Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens
by Bill Russell, Janet Hood

Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens Book Cover
Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens Cover

Highlights

90 minsPresent DayExpandable CastingUnit Set/Multiple SettingsContemporary Costumes/Street ClothesBritishLGBTQ

What readers are saying

Readers love the beautiful stories and excellent libretto of the play. Many find it a fun and engaging compilation, although some have noted issues with the quality of print copies available.

Beautiful storiesExcellent librettoFun compilationQuality inconsistencies in print copies

Synopsis

Musical Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell.

Music by Janet Hood.

Characters: 20-25 males 11-16 females (doubling or expanding possible.) Unit set

A celebration of lives lost to AIDS told in free verse monologues with a blues jazz and rock score this piece is designed to include the community in a theatrical response to the AIDS crisis.

It is often performed as a benefit for fund raising and consciousness raising.

"Dramatic."---

Spectator

Press Reviews

"Immensely powerful... The songs are uniformly good; the final song is sensational."

— Financial Times

"Bursts with humor, rage and hope."

— Backstage

Characters

Character
Judith

Soprano. BUD's sister, so those roles need to be co-ordinated.

Doug

Baritone. Has traditionally been black.

Brian

Tenor. Should be believable as RAY's friend.

Angela

Alto. CLAUDIA's secretary. Has often been black.

Patrick

A man in his 30s or 40s (old enough to have achieved success as a designer). Important that the actor can find the humor in the monologue.

Billy

Young, early 20s, a typical all-American mid-Western boy.

Mitch

Any type, traditionally has been costumed in leather.

Josh

A clown and ring-leader of the group of friends (the first four characters plus DOUG).

Tim

A teenager who can find the laughs in this. The younger and more energetic the better.

Tracey

Young, gorgeous, sexy and spoiled. She should find the laughs and stay away from pathos.

Charlotte

A young, tough drug-abuser.

Francis

A gentleman of a certain age. Outrageous.

Ray

A regular guy, party animal, athletic. His friendship with BRIAN should be easily accepted.

Paco

An hispanic teenager, the younger the better.

Sally

Many possibilities as long as she's not too old to have recently given birth.

Orville

Middle-age, middle-class, "an ordinary Joe."

Nick

Drop-dead gorgeous, traditionally costumed in a towel, so a great body is a plus. The audience should be seduced by his charm and beauty.

Patrick

Could be any type who can play comedy.

Dwight

A typical, young, Broadway-chorus-boy type, Southern accent can work.

Rebecca

Mid-Western, typical housewife.

Claudia

A high-power corporate executive. A contrast to her secretary, ANGELA, is helpful. British accent can work.

Roscoe

A big old drag queen.

Helen

A typical grandmother.

Walter

Old enough to attend a high school reunion, different somehow (ethnic? heavy? off-beat?) so we can see why he was something of an outcast.

Lamar

A black, street-hangin', story-tellin' drug abuser. Essential that the actor find the humor here.

+ 12 more characters

Publication

PublisherSamuel French
Year2010
BindingPaperback
EditionFirst Edition
Pages90
PlaceNew York, NY
LanguageEnglish
ISBN-139780573695698
ISBN-100573695695
LCCPS3535.U78 E54 1996
DCC812.54

Elegies For Angels, Punks And Raging Queens is a British lgbtq play written by Bill Russell and published by Samuel French in New York, NY (2010).

Community Reviews

No community reviews yet

Rating

4.1

34 ratings·36 reviews

Review

Buy Play

Performance Rights

Available for Licensing
Amateur & Professional
Fee:Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.

Restrictions: Major Markets Only (US) / Standard Restriction (UK)

Apply for Rights

Similar Plays

Plays with similar themes, style, and content.

More from Bill Russell

More plays from Bill Russell that we think you'll enjoy.