‘RENT’ Coming to Schneider Theater at the Bloomington Center for the Arts

From telling the story of impoverished young artists to underlining the marginalization of the HIV/AIDS crisis and showing the boldness, beauty and adversity the queer community faces in lower Manhattan’s East Village, “RENT” weaves advocacy, authenticity, struggle and perseverance into the depth of living in the shadow of the epidemic.
By focusing on the lives of the LGBTQ+ community, beauty comes protruding out from complex, non-normative relationships through hardship and, of course, a multitude of songs.
In early August, two cast members, Sara Masterson (playing Maureen) and Mitchell Douglas (playing Angel) were cast for the musical, set to run from October 3-27 at the Schneider Theater in Bloomington.
This showing also hits a particularly rewarding milestone — this is the first time in ten years that a regional company is producing it, Douglas said.
“‘RENT’ feels like this explosive, energetic exploration of what it means to be in community,” Masterson said. “It explores all of the different facets, asking: what bonds you and what brings you closer together despite differences and challenges?”
There are many instances where the characters of “RENT” are at odds with one another, but there are also so many other times where the gravitational pull to community is stronger than everything else, Masterson added.
Masterson said she has loved “RENT” since she was just five years old, recalling her kindergarten parent-teacher conference. It entailed a five-star rating with an additional note: to have Sara work on how often she wants to sing songs from “RENT” on the playground.
Her route to casting was unconventional and spontaneous. A good friend of hers sent a text in early August detailing that there was a changeover with the role and that casting was still looking for one of the main characters, Maureen.
The character Maureen was originally played by none other than the ice princess herself: Idina Menzel. Maureen is a bisexual performance artist, who is often described as outrageously bold.
Though Masterson imagined that she was up against at least nine others for the role of Maureen, she sent in a self-tape and, just two days later, she was in.
Masterson, who is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, and has also lived in New York, said she moved to Minneapolis in 2021 because the city offered her the opportunity to not only be a professional actor with consistent bookings, but also the ability to buy and afford a home.
Watching a tape of the 2008 Broadway cast is one of the ways Masterson is preparing for the rehearsal process, reminding herself of the scope and rhythm of the musical.
“Maureen and I are wildly different people in how we present to the world,” Masterson said. “But, we are similar in the sense that we live our lives being boldly who we are, coming from a place of intense truth.”

Douglas, playing Angel, said they felt a lot of similarities with their character, alluding to the fact that they both “march to the beat of their own drum,” in a beautiful way.
“Being a non-binary person of color playing a role like Angel is so exciting because she was a non-binary individual exploring the world before she had the vernacular to do it,” Douglas said. “Because of stories like her and the ball that got rolling because of people where her story is based out of, is why I get to lead the life that I do now.”
This cast specifically is exciting because the level of passion, heart, strength and empathy they all hold is incredible, Douglas says.
“I don’t mean to brag, but every time I hear a name that’s on this cast, it’s like, ‘Wow, we are kinda stacked,’ this is going to be insane,” Douglas adds.
Douglas said the nature in which their and Masterson’s characters’ relationships are built challenge audiences in an alluring way, with the characters adding an extra level of “spice.”
“‘RENT’ takes it a step further, of carrying the mantle for other people to create, to carve out space, using your own identity to carve out space for other people,” Masterson said.
Masterson added that she is most excited about performing the song “La Vie Bohème” every night. The song is from the 1996 musical, with its lyrics reflecting a celebration of bohemianism.
“I know it is a dorky answer, but the song is just so fierce,” Masterson said.
Douglas fell in love with “RENT” immediately, remembering a dream they wrote in the stars years ago: to play Angel in their 20s and Collins in their 30s.
Angel, a street drummer known for her humorous nature and caring personality, finds out she is HIV positive.
“We are halfway there,” Douglas added. “I am so excited for every facet of the show, but in particular ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ is one of my favorite duets.”
When they were only a teen, Douglas recounts painting a mural of “RENT” in their friend’s basement after their own parents said “no.”
“To be able to create this as an adult, and to look back at how proud my younger self would have been is simply surreal,” Douglas said.
RENT
Artistry Theater and Visual Arts
Schneider Theater – Bloomington Center for the Arts
1800 West Old Shakopee Rd.
Bloomington, MN 55431
www.artistrymn.org

5100 Eden Ave, Suite 107 • Edina, MN 55436
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