Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches Summary & Key Insights

Tony Kushner's Angels in America: Millennium Approaches unfolds in 1985 New York City, a backdrop deeply intertwined with the AIDS crisis. The play isn't a straightforward narrative, but rather a kaleidoscopic exploration of sexuality, faith, politics, and mortality during a time of profound societal upheaval.

The central characters are Prior Walter, a young man diagnosed with AIDS, and Louis Ironson, his lover who abandons him as the disease progresses. Prior's experience forms the emotional core, as he grapples with the physical and emotional devastation of AIDS while receiving visits from an angel, a celestial messenger who delivers both prophecy and comfort. The angel's appearance underscores the play's fantastical and allegorical elements, blurring the lines between reality and the spiritual realm.

Running parallel is the story of Joe Pitt, a closeted Mormon lawyer married to Harper Pitt, a woman grappling with her own anxieties and substance abuse. Joe’s internal conflict between his religious beliefs and his burgeoning homosexual desires is amplified by his professional association with Roy Cohn, a powerful and ruthlessly ambitious lawyer who is also secretly ill with AIDS. Cohn's character represents the corrosive effects of power and denial, as he refuses to acknowledge his illness and relentlessly pursues his own self-preservation, even at the expense of others.

The two narratives intersect and intertwine, highlighting the shared experiences of individuals navigating complex relationships amidst a crisis. Harper's anxieties are manifested through hallucinatory visions, blurring the line between her internal struggles and external realities, mirroring Prior's experiences with the angel. The play uses these parallel narratives to examine the pervasive fear and prejudice surrounding AIDS, revealing the hypocrisy and societal anxieties that exacerbated the crisis.

Overarching themes include the struggle for self-acceptance, the corrosive nature of denial, the power of love and faith in the face of adversity, and the complicated relationship between the individual and society. The play also critiques the Reagan-era political climate, exposing the callous indifference towards the suffering caused by AIDS. The play doesn't offer easy answers; rather, it presents a complex and nuanced exploration of the human condition during a time of profound social and personal change, leaving the audience to grapple with the profound ethical and moral dilemmas presented. The ending leaves the characters at a precipice, poised for further developments explored in the second part, Perestroika.