Part 1: Act 1, Scene 1 Summary

The play is set in 1985, at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the western world. The title refers to the coming of the millennium, which historically carries connotations of ill omen and catastrophe. The first Act of the play is subtitled "Bad News," which also hints at approaching doom. The theme of fatalism in the play is directly linked to the spread of AIDS throughout all society.

In scene one, a Jewish funeral ceremony is taking place at a funeral home in New York. Rabbi Chemelwitz presides over the cheap, basic coffin, the lid of which is roughly held in place by two wooden pegs. The service seems badly prepared. Rabbi Chemelwitz gives a faltering and impersonal speech about the deceased, Mrs. Sarah Ironson; however, he gives an emotive speech on the immigrant generation, to which he and...