Perestroika 1.4

Summary

Prior has an orgasm during a nightmare so he proceeds to call Belize at the hospital to tell him about it. Henry also enters the hospital to get a room for Roy Cohn, one of his patients. Belize ignores Henry and starts singing "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" with Prior. Belize finally gets through singing and pays attention to Henry. Henry has an emergency admission to the regular floor, room 1013. Belize reads the chart and find out who is being admitted to the hospital for liver cancer. He immediatly telephones Prior and tells him who has been admitted to the hospital. Belize gets ready to enter Roy's room.

Notes

• abstemious (153) - moderating one's consumption, particularly food or drink
• Grace Jones (153) - a Jamaican model, singer, and actress.
• lascivious (153) - feeling sexually excited.
• Je t'aime (155) - French for "I love you."
• Koch (156) - Ed Koch; former U.S. Congressman and mayor of New York City; denied accusations of being a homosexual while running for office in the late 1970s

Study Questions

1. What are some possibilities of the nature of Prior's nightmare? 2. Why does Prior suggest that he and Belize sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"?

Works Cited

Kushner, Tony. Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes. New York: Theatre Communications Group, 1995.