I have been reviewing theatre in Rhode Island for 48 years, and I have never seen a more masterful production of a play than Gamm Theatre’s “Angels in America.”

This production is so good, if it was presented on Broadway, it would last for years. At Gamm it runs through June 15, so call right now and reserve your seats before they are gone.

Artistic Director Tony Estrella has brought former Trinity Rep icon Brian McEleney back from New York City to direct the three-hour “Angels in America, Part One: The Millenium Approaches.” (Interesting note: McEleney played Prior Walter in Trinity’s 1993 production).

McEleney has taken Tony Kushner’s epic drama and brought it to life, weaving related scenes in and out with a smooth flow that will have you mesmerized.

The cast of eight includes Trinity Rep veterans Phyllis Kay and Rachel Warren, Gamm’s Estrella, Burbage and Gamm actor Gabrielle McCauley, new-to-Gamm actors Haas Regen and Ben Steinfeld, Trinity and Gamm actor Rodney Witherspoon II, and premiere Rhode Island actor, Jeff Church, who has lit up just about every stage in the state.

The eight actors play close to two dozen roles in perfect synchrony, making every scene, every encounter and every interplay a triumph.

Estrella’s portrayal of Roy Cohn is outright frightening and despicable. (That’s a compliment.)

Haas Regen’s Prior Waller, a gay man dying of AIDS, will bring tears to your eyes.

Ben Steinfeld’s Louis, Prior’s ambivalent partner will make you ponder your own soul.

Jeff Church’s Joe Pitt will grab your heartstrings and never let go as he deals with his sexuality and morality.

Gabrielle McCauley as Joe’s troubled wife will have you rooting for her as she deals with her mental illness and horrific dreams.

Rodney Witherspoon II as the black man who questions Louis’s subtle racist outbursts will have you cheering for him.

And then there are Phyllis Kay and Rachel Warren, brilliantly playing a dozen roles that require costume changes, attitude adjustments and character makeovers.

Put them all together, and you have one of the greatest ensembles to ever appear in a play in Rhode Island.

The play starts in the mid-eighties in New York City where the AIDS epidemic has hit, along with Reagonomics.

There is humor in the play, aimed at the political situation and sexuality, making it as relevant today as it was in the ’80s.

The action spreads out over the large staging area, with several instances when two or three scenes intertwine in perfect harmony.

Credit to the creative team who have made it all work and the costume designers and dressers who have to work with the actors at a very fast past.

I can’t wait for Part 2, opening September 25.

Call 723-4266 or visit gammtheatre.org for tickets.