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Until it came to be commonly referred to as ‘tabula rasa’ by the humanists, the Latin phrase intended to signify that man is born into this world without any past, or any knowledge of anything. This very notion of starting over is at the center of everyday life. Such a belief seems like an idealistic one, however; there’s always some sort of reference point for what you are doing and something that leads to your success or failure. Director/Playwright Tony Kushner posits that “in order for us to progress as humanity, we must first shed our old skins and become tabula rasas once again” (Kushner). If we cannot do so, we will forever be frozen in the past and unable to progress. It is this very idea of moving forward that is at the heart of Kushner’s “Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes”, part of which was adapted into a television miniseries directed by Mike Nichols, and completed in 2003. The play takes place over the course of two decades. With plots involving AIDS, homosexuality, Reaganism, McCarthyism, feminism, race relations and politics among other issues, it seems there are plenty of places to begin one’s analysis. One could start with Roy Cohn’s deathbed vomit scene. The people who make their way through the play are like the happy families in life. They come together for birthdays, weddings, funerals and church events. Through their calamities they touch on many diverse topics; family relations, morality, love and politics. “Angels in America” transposes the idea of raising children into the domestic sphere, but it is done with such passionate clarity that one can’t help but take it personally. “Angels in America” is a perfect example of the development of the AIDS epidemic. In this play, it is almost as if all, or at least most of the characters are directly affected by AIDS. The disease can be traced back to them and their actions. (Pike) The HIV and AIDS pandemic is one of crisis and despair; this is not an exaggeration; it can be seen in the play. There are multiple scenes portraying death by certain means: shooting, stabbing, poisoning and suicide. The play deals with sexuality in general and homosexuality specifically (Gibson). It was written during such a time where such topics were still taboo; but that has changed drastically in recent years. In the last thirty years, homosexuality has gone from being a mental illness to being a lifestyle, that is widely accepted by those who believe in it. It is no longer seen as a rare occurrence, but a part of the norm. However, this play depicts homosexuality as not only a lifestyle choice but one viewed as an abomination to God and man. This idea of choice is directly tied to this. In the case of Prior’s disease it is his decision to go against nature and remain celibate for life to avoid spreading the disease any further (Weisberg). cfa1e77820
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