyone involved was working so hard to make a product that would be admired by many. The theatre here is a very high caliber. I think that it was a truly great production.”
In part two, the audience will see how Cohn experiences physical and mental degradation from AIDS as he slowly dies. In terms of characters, Mueller had a different experience with his person compared to the other actors, as his was based on a real life person that he did not find to be as relatable.
“As an actor, I don’t have to relate. I have to understand. I need to look at the contextual clues given through the historical character to build my own. I basically looked to the history and took emotional cues from that. Taking a very real person and analyzing how they would react,” Mueller said.
though the Sunday event will be a casual reading rather than a full scale production, both Mueller and Keillor highly recommend students and fans of the play to come to the reading on Sunday.
“Even though I’m reading off a sheet I’m still performing. The character work is all there. People should see it because Angels in America is the great American play. To not see it would be a travesty,” Mueller said.
-Brady Lass