-
Period: to
The Cold War
The Cold War was a period marked by political and economic tension between the USA and the Soviet Union. In his play "Angels in America," Tony Kushner employs Cold War metaphors to critique American ideologies. -
Tony Kushner was born
Tony Kushner was born in Manhattan, New York City. His parents, William Kushner and Sylvia Deutscher, are classical musicians and Jewish. His family descends from immigrants from Russia and Poland. -
Where he grew up
Shortly after Kushner was born, his family moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he spent most of his childhood. Around the age of six, Kushner began to notice differences between himself and his friends. He realized that he had feelings for his male friends. -
Develops interest
He first developed an interest in the figure of Roy Cohn who features as a major character in his play Angels in America when he was ten years old. -
Education
He moved back to Manhattan to attend Columbia College and received a bachelor's degree in medieval literature. As well as a Master's of Fine Arts in directing from New York University -
Period: to
The AIDS crisis
A historical event that heavily affected Tony Kushner is the AIDS crisis. His work, Angels in America, explores the AIDS crisis in New York City. The play was inspired by a dream Kushner had after the death of a friend who was the first person he knew to die from AIDS. -
Period: to
Politics
Kushner often explores the rise of conservative politics in the United States and its impact on various communities, including LGBTQ individuals. -
Sexuality
Tony Kushner publicly came out as gay, informing his mother from a pay phone in the East Village. He revealed his sexual orientation to family and friends during his sophomore year at Columbia University. Although he had known he was gay since childhood, he initially searched therapy in an attempt to change his sexuality before accepting himself. -
His first published play
Tony Kushner's first published play was “The Age of Assassins". “The Age of Assassins” was staged at New York's Newfoundland Theatre. This play explores the impact of political systems on artists and their work, raising questions about how individuals should navigate oppressive political environments. -
His first produced play
His first produced play was “La Fin de la Baleine: An Opera for the Apocalypse.” It was influenced by the ideas of Kushner's friend, this play is a dance-theatre piece that explores themes of destructive love, environmental devastation, and the threat of nuclear war -
Tony's first Award
Tony Kushner's first award was the Whiting Award, which helped to encourage him and affirm his value as a writer. He won the Whiting Award due to his talent in playwriting, particularly for his ability to address complex political and social issues. This talent is most notable in, "Angels in America." -
Angels in America (His most famous play)
His most famous play, Angels in America, includes a scene where Kushner calls his mother from a pay phone to tell her he is gay. Angels in America is about a gay man who is abandoned by his lover when he contracts the AIDS virus, and a closeted Mormon lawyer's marriage to his pill-popping wife stalls. -
Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize (A series of annual awards given to recognize outstanding achievement in journalism, letters, and music), Won the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Angels in America: Millennium Approaches. -
Protest
Playwrights Tony Kushner and Wallace Shawn were among arts advocates marching silently outside the opening of Terrence McNally’s controversial play (Corpus Christi, which depicts Jesus and his disciples as gay men in modern-day Texas). -
Caroline, or Change
This musical tells the story of Caroline, a Black maid, and Noah, a Jewish boy, in 1963 Lake Charles, Louisiana. It explores change and the civil rights movement. -
Commitment ceremony
Kushner and his partner, Mark Harris, held a commitment ceremony, the first same-sex commitment ceremony to be featured in the Vows column of The New York Times. -
Marriage
In summer 2008, Kushner and Mark Harris were legally married at the town hall in Provincetown, Massachusetts. -
Q and A, Who influences Tony Kushner
During a Q and A, Tony Kushner answers to "How has Tennessee Williams influenced you?"
"Profoundly. Of the three major, post-war American playwrights—Williams, Miller, and O’Neill—I had the easiest time connecting to Tennessee when I was young and starting to think about being a playwright." https://sites.utexas.edu/ransomcentermagazine/2011/05/19/q-and-a-playwright-tony-kushner-speaks-about-influence-of-tennessee-williams/#:~:text=Profoundly.,playwriting%20first%20in%20Tennessee's%20writing. -
New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay
Tony Kushner won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay for his work on "Lincoln," a dramatization of the final months of Abraham Lincoln's life, directed by Steven Spielberg. -
Period: to
Member of JVP (Jewish Voice for Peace)
A news article published on 2016 states, "In a March 21 statement, the federation noted that Kushner is a member of the advisory board of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), 'an organization that supports boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) against Israel.'" Kushner is still a member today. https://thecjn.ca/arts-culture/jewish-groups-artists-question-kushner-booking/#:~:text=In%20a%20March%2021%20statement%2C%20the%20federation,the%20BDS%20movement%2C%20UJA%20Federation%20has%20conce -
Tony Kushner's Most Recent Work
The Fabelmans is a semi-autobiographical film about Steven Spielberg's childhood. Tony Kushner co-wrote the screenplay with Steven Spielberg. -
Harvard Center for Jewish Studies
During the conversation "An Evening With Tony Kushner" with Harvard professor, Stephen J. Greenblatt, Kushner spoke about Jewish identity in his work and his roots for creating Angels in America.