May 4th, 1993: anticipation fills both the interior and exterior of the Walter Kerr Theatre as theater goers prepare to witness and actors prepare to stage the opening performance of Tony Kushner's influential work, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches.” Kushner's journey to establishing himself as a looming presence in the contemporary American theater scene was due to his insights and unwavering commitment to artistic expression. Kushner, born in New York City in 1956, was raised amidst the city's rich cultural diversity, which, alongside his Jewish heritage, played a defining role in shaping his identity. After furthering his education at Columbia University and then at New York University, Kushner found himself deeply in tune with…show more content… Angels offers room for many interpretations, yet beneath its surface is a resilience we all feel universally. Through the show, Kushner represents the struggles we all encounter and confront repeatedly in our lives. By delving into Tony Kushner's biography, as analyzed in works such as James Fisher's "Understanding Tony Kushner,'' and Bob Blanchard's "The Playwright of Pain and Hope," this essay aims to explore how Angels in America is a portrayal of the resilience of human nature in its pursuit of hope. Kushner’s magnus opus is about the lives of multiple characters, including our protagonist, Prior Walter, a gay man battling AIDS, and his lover, Louis Ironson, who is having a hard time dealing with the illness. Two other important roles in the show are Joe Pitt, a closeted Mormon man, and his wife, Harper Pitt. Each of these characters works to navigate their own personal and societal struggles, ones that we can all relate to at times. The relatability of this show is due to Kushner, who himself lived through the AIDS crisis and was greatly affected by the political climate at the
