Characters and Relationships
This character is a powerful lawyer diagnosed with AIDS who refuses to admit it publicly, insisting instead that he has liver cancer.
Who is Roy Cohn?
Harper often talks about this symbol in her drug-induced hallucinations, which represents the fragility of the earth and human life.
What is the ozone layer?
This character is often compared to a biblical prophet due to his visions and experiences with the divine.
Who is Prior?
Who was the president during the AIDS crisis
Ronald Reagen
What was the color of the feather that fell from the sky?
grey
He is a former drag queen and friend of Louis who helps care for Prior after Louis leaves.
Who is Belize?
This theme explores the struggles of characters like Joe Pitt, who grapples with his identity in a society that condemns his true self.
What is sexual identity?
This religious book is central to Jewish traditions, and its teachings are referenced by characters like Louis and the Rabbi in the play.
What is the Torah?
This movement, gaining momentum during the 1980s, fought for the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals and against the government's neglect of the AIDS crisis.
What is the Gay Rights Movement?
She is Joe Pitt’s wife, who struggles with mental health issues and becomes addicted to....
What is valium
This character has a vision of her husband and Louis together, realizing that he is not fully committed to their marriage.
Who is Harper pitt?
This theme is highlighted in the tension between characters like Roy Cohn, who denies his condition, and Prior Walter, who seeks support and connection.
What is denial and acceptance?
This figure from Jewish folklore appears to haunt Roy Cohn in his final days, reminding him of the injustices he committed.
Who is Ethel Rosenburg?
This conservative political movement of the 1980s, with a focus on traditional values and free-market capitalism, is represented through characters like Joe Pitt.
What is the Reagan Revolution?
This literary device is frequently used in the play, allowing characters to express their inner thoughts and feelings directly to the audience.
What is monologue?
These two characters meet in a park and form a complex, emotionally charged relationship, despite their differing values and beliefs.
Who are Louis Ironson and Joe Pitt?
This symbol, which Harper imagines as a safe place free from her troubles, represents her desire for escape.
What is Antartica?
The Angel’s message to Prior reflects this Old Testament event, where divine beings seek to stop humans from progressing, reminiscent of the Tower of Babel story.
What is divine intervention?
This famous trial, referenced in the play, involved the espionage charges and execution of a Jewish couple in the 1950s. Roy Cohn boasts about his role in the trial.
What is the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?
This character uses the term “I am a gay man” in a pivotal moment, reflecting the growing acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities in society.
Who is Louis Ironson?
This character is Prior Walter's partner who struggles to cope with Prior’s illness and eventually leaves him.
Who is Louis Ironson?
This theme is explored through Roy’s manipulations and power plays, as well as the broader context of the Reagan administration.
What is power and corruption?
This biblical city is referenced in the play and symbolizes destruction, change, and divine punishment, especially in Roy Cohn’s discussions.
What is sodom?
This Cold War era fear, led by figures like Roy Cohn, targeted suspected communists and influenced U.S. politics during the 1950s.
What is McCarthyism?
This type of government response, characterized by neglect and lack of funding for AIDS research, is criticized through characters like Prior and Belize.
what is government negligence ?