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Photo courtesy BCKSEET Theatre Co.

Many of us are familiar with the award-winning 2003 HBO series Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes in Two Parts, directed by Mike Nichols. But what you see on television will not come close to seeing this two-part epic on stage. This is the first time a Philadelphia theater company has produced both parts of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony-Award winning work in repertory. Take it from a theater fanatic– You won’t want to miss it.

The provocative, modern, and at times strikingly humorous classic is on stage at the Society Hill Playhouse now through November 28th. The intimate space the Playhouse’s Red Room offers is an intriguing feature as a production of such scale is rarely performed in such a small space. But that’s indubitably what brings the characters to life. At times, you’ll find yourself just inches from the first rate cast, including Michael Byrne in the role of the vicious, closeted homosexual, Roy Cohn, and Kate Brennan as the Valium-addicted agoraphobic, Harper.

Bckseet Production’s staging also includes a variety of fantastic audio elements between scenes featuring audio-bites of pivotal national events during the 1980′s, which help put the story in context. As you anticipate each scene, the lights go down, and you realize that many of Angels in America’s issues are more than relevant today. And that’s precisely what makes the 3+ hours worth every minute. You’ll leave not only amazed by the performance you just witnessed, but pondering about the immediacy of the issues presented– even two decades after the play’s inaugural staging.

Angels in America @ the Red Room at Society Hill Playhouse
Through November 28, 2009
www.bckseet.com

Society Hill Playhouse
507 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-0210
www.societyhillplayhouse.com