Roy/Joe/Lou in Angels

[NativeNYer2]

Posted: 3/11/18 at 11:32am

Hello All,

I have been a lurker for quite some time allowing my timidity to prevent me from posting.  But yesterday, I saw Angels in America, and it left me wanting to talk about it.  My date for the evening does not like to have analytical conversations about theatre, which left me sort of yearning for a dialogue, so I wanted to try my hand here.

I do want to say that while it was not the best play I had ever seen, there is something monumental about the play, almost as though we are seeing history unfold, and this is particularly remarkable because it is 25 years old.  

The first question I want to ask the board is: How do you negotiate your feelings about Louis?  I do find McArdle's portrayal of Louis a tremendously likable one.  I found myself wanting to be Louis's friend.  There is something fascinating about a well-read, intelligent, possibly even intellectual, low man on the totem pole.  I suppose one question we should ask is: If Louis is so interested in history/politics and is so knowledgeable and well-spoken, what has prevented him from going further in life?  Some may say he may have had a bruised ego, but I would argue that anyone who feels confident enough to seduce a closeted man enough ego to be shared with all the guests at the Neil Simon Theatre last night with a healthy enough portion to keep for himself.  Then, of course, Lou leaves Prior.  How are we supposed to judge him?  Or are we?  Was this a too selfish act?  What kind of obligations must we have to our loved ones who are sick?  I cannot imagine me personally leaving Prior, but it's not fair for me to judge Lou based on my actions.

Where Lou goes terribly wrong, in my opinion, is seducing Prior, being with him for three weeks, and then trying to return to Prior.  At this point, he is a me-me-me character turning in whatever direction his "monolith" is pointing towards at any given moment.  I found his actions incredibly selfish and it was difficult for me to negotiate his likability with his selfishness.  Why does he get a fine ending in the play, seemingly having reunited his friendship with Prior, when Lou finds no happiness?  Should Lou not have felt a responsibility toward Joe after coaxing him out of the closet?  When we lick one's face and tell them how they smell, get so comfortable with someone as to spend three weeks with them fellating them every evening, must we not take more responsibility toward them than metaphorically saying, "Bye!  I'm going back to my ex!  Work out your straight/gay/bi closet feelings on your own!  Good luck with that!  Being gay's a bitch, right?!"

OK here's my other question...

Are we to assume that Roy and Joe had an affair at one point in time?  Or even a one-night thing?

There was a young man who was beautifully moved at the whole production yesterday, and I asked him this question, because he was obviously invested in the show.  He said "I hope Roy and Joe didn't have an affair because nothing nice happens to Joe.  And when Roy says 'What have you learned?' Joe responds with what he has learned."  Can someone on here explain what this intelligent young man meant by the "what Joe learned" part because I think I missed that part of the dialogue?

I ask the question about Roy and Joe because the scene between Roy and Joe is a little suggestive.  Roy says that Joe "broke his heart."  Joe says "I love you, Roy!" Roy refers to Joe as "baby boy."  These are two closeted men in a sparring match.  Might their monoliths have sparred?

Of course, on top of the scene in Roy's apartment, there is the scene between Joe and Louis, in which Louis asks Joe several times if he was with Roy.  Interestingly enough, Joe NEVER responds.  He doesn't say yes, but I didn't catch him saying no either.  If it isn't true, why not say so?  Instead we listen to Lou go on and on about "Lips that touched those lips will never touch mine."  There is so much attention given to Lou's suspicion about Joe and Roy having an affair, that it feels like a deliberate move on Kushner's part to have the question be unanswered.

I know that most of this board is primarily theatre reviews, but I hope you don't mind sharing thoughts about theatre in this way.  

Thank you for reading my first post here.  Happy theatregoing!