CHICAGO-BORN AND HEAVEN-SENT,
THIS IS NOT A REVIVAL. IT’S A RECKONING.
Angels in America is one of the greatest plays in the American theatre canon. Period. Tony Kushner created a two-part epic story of unforgettable characters, both lovable and despicable, that captures a moment in American history—the Ronald Reagan era—that changed our community forever. If you have never seen it, or even if you have, make plans to see Invictus Theatre Company’s production right now. It runs through September 7, so you have time to make this work. Even at over seven hours for both parts—Millennium Approaches and Perestroika—you will feel astonishingly invigorated.
Michael D. Graham as Roy Cohn and Joe Bushell as Joe Pitt.
Ryan Hake as Prior Walter, Grant Carriker as Louis Ironson
Ryan Hake as Prior Walter, Anne Trodden as Harper Pitt
Angels in America is often described as a play about the AIDS crisis in New York City—and it is—but it’s also so much more. It’s a story about America: its wounds, its failures, and its stubborn hope for a better future. There’s something in this play for everyone to connect with. The characters are so richly drawn, achingly complicated, and deeply human that you can’t help but see fragments of yourself in them as they wrestle with how to love, how to seek justice, and how to live with hope.
Joe Bushell as Joe Pitt, Grant Carriker as Louis Ironson
Grant Carriker as Louis Ironson, Ryan Hake as Prior Walter
When Prior Walter (Ryan Hake) tells his lover, Louis Ironson (Grant Carriker), that he has AIDS, the diagnosis puts immense strain on their relationship, and Louis ultimately abandons him—driven by fear and guilt. Meanwhile, Joe Pitt (Joe Bushell), a closeted Mormon and Republican lawyer, grapples with his sexuality while struggling to keep Harper (Anne Trodden), his Valium-addicted wife, from falling apart. Joe works for Roy Cohn (Michael D. Graham), the infamous power broker and ruthless lawyer who is, despite his public persona, secretly gay. When Joe comes out to his mother, Hannah Pitt (Renae Stone), during a tense phone call, she promptly sells her home in Salt Lake City and moves to New York, where she begins volunteering at the Mormon Visitor Center. Belize (Miguel Long), a drag queen and nurse—and close friend to both Louis and Prior—not only cares for Prior in the hospital but is also, ironically, assigned to nurse Roy Cohn, the slimiest lawyer who ever lived.
Ryan Hake as Prior Walter
Michael D. Graham as Roy Cohn, Joe Bushell as Joe Pitt
As Prior’s condition worsens and loneliness and fear begin to consume him, he starts experiencing visions and prophetic dreams. Eventually, he is visited by an Angel (Nicki Rossi), who declares him a prophet and tasks him with delivering a divine message: halt human progress and migration. The Angel’s arrival is spectacular, adorned in costume designer Jessie Gowens’ magnificent wings—ethereal yet suggesting a threatening musculature—hinting at both divinity and danger. The effect perfectly complements Rossi’s performance as a beautiful and terrifying creature straight from heaven.
Nicki Rossi as The Angel
Nicki Rossi as The Angel. Ryan Hake as Prior Walter.
Kushner does not go easy on his characters, and this level of emotional intensity can easily spiral out of control without a strong ensemble. Fortunately, this cast is more than up to the task. Anne Trodden brings grit and tragic depth to Harper. Miguel Long serves as the play’s hilarious and fierce moral compass as Belize. Renae Stone shows remarkable range as Joseph’s strait-laced mother, a sharp-tongued Rabbi, and a ghostly Ethel Rosenberg, among others. Grant Carriker keeps Louis Ironson’s endless weeping and self-flagellation grounded and sincere. And Ryan Hake delivers a standout turn as Prior Walter—elegant, defiant, and often wickedly funny, anchoring the play as our protagonist and prophet.
Anne Trodden as Harper Pitt, Joe Bushell as Joe Pitt
Nicki Rossi as Emily, Ryan Hake as Prior Walter, Grant Carriker as Louis Ironson
Director Charles Askenaizer demonstrates a clear understanding and love of the play, steering this massive vessel of verisimilitude with conviction. He keeps scenes clipping along, leaving not even a breath of dead space in between, which is a crucial feat in a work as sprawling and essential as Angels in America.
Miguel Long as Belize, Grant Carriker as Louis Ironson, Michael D. Graham (Roy Cohn)
Michael D. Graham as Roy Cohn, Joe Bushell as Joe Pitt
Kevin Rolfs’ stunning set heavily emphasizes the running themes of justice, with a lawyer’s desk taking center stage, and an America under construction, with a huge tattered American flag, plastic sheeting, and road construction barrels adorning the entryway. Lighting Designer Brandon Wardell (lights) and Petter Wahlbäck (sound) layer atmosphere and surprise with cinematic precision, conjuring both the intimacy and scale that this Gay Fantasia on National Themes demands. “Very Steven Spielberg,” as Prior Walter says. Stage managers are often not cited for their work in reviews, but this is a special case as Sam Flipp and Assistant Stage Manager Beep Trefts manage to keep this literate spectacle running with no additional stagehands, besides the actors, and an ungodly number of cues. Bravo.
Michael D. Graham as Roy Cohn, Renae Stone as Ethel Rosenberg
Grant Carriker as Louis Ironson, Ryan Hake as Prior Walter
I admit I was nervous to see how a small 90-seat Chicago theatre would handle this behemoth of a play—but I’m ecstatic to report that Invictus Theatre’s Angels in America does the work justice. Ambitious, compassionate, and unflinching, this production captures the emotional sweep and political fury that make Tony Kushner’s masterpiece as vital now as it was in the 1990s. In an era when our country remains locked in battles over bodily autonomy, truth, and basic human dignity, Angels in America feels less like a period piece and more like a mirror. Seize this opportunity to see it live. You can binge it all in one day, or split Parts I and II across separate evenings. Either way, Angels should be required viewing—once, twice, as often as it takes.
Ryan Hake with Ensemble
Ryan Hake as Prior Walter, Miguel Long as Belize
photos by by Aaron Reese Boseman Photography
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
Windy City Playhouse, 3014 W. Irving Park Road in Chicago
Part I: Millennium Approaches
Fri at 7, Sat at 12, alternate Mon’s at 7; Sun at 12 (July 6), Thurs at 7 (Aug. 28 & Sept. 4)
Part II: Perestroika
Sat at 7; Sun at 12; alternate Mon’s at 7; Thurs at 7 (July 3); Fri at 7 (Aug. 29 & Sept. 5)
(dark July 4 and 5, Aug 30, 31; Sept 1); ends on September 7, 2025
for tickets ($25-$38) visit Invictus
for more shows, visit Theatre in Chicago
(top) Nicki Rossi, (bottom) Renae Stone, Grant Carriker, Miguel Long
