Designing the World of Perestroika

Cody Rutledge, the lighting and scenic designer for Angels in America: Perestroika, brought Tony Kushner’s expansive, otherworldly vision to life with bold creativity and precision. Through intricate design choices and a deep understanding of the play’s themes, Cody transformed the Howard Drew Theatre into a space where the epic and the intimate coexist. In this feature, he shares his journey in developing the show’s visual world, the challenges of designing for such a unique and complex production, and the elements that became his personal favorites along the way.

What were your main sources of inspiration when conceptualizing the scenic design for Perestroika?

I began looking at the idea of Sanctuary and where religion and the gay community could harmonize together. This led me to the Limelight in New York City. This was a gay nightclub in a Gothic church during the 1980s and 1990s. It perfectly captures my color palette and the structure of how we move to each location and Heaven in the show.

How did you approach capturing the scale and surrealism of Angels in America, Part Two?

Part 2 moves a lot and goes to places we wanted to see in Part 1. I used an over-arching ceiling piece in Part 1 and another ceiling piece in Part 2 that still has the massive idea that something is still looming over us, to encompass the scale of the show.

The world of Perestroika blurs reality and fantasy. How did that influence your visual and spatial design choices?

I really had to get creative with how to go to those fantasy moments in this show. Since I did the lighting and scenic for this piece, I decided early on that I would have Neon and LED imbedded in the set that could allow us to go to these extreme locations. I also have some Movers in the space that allow us to have isolations and transition in sort of a limbo world.

One of Cody’s draftings of the scenic design, featuring the stage left and stage right walls.

Were there particular themes or moments in the play that guided your design the most?

Like I said earlier, the idea of Sanctuary is really what I played upon the most. In Part 1, we really took the approach that the sky is gonna fall at any moment. In Part 2, the sky has fallen, so we need a refuge, and each character is looking for it through any means necessary. That to me is them looking for Sanctuary.

The Howard Drew Theatre is such a unique and flexible performance space. What opportunities and challenges does it present for a show like this?

The show goes to many locations and the storage in the Drew isn’t great, so we have to get creative on how we can fit all these massive location changes in there. The other great thing is we get to come up with fun unique ways on how to make an Angel appear in the space since you really can’t fly in there. It’s one of my favorite moments in the show.

How does the layout of the Drew influence your decisions regarding sightlines, audience immersion, and scene transitions?

The good thing about the Drew is you are face to face with these Actors. It makes the show personal. So you can’t really hide stuff so letting that be a part of the world is crucial. Also anytime I have a ceiling piece in there I have to take into account how that affects the balcony sightlines so trying to make sure the seats that can’t see are either pulled or adjusted to make sure all the audience gets a good view of the show. It’s a challenge on every show I work on that I don’t always get right, but being in the space a second time helped with that.

One of Cody’s final designs, featuring the base look of the set.

What logistical or technical considerations did you have to work around during the design and build process?

Like I said earlier, flying the Angel. Most people make think ‘oh it’s so easy to fly someone.’ It’s not! It costs a lot of money, and the tracking system has to be set up exactly right depending on where someone can fly from. It is much easier in an actual fly house, but in the Drew, it’s practically impossible. So you will see during the show how we handled that.

What first drew you to scenic design as a career? Was there a specific production or experience that set you on this path?

Some people may not know, but I actually have my BFA in Musical Theatre, so I was always doing theatre since high school. I was very much an art kid in school and loved painting so naturally I became involved in the design aspect from the sidelines. When I went to college, I decided that I would do both. I think my first scenic design was The Little Mermaid for a community theatre, and it was fine. In my second design, Legally Blonde, the reviewer said it looked like someone had thrown up Pepto Bismol all over the stage. So, needless to say, I think I’ve gotten somewhat better since then.

How has your design style evolved over time, and what excites you most about working in theatre today?

I think my design style changes every year, honestly. My renderings are not the same rendering style it was last year because I’m always finding new tricks. My research style is very different now. I believe I have a pretty good hand on how musicals work so I’ve been purposely trying to flip how I think of a musical to keep me on my toes. The thing that gets me excited is doing something that allows me to really dig into what the real space was. So excited to work on more real plays as I go along.

Another finished design, featuring the hospital.

When you take on a project as complex and layered as Angels in America, what are your first steps in bringing it to life?

Well, obviously, I read the script a few times. Then I will chart through each scene to see the location and what is needed. After that, I usually chat with the director to learn what is important to them, and then I will delve into the process of researching and sketching. I am a fast sketcher, so I pump out so many thoughts and ideas there. It would be exciting for people to see what everything was before it gets to the final product, because basically I design 4 or 5 sets before I settle.

Is there a particular detail or design element in Perestroika that audiences might not notice right away but that you’re especially proud of?

I’m so happy with how neon incorporated into the set, and how the hospital scenes look and feel like. Especially Roy’s scenes with Ethel.

What do you hope audiences feel when they first walk into the space and experience this world you’ve created?

I think it’s important to feel like you can connect with these very real people. The script does an amazing job and can stand on its own, but I hope that the design elements of the lighting and scenic marry everything together, so that you do feel immersed in this story. It’s important that even though we all have our own difference of opinions, at the end of the day we each have something that can connect us together in a human way. With everything going on in the world, I hope that the Drew can feel like a little bit of a sanctuary for the audience to have for the 3 Acts.

Angels In America, Part Two: Perestroika | Oct. 10 – Nov. 9, 2025 | Omaha Community Playhouse – Howard Drew Theatre