Sheboygan Theatre Company presents: RENT

By Mary Boyle

The hit Broadway musical, Rent, won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Musical, among others, in 1996.  While it took Broadway by storm, there was one important person who wasn't there to see it: Jonathan Larson, the show's creator.  Larson died suddenly and unexpectedly the night before the show opened on Broadway due to an undiscovered heart issue, never realizing what an incredible success his musical would turn out to be, which ended up being one of the longest running shows on Broadway.  Perhaps Larson truly gave all of his heart to his creation because, nearly 40 years later, ​RENT is still drawing crowds.  See it for yourself with the Sheboygan Theatre Company through May 18th at the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre.

Modeled after Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème, Rent takes place in the East Village of New York, home to many a starving artist and a place where the aftereffects of the AIDS epidemic still hit hard.  Two roommates, Mark and Roger (Nico Torres and Darrick Bruns, respectively) have been living rent-free in an old broken down building that their ex-roommate, Benny (Eric Eberhardy) owns.  Mark is an aspiring filmmaker whose girlfriend, Maureen (Amanda Hartlaub) recently left him for another woman named Joanne (Moe Green), while Roger, a guitarist who wants to write the perfect song, is still struggling with the death of his girlfriend.  When Benny suddenly wants to collect all of the rent he said he wasn't going to collect, things get hectic for Mark, Roger, and others who live in the building, such as Mimi (Phoebe Avlia-Olderman), an addict who sets her sights on Roger.  Meanwhile, Mark and Roger's friend, Collins (Bryndyn Schroeder), who was robbed and beat up outside the building, is saved by Angel (Joshua Ludens), a drag queen who Collins falls in love with.

Directed by Ryan Schabach, with musical direction by Zach Holden, Rent follows the intertwined lives of these characters over the course of one year ("Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes," to be exact), through triumph and tragedy, as well as love and loss.  The most popular song from the musical, "Seasons of Love," could have just as easily been the title of the show.  STC put together a strong cast, overall, but Joshua Ludens as Angel can't help but steal the show. Amanda Hartlaub, who did the choreography and played Maureen,  and Nico Torres as Mark also gave very impressive performances.   The Leslie W. Johnson Theatre, located at Horace Mann Middle School, is an excellent space for a show of this size; I was also really impressed with the set design by Schott Bunyea and the costumes by Beth Wynveen.

Community theatre is so important to the arts; Sheboygan is lucky to have STC, where area audiences can have access to great theatre within a reasonable drive and budget.  Rent has been on my "to watch" list for a long time, but it took a short drive to Sheboygan, instead of Milwaukee, to get the job done, and they did the job very well.  I'm really looking forward to STC's next season!  For now, don't miss your chance to see their production of Rent -- it truly is full of heart.

​RENT runs through May 18th at the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre, located at 2820 Union Ave. in Sheboygan.  Tickets may be purchased online at https://www.stcshows.org/ for Thursday, May 16th at or Friday, May 17th at 7 p.m. or Saturday, May 18th at 2 p.m. or 7 p.m.
 
About Sheboygan Theatre Company
Originally known as Community Players, Sheboygan Theatre Company (STC) was founded in 1934 when talented citizens from nearly 30 separate theatre groups combined to provide quality entertainment on the shore of Lake Michigan. In 90 seasons, STC has experienced many changes, but our commitment to quality has never diminished.  STC produces at least four Main Stage shows each year in the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre on the Horace Mann Middle School campus, as well as smaller productions through our "black box" theatrical group, Studio Players.  STC operates as a non-profit within the Sheboygan Area School District Community Recreation Department and is a volunteer-run organization with a 15-member Advisory Committee.