RENT
Show Dates: 5th – 8th and 12th – 15th February 2025 at the Green Room Theatre
Opening Meeting: 1st July, 7.30pm
Auditions: Sunday 7th July from 11am
Recalls: Wednesday 10th July, 7.30pm
at the Green Room Theatre
If you cannot attend either of these audition dates then we will view any self tapes submitted before 7th July. Please send to ruth.cheek01@gmail.com
Rehearsals will be Monday and Wednesday evenings starting in November. There will be a few Sunday rehearsals closer to show week.
Audition forms, audition pieces and further information from the Director can be found here: https://bit.ly/3XdgmJX
Rent is a contemporary rock musical that tells the story of a group of young, struggling artists and musicians living in New York City’s Lower East Side during the height of the AIDS epidemic. The narrative revolves around filmmaker Mark Cohen and his friends as they navigate love, loss, and the harsh realities of life in the city. Key characters include Mark’s roommate Roger, an HIV-positive musician; Mimi, a dancer and Roger’s love interest; Collins, a philosopher who falls in love with Angel, a drag queen and street musician; and Maureen, a performance artist, and her lawyer girlfriend Joanne. The musical explores themes of friendship, poverty, illness, and the importance of living life to its fullest despite the challenges.
CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS
MARK COHEN (Male)Playing age: early to late twenties
Vocal Range: Tenor (C#3-G4)
Mark is an aspiring filmmaker who narrates the show as he films the lives of his friends, never leaving home without a camera. A little nerdy and quirky, Mark is Roger’s best friend/roommate and Maureen’s ex-boyfriend. He insists that he can survive the bleakness of his environment through his art, though it soon becomes apparent that he is more comfortable viewing the world through his lens than in actively engaging in it.
ROGER DAVIS (Male)
Playing age: mid twenties to early thirties
Vocal Range: Rock Tenor (B2-A4)
Roger, best friend/roommate of Mark, is a once successful, now struggling musician who discovered he had AIDS in a note his girlfriend left him before she took her own life. His main goal in life is to write one great song before he dies. Often depressed and sullen, he falls in love with Mimi, but is afraid to commit to her.
The actor playing this role should be able to play guitar to a performance level.
MIMI MARQUEZ (Female)
Playing age: late teens to early twenties
Vocal Range: Alto (F#3-E5)
Mimi Marquez is a stripper struggling with her addiction to heroin, which has resulted in her contraction of AIDS. She falls in love with Roger, who is unable to commit to a relationship with her, and is Benny’s ex‐girlfriend. She is extremely sexy, optimistic, and likeable but with dark secrets. Though Mimi has “lived a lot of life,” she still sees the world through the eyes of a young woman. She intends to make the most of every day, as she earnestly expresses in the song “No Day but Today.”
The actress playing this role needs to be able to convincingly portray the struggles of heroin addiction, sexual promiscuity, and HIV/AIDS, while still maintaining the optimism of youth.
BENNY COFFIN III (Gender blind casting)
Playing age: twenties to thirties
Vocal Range: Tenor/Alto (Eb3-F4)
Benny used to be Mark and Roger’s roommate, but they married Alison Grey, the daughter of a rich family involved with real estate, and they are now their landlord. They had been letting Roger and Mark live in the apartment for free, but is now forcing them to pay rent or be evicted. Roger and Mark consider them a yuppie sell-out. While in the beginning they are caught up in the lifestyle of wealth and affluence, they ultimately realise friends are more important than what money can buy.
MAUREEN JOHNSON (Female)
Playing age: twenties to thirties
Vocal Range: Soprano Belt (C4-F5)
Maureen is a bisexual performing artist and Mark’s ex‐girlfriend. She left Mark to be with her new girlfriend, Joanne. She is sexy, flirtatious, sassy, and funny. She is bold and speaks her mind, and she is not afraid to take on the establishment and fight for what she believes in.
The actress playing this role must be comfortable with same-sex physical intimacy.
JOANNE JEFFERSON (Female)
Playing age: mid twenties to early thirties
Vocal Range: Soprano Belt (Bb3-E5)
Joanne is an Ivy League educated lawyer and activist, and Maureen’s girlfriend. She struggles to not be jealous of Maureen’s flirtatious nature with others. Though she was raised in an affluent, political family, she is committed to helping those less fortunate.
The actress playing this role must be comfortable with same sex-physical intimacy.
TOM COLLINS (Male)
Playing age: late twenties to late thirties
Vocal Range: Baritone/Tenor (F#2 – A4) One A4 for a short duration
Tom Collins is a computer genius, teacher, and anarchist who was recently expelled from MIT. In the opening scene he is mugged, reflecting the harsh reality of the world in which the characters live. He is brave enough to allow himself to fall in love with Angel, knowing that since both of them are infected with AIDS, their relationship will not have much of a future. Tom and Angel’s relationship is the heart of the show, as the genuine love and devotion they have for one another brings hope and inspiration to the entire group. They show the world how to truly live life and not be afraid.
The actor playing this role must be comfortable with same sex-physical intimacy. He must be able to portray great love and affection for Angel.
ANGEL SCHUNARD (Male/Male presenting)
Playing age: early to late twenties
Vocal Range: Tenor with Falsetto (C3-A4)
Angel is a young drag queen and street percussionist who meets and falls in love with Collins. Angel is the most generous and selfless character in the show, handing out money to the neighbourhood while dressed in Santa drag. Though he has AIDS, he embraces life and lives it to its fullest. People are naturally drawn to him, and his smile lights up the room. His death is mourned by all of the characters and eventually inspires them to live each day to the fullest. Tom and Angel’s relationship is the heart of the show, as the genuine love and devotion they have for one another brings hope and inspiration to the entire group.
The actor playing this role must be comfortable with same-sex physical intimacy and a drag queen persona, including dancing in heels. Percussionist skills desired but not required.
MINOR CHARACTERS
Playing ages: Early twenties to sixties
Vocal Ranges: all vocal ranges sought
All ensemble members will multi-role a varying number of characters, including: The Homeless, Mark’s mother, Joanne’s parents, Roger’s mother, Mimi’s mother, Alexi Darling, Life Support Group, Waiter
HOBSON’S CHOICE
Show Dates: 3rd – 7th December 2024 at the Green Room Theatre
Opening Meeting: Tuesday 23rd July, 7.30pm
Auditions: Thursday 25th July, 7.30pm
Recalls: Tuesday 30th July, 7.30pm
at the Green Room Theatre
Rehearsals will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings starting in September. There will be a few Sunday rehearsals closer to show week.
Audition pieces can be found on Google drive https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1URTnEQYA6vvhOG0X69JZpx3mJpekoHuY
Director: Geoff Brown
SYNOPSIS
The youngest daughters of curmudgeonly bootmaker Henry Hobson are anxious to marry and have eligible suitors. However, they must wait until the eldest daughter, the practical-minded Maggie, is promised in marriage. Maggie has other plans which include freedom from her father’s tyranny, a business of her own and a husband of her own choosing. Her choice is Hobson’s shy apprentice Will Mossop.
The play, set in Edwardian times, highlights the attitudes of the day, particularly the plight of women in a male dominated society. However, the strength and determination of Maggie’s character helps turn the tables on her father and provide freedom for her and her sisters.
CHARACTERS
Henry Hobson, a widower and father of 3 daughters (acting age 55-60)
Maggie Hobson, eldest of the Hobson daughters (acting age 30)
Alice and Vicky Hobson, the 2 youngest Hobson daughters (acting age mid-20s)
Will Mossop, apprentice to Hobson (acting age 25-35)
Albert Prosser, suitor of Alice (acting age mid to late 20s)
Freedy Beenstock, suitor of Vicky (acting age mid to late 20s)
Mrs Hepworth, long-time customer of Hobson and benefactor to Maggie (acting age 55 upwards)
Jim Heeler, Hobson’s cronie and drinking partner (acting age 55 -60)
Ada Figgins, Will Mossop’s jilted fiancé (acting age early 20s)
Tubby Wadlow, Hobson’s long-suffering yet loyal employee (acting age 50+)
Dr McFarlane, a doctor (acting age 60+)