An Evening At The Theatre

While watching The Laramie Project over the weekend, Mallorie asked about Angels in America which was referenced several times in the movie. I didn't know much about the play, other than it was a two-part play, dealt with homosexuals and AIDS and had been made into a movie miniseries with Emma Thompson. Fortunately, Part One: Millennium Approaches was being produced by UNCG. Armed with a free ticket (thank you, Jody!) Mallorie and I caught the show last night.

We are introduced to Prior Walter (Matthew Delaney) and his boyfriend Louis Ironson (Matt Palmer). Prior is developing symptoms of a relatively new, and fatal, disease called AIDS. Louis is wracked with guilt; he cannot remain committed to Prior and watch him die. Harper Pitt (Shay Lydick) is the pill-popping, hallucinating wife of Joe Pitt (Joshua Yoder). Their marriage is falling apart; both suspect he is homosexual. Ray Cohen (Anthony Scarscella) discusses the politics of the time, and assures his doctor that he is not a faggot; he is merely a man who occasionally sleeps with other men. (He also doesn't have AIDS; he has cancer.)

I was most impressed with Anthony's performance. I met Anthony last year during SETC's Fall auditions. He was looking for a grad school. UNCG was very lucky to get him. His portrayal of Ray Cohen was spot-on. Matthew Delaney also turned in a realistic performance, as did Joshua Yoder. And while Shay Lydick's voice was grating at times, her performance was enjoyable.

As of right now, UNCG is not sure it will produce the second part next season. I hope they do. Just as things were getting started, the play was over.