Angels in America
If there is one contemporary play that truly deserves the label "brilliant," it is undoubtedly Angels in America. Since its premiere in San Francisco in 1991, Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes has taken the world by storm. The play has been showered with awards and was successfully adapted into an HBO series starring Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, and Meryl Streep.
In 2008, Ivo van Hove directed a radical production of Angels in America, which Tony Kushner himself hailed as his favorite version. Hans Kesting received the Louis d'Or for his portrayal of Roy Cohn in this production. Now, we are bringing the performance back, featuring several actors from the original cast, complemented by new ensemble members. Presented within a minimalist stage design and accompanied solely by David Bowie’s songs, this adaptation of Angels in America is a tribute to the human ability to adapt, change, and survive. It is a true (re)discovery of a modern classic, but above all, it remains an incredibly relevant story to this day.
Run time tba
Genre Theatre
Language Dutch
Surtitles English, Thu April 17 & 24
Angels in America
America during the Reagan years. The AIDS epidemic is spreading rapidly but is met with silence from the conservative government. Two New Yorkers grapple with the news of their diagnosis in very different ways: ex-drag queen Prior and the arch-conservative lawyer Roy Cohn, who forces those around him to lie about the nature of his illness.
In the first part, Millennium Approaches, all the characters are torn away from their roots and certainties: family, partners, religion, and political ideologies no longer provide solace in the face of pervasive disease and death. In the second part, Perestroika, tentative new friendships and relationships emerge as the characters confront the painful process of change.
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In a whirlwind of tragicomic scenes and entanglements, Tony Kushner demonstrates that identity cannot be reduced to religion, race, or sexuality. Instead, it is a continuous process that can only take shape through interactions with others.
Angels in America is a gripping, hilarious, and heartbreaking story about the transformative power of love, the inevitability of change, resilience in times of crisis, and a tribute to imagination—not merely as an escape from an unlivable reality, but also as a source of understanding.
Eline Arbo about Angels in America
"We look at Ivo van Hove's work with respect and, as an organisation, stand to some extent on his artistic shoulders. The fact that we are reviving Angels in America is partly a tribute to what he has meant artistically for ITA. We are proud to bring back this strong performance, which has been in the repertoire for a long time, underlining how important it is and remains to play repertoire. On the one hand, because some productions stand the test of time very well; on the other, because they are able to find a new urgency. This adaptation of Angels in America has both. We are convinced that even today there is a wide and large audience that would like to see Angels in America (again). Feel welcome to come and see it."
Tony Kushner
The transformative power of art and human willpower runs as a central theme throughout Kushner’s work. In his plays, he explores how people can change in an era where ideological frameworks have largely disappeared, and how they can form connections in a society marked by individualism and division. He believes that compassion and humanity are the key ingredients that enable people from diverse backgrounds to come together.
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In addition to his work as a playwright, Tony Kushner has gained prominence in recent years for his close collaboration with Steven Spielberg, for whom he has written four films: Munich, Lincoln, West Side Story, and The Fabelmans.
Credits
by Tony Kushner
director (2008) Ivo van Hove
revival (2024) Daniël 't Hoen
adaptation and dramaturgy Peter Van Kraaij
scenography and lightning design Jan Versweyveld
costume design Wojciech Dziedzic
music Wim Selles
video design Tal Yarden
translation Carel Alphenaar
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private producer Rob van den Bergh, Jeroen van Ingen and Bertil van Kaam
