Book Club:
Angels in America

Due to the mature nature of the play’s material, these discussion questions are aimed at an audience aged 14 or older. 

Be sure to read the QJTA page on Angels in America here.

 

AIA is a play that touches on many themes but this resource will focus on its interaction with the Jewish religion, homosexuality and their intersection. 

 

1. The title of the play comes from a piece of dialogue from Louis: “there are no gods here, no ghosts or spirits in America, there are no angels in America, no spiritual past, no racial past, there’s only political.” (Millennium Approaches, Act 3 Scene 2) Discuss the context for this quote and how it speaks to the play as a whole.

2. What is the significance of Angels opening with the eulogy of Sarah Ironson by Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz? How is the rabbi’s monologue still relevant today?

3. The character of Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz is played by the female actress who plays Hannah Pitt, Joe's mother. Discuss how Tony Kushner is intentionally queering religious Judaism by making that choice. 

4. Compare and contrast Louis and Roy’s approach to their Jewish and queer identities. 

5. Discuss the relationship Louis Ironson has between his Judaism and his homosexuality. 

6. Angels in America makes the case against assimilation in both the Jewish and gay community. How do the struggles of both communities inform this notion? 

7. Why do you think Kushner chose for his main character, Prior Walter, to be non-Jewish in a show that is deeply rooted in Judaism? 

8. What connections do you see between Joe Pitt's Mormonism and Louis Ironson's Judaism? 

9. There are many Biblical allusions in the play, from the prophet Jonah to Jacob wrestling the angel. How do these illuminate the modern plot?

10. What is the play’s approach to God and Heaven?