A review by claire60
The World Only Spins Forward: The Ascent of Angels in America by Dan Kois, Isaac Butler

5.0

Loved this book, it works as an oral history of the playwright and the gay community as they respond to the Aids epidemic through creating art and also as a study guide to both the text of Angels in America but also the writing process and the staging (especially the staging!). It's wonderfully readable, entertaining and fascinating about the artistic process of the play's inception and it's numerous various productions from the minimalist show in Amsterdam to the glamour of Broadway. The social history helps the themes of the play come alive and the reflection on the different timings of the various productions shows how timeless the play is. This book is a fantastic companion to the play itself and essential for anyone involved in a production of Angels in America.