William Sanders saw the writing on the wall.

Or, more accurately, he saw the poster on the wall.

“I was trying to think of a play for the end of season. Somebody else was doing one play. And we couldn’t get the rights to another.

“And I was sitting in my office. And I looked at the poster of ‘Angels in America.’ And I realized it would be the 20th anniversary of Civic’s production. And I thought, ‘Why don’t we do that?’”

Civic Theatre of Allentown produced playwright Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America: Parts 1 and 2” in 1997. Sanders, artistic director of Civic, directed the 1997 production and is directing the 2017 production.

“And I thought of Will playing the lead role of Prior. And I knew it was something he always wanted to do. So, he was pre-cast. And I reached out to a few people who had been in it previously to see if they wanted to do it again.”

Will Morris is associate artistic director-production manager of Civic.

Civic presents “Angels in America: Parts 1 and 2,” subtitled “A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” May 5-20. “Part 1: Millennium Approaches” opens May 5. “Part 2: Perestroika” opens May 11. Theater-goers can see “Parts 1 and 2” back to back May 13 and 20.

Those in Civic’s 1997 production returning for the 20th anniversary production are JoAnn Wilchek Basist (The Angel), Barry Glassman (Roy Cohn) and Gretchen K. Furst (Harper Pitt).

The 2017 cast includes Troy Brokenshire (Louis Ironson), Jason Roth (Joe Pitt), Adam Newborn (Belize) and Susan Sneeringer (Hannah Pitt).

“Angels in America” takes place in the Reagan era and centers on the AIDS crisis in 1980s New York. Fictional and historical characters intermingle in a social, political and sexually-charged atmosphere.

Sanders has a deep association with “Angels in America,” owing to his long-time friendship and professional theater collaborations with Joe Mantello, a Tony Award-winning director and Tony Award-nominated actor (including for his role as Louis in the 1993 “Angels in America” Broadway production that included Ron Leibman, Marcia Gay Harden and Jeffrey Wright). “Angels in America” received a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Tony Award for Best Play.

Recalls Sanders, “I saw it two times at the Taper and both Broadway openings for both parts, and saw it four other times with other people and at the National Theatre the last time they did it.”

“Angels in America” had its world premiere in November 1992 at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, and its London debut in November 1993 at the National Theatre. A new production began previews in April at the National Theatre with the cast including Andrew Garfield and Nathan Lane.

“Angels in America” is one of the most challenging productions in theater, from the standpoint of its minimalist staging, scene changes, lighting, sound and acting. Each of the eight actors also plays one or several other minor roles.

“It is a six- and a half-hour extravaganza,” says Sanders.

At the time of the interview, Sanders was finalizing lighting cues. They were up to 350. “And we’re not even halfway through the second half,” he says.

The Civic production has two spotlight operators, two sound operators, and eight crew members. There are eight actors in the play. “It’s almost like having a chorus in a musical,” Sanders says of the tech crew.

“I was really proud of what we did the first time at Civic. I think most of the changes have been within the structure of the scene work because I’m older and more experienced and understand acting better.”

“Angels in America” is a monumental undertaking. Civic cast the show in October 2016, read-throughs began in December 2016 and rehearsals began in February.

“They did a lot of work on their own,” Sanders says of the cast.

It’s Sanders’ contention that “Angels in America” is more relevant than ever.

“The interesting thing about the play is that politics are at the forefront and the illness is in the background.

“When it first came out, other than ‘Normal Heart,’ there weren’t a lot of plays that addressed the AIDS crisis and there weren’t a lot of plays with men in intimate same-sex relationships. Now all of that is secondary.

“The play is a journey through the politics of the era and you see how little of it has changed.

“There are so many lines in the play where you go, ‘Oh my God.’ It’s so prescient. In the first scene, the rabbi says, ‘This great melting pot where nothing ever melted.’ That’s the world today.

“The play itself is such a creature of the theater, something that you need to experience with other people. People may have seen the HBO version or the production 20 years ago, but it’s time to see it again.”

HBO telecast a miniseries version of the play in 2003 directed by Mike Nichols with a cast that included Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Jeffrey Wright, Patrick Wilson and Mary-Louise Parker.

“People forget, too, that I think it’s one of the plays that’s equally hilarious and harrowing. I don’t know of any other play that takes you on a roller coaster that ‘Angels in America’ does,” Sanders says.

“Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday - Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday, Sunday; Part 1: Millennium Approaches,” May 5, 6, 13, 18, 20; “Part 2: Perestroika,” May 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, Civic Theatre of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown. Tickets: Civic Theatre Box Office, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown; CivicTheatre.com, 610-432-8943