BY BRYLE B. SURALTA
Set in New York City while the US was under the Ronald Reagan administration, the first act of Tony Kushner’s epic, called “Millennium Approaches,” tackles the story of a gay man who is abandoned by his lover when he contracts acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS); and a closeted Mormon and Republican lawyer stricken by guilt during a time when AIDS research was scarce.
AIDS has become an epidemic in the country over the years. In 2018, Philippine National AIDS Council (PNAC) director Dr. Joselito Feliciano reported that 32 people a day are diagnosed with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)-AIDS, and estimates 265,900 cases in the coming decade. It’s worth mentioning, too, that the stigma and misconception that surround the condition and, on a larger scale, homosexuality, still linger on.
For the actors, Angels in America goes beyond that of AIDS and homosexuality. It touches on politics, spirituality and societal conventions. And they’re fully aware of responsibility that rests on their shoulders
“The play is not just about AIDS,” says Andoy Ranay, who will be playing Belize, an ex-drag queen and nurse. Andoy also notes that Kushner’s work entails them to break social barriers.
“Can you imagine what they went through? The cast, the directors and the writer, they had friends dying of it (AIDS). Imagine the pain,” Cherie Gil, who plays the integral role of Hannah Pitt, tells PeopleAsia. “It can also be looked at as a metaphorical concept of extrajudicial killings and all the impunity. It is a plague, a disease.”
Humanity is the central theme of it all, according to Art Acuña. Art is cast as Roy Cohn, the attorney who is eyeing a job at the United States Department of Justice. “That is what the world lacks right now. That’s why this play’s timely for it,” he chimes in.
The cast recognizes the shift in sociopolitical and sociocultural balance today, citing the normalization of cases of homophobia, violence and other troubling narratives in the country and around the world. But to Angeli Bayani, who takes on the role of Harper Pitt, she has kept a sense of optimism.
“It’s darkest before the dawn,” says Angeli. “This is like an indefinite period of darkness, but I know, I can feel, and we can see, that there is a shift in consciousness, otherwise why stage Angels in America now? What really is going on is that people subconsciously know that there is something going on.”
Cherie interjects: “Fight or flight. This is about the fight.”
The cast is grateful for Atlantis Theatrical Entertainment Group (ATEG), which brought in the production as part of their 20th anniversary celebration, and director Bobby Garcia for gracing them with the opportunity, through theater, to instigate change.
Philippine theater is as alive as it has ever been, thanks to theater companies like Atlantis. It has gained access to even the most recent of plays. The cast also mentioned how Atlantis upped the ante when it comes to the quality of shows in the country. “Before, it was just the Repertory Philippines, Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Cultural Center of the Philippines,” Cherie adds.
Rounding out the eight-person ensemble are Topper Fabregas as Prior Walter, Nelsito Gomez as Louis Ironson, Markki Stroem as Joe Pitt and Pinky Amador as “The Angel.” The entire cast will be playing multiple roles throughout the show, as well. They hope to be doing the second part of the two-act show, entitled “Perestroika,” next year.
With the play, the fight wages on, in whatever shape it takes or sound it makes. The group is looking to touch lives—and souls—with it.
“All the characters are fighting for something meaningful, something that’s true, something’s that even spiritual,” Cherie claims. “It’s about the power that keeps us alive and help us survive and cope, knowing that among each other, we can find a resolve, especially in this time and age.”
They understand the sensitivity of the material and how it can be interpreted. To them, however, that’s just the nature of theater. It’s a platform that helps humanize these topics and broadens the societal perspective of people.
“This whole act is called ‘Millennium Approaches.’ The word ‘approaching’ indicates a beginning of a new era, a new evolution,” Angeli concludes.
This story previously appeared in PeopleAsia’s April-May 2019 issue.
