ENG 362 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Tony Kushner, Roy Cohn, Epic Theatre
Document Summary
Angels in america: millennium approaches by tony kushner has an original take on dramatic theatre. Kushner touches on serious subjects such as politics, sexual orientation, religion, aids, etc. with a realistic and honest approach. I think this play relates to brecht"s ideas of epic theatre because his ideas suggest that rather than having the spectator identify with the characters they should have a more critical attitude towards what is happening on stage. This play was definitely written with the intent to remind the audience that they are watching a show. The playwright himself suggests that he is using the alienation effect in his notes. The moments of magic, the appearance and disappearance of mr. Lies and the ghosts, the book hallucinations, and the ending are to be fully realized, as bits of wonderful theatrical illusion. (1584). This quote actually ties in with artaud"s theatre of cruelty as well.
