RENT

7/10

Making its Broadway premiere in 1996, RENT was destined to become a classic staple of musical theater, highlighting the life and struggles of a group of artists and friends as they navigate homophobia, gentrification, systemic poverty, and the AIDS epidemic. Eventually the success of the show and relatability of its stories helped RENT transcend the Broadway scene, culminating in a movie adaptation for mass consumption.

After 30 years, a movie, and even a 2011 run at the Gainesville Community Playhouse, the question is, do the stories of a grunge-era East Village resonate through a modern lens?

By emphasizing modern messages about inequality and marginalization, the production team finds a way for the audience to connect with the story and the lives of its characters, while also highlighting the problem of performative activism that is commonplace today.

The lighting design is excellent and compelling, with a very striking use of color to create a rainbow across the traditional scaffolding set. Color is expertly used to represent different circumstances and moods, with the warmest tones reserved for the side where blissfully ignorant and comfortable family members take stage and the coolest tones lighting the side of the stage with the most emotional scenes. This juxtaposition in lighting shows the separation between the everyday lives of the characters and the world around them and is utilized to create separation and distance more than the layered scaffolds of the set.

One aspect of this particular production that makes it hard to review is the structure of the cast. There are two main casts, instead of a more typical main cast with some actors serving as understudies. The difficulty lies in the unlikeliness of both actors being equally suited for each role, which means the audience is not necessarily getting the best version of each character on any given night or that the audience must watch the show twice to fully experience the vision. The actors in the ensemble, however, appear in both casts, allowing them to fully flesh out those roles and add depth to the emotion of RENT.

One of the most heavily scrutinized characters over the years is the vibrant Angel. The

actor, Sheyze X, gives a performance that even the most discerning of critics will

appreciate, with a graceful presence and an effervescent demeanor, Angel is brought to life in a way that makes the character's arc all the more tragic.

Maureen, played by Marika Edwards, is the epitome of performative activism, leaning into the selfish, superficial savior figure that might be found haunting social media today. Despite Maureen's flawed nature, the talent of Ms. Edwards as both an actor and singer creates a character who is enjoyable and even likable, particularly when Maureen is providing much needed comedic relief.

Despite the creative designs and ample talent, there are times when the production seems a bit heavy handed, telling the audience exactly what the message is intended to be instead of letting the audience reach their own conclusions. Personal stories of people living with

mental health struggles play before the show while an anachronistic slideshow of famous

people living with and dying of AIDS and drug addiction plays during intermission, all

culminating with a dramatically lit semicolon for the finale.

Overall, it is clear that a great deal of thought and love went into the production design and execution of the latest iteration of RENT at GCP and the talent and creative touches found in the production design will remind the audience why this show is still a classic.

RENT is currently playing at the Gainesville Community Playhouse until October 12th. Tickets can be purchased at GCPlayhouse.org.