Angels in Americapaveda new way for American theatrein its combination of heightened theatricality and politics.Tony Kushner has emerged as one of the American theatres leading playwrights and productions worldwide have meant the play hasbecome recognised asthemost important American play in decades. With the scope of characters sexual, class and religious affiliations in the play, Angels in Americaoffers a uniquepossibility to discuss the construction of American identity in the late 1980s and 1990s. This guide provides a comprehensive critical introduction to the play, giving students an overview of the background and context; detailed analysis of the play including its structure, style and characters; analysis of key production issues and choices; overview of the performance history from the first performances of Millennium Approaches and Perestroika to recent productions and the 2003 HBO adaptation; and an annotated guide to further reading highlighting key critical approaches.
