Jonathan Larson's RENT opens tonight on the Mainstage and sure, we'll all be singing Seasons of Love as the curtains close, but there's more to RENT than uplifting songs. The musical about friendship among artists amidst 1980's greed, intolerance, the AIDS epidemic, and drugs has hit home with cast and crew. Seen here at left, David Allen George, the show's director, gave blood at the Red Cross in Danvers with nearly 20 theatre students. More students have been collecting donations for the Boston Living Center, and more will be collected at the doors. A soup supper with discussion on Creating Compassionate Communities will include a faculty panel discussing the complicated questions of homelessness, and donations will be made to Lifebridge, formerly the Salem Mission. While entertainment is important in the theatre, we always hope that an audience will leave asking questions, being challenged. We hope you'll do more than sing about Seasons of Love. Live!
