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Auditions for INSPIRE “Rent” will take place in Fall of 2023. TBA

Arms Wide Open’ s new inclusive theatre arts program entitled “INSPIRE”, is a unique theatre program that taps into the community of both disabled and non-disabled adults. All performers support and learn from each other as they share their talents and joy of performing. The power of inclusivity is brought to life on stage through their spectacular musical productions.

Rent Show Synopsis

Original Broadway Version (1996)

La Vie Boheme! Jonathan Larson's iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that shaped a generation of audiences and taught us all to measure our life in love.

Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon. with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.

This is theatre at its best – exuberant, passionate and joyous. Regional theatres will love the freedom and flexibility that Rent offers; minimal costuming and sets are required.

Character breakdown:

Cast Type: Ensemble Cast

Dance Requirements: None

Roger Davis

A struggling musician and former drug addict. He is reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. Roommates with Mark in the loft and battles with being HIV-positive.

Gender: Male

Age: 20 to 25

Vocal range top: A4

Vocal range bottom: F2

Mark Cohen

Filmmaker and video artist. Knee deep in his own soul-searching, Mark is the typical young artist. He and Roger are roommates in the loft. A bit of a nerd.

Gender: Male

Age: 20 to 30

Vocal range top: G4

Vocal range bottom: A2

Tom Collins

A computer genius and liberal professor. He is a nurturer with a smooth and relaxed disposition. Used to be a roommate in the loft and is HIV-positive.

Gender: Male

Age: 25 to 35

Vocal range top: A4

Vocal range bottom: F#2

Benjamin Coffin Iii

The landlord of Mark and Roger's apartment building. A former roommate in the loft, Benny traded in his personal morals for power and wealth.

Gender: Male

Age: 25 to 35

Vocal range top: F#4

Vocal range bottom: Bb2

Joanne Jefferson

A public interest lawyer and headstrong lesbian. She is smart and purposeful in all her decisions. Carries on a tumultuous relationship with Maureen.

Gender: Female

Age: 25 to 40

Vocal range top: E5

Vocal range bottom: G3

Angel Dumott Schunard

The eccentric HIV-positive street drummer. A drag queen with an incredible gift of dance and a magnetic personality. He becomes Tom's lover.

Gender: Male

Age: 20 to 30

Vocal range top: A4

Vocal range bottom: C3

Mimi Marquez

An HIV-positive stripper with drug addictions. Slender and sickly, she conceals it all at her job in the local strip club. She lives in the same building as the loft.

Gender: Female

Age: 18 to 21

Vocal range top: E5

Vocal range bottom: Eb3

Maureen Johnson

An unpredictably zany performance artist. Maureen oozes sexuality and used to live in the loft. She has recently dumped Mark for Joanne.

Gender: Female

Age: 20 to 25

Vocal range top: F5

Vocal range bottom: C4

Ensemble

Homeless Men & Women; Junkies, Parents (Mrs. Cohen, Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson); Support Group (Steve, Gordon)