Rent
Role of Projections
Projections provide a unique opportunity to reveal what is not visible by the eye alone. In rent, the role of multimedia goes beyond that of simply setting and style. They reveal another character, the Lower East Side in the late 1980s. Through the perspective of the camera we bring the audience closer to the lives of a group of people that lived and fought for their rights and humanity. They transport us to the movements, moments, and music that defined a generation. Beyond this, they draw parallels to how the past is not only related to the present, but it continues to manifest in different, but distinct ways.
Theatre Under the Stars, Houston TX (2023)
Written by Jonathan Larson
Directed by Ty Defoe
Music Direction Charlie Alterman
Choreographer Monica Josette
Production Stage Manager Heather Ankley
Scenic Design Ryan McGettigan
Assistant Scenic Afsaneh Aayani
Projection Design Kate Freer
Assistant Projection Design Sydney Sousa
Props Director Will Greer
Prop Camera Creation Kenn Coplan
Sound Design Andrew Harper
Costume Design Colleen Grady
Lighting Design Michelle Habeck
Original Lighting Concept Brian Tovar
Hair and Makeup Design Kelley Jordan
Assistant Director Stacy Hawking
EDIA/Intimacy Coach Eboni Bell Darcy
Assistant Stage Management Stephanie Britton and Ethan Michell
Technical Director Mary Carol
Visual Vocabulary
There are four modes of video: documentary, setting, song, and contemporary. They are seamlessly woven throughout the design to guide the audience through the story. Locating the action in specific spaces. Revealing the perspective of Mark’s Camera. Heightening the experience of specific songs. Making connections to our contemporary culture. A strong continuity to the modes of media in the 1980s will tie each element together to create a cohesive aesthetic.
Documentary: Mark’s camera is a major character and provides the audience not only provided the view from the lens, but also a more intimate relationship with the community. This is a film that Mark is cutting in his mind as he holds the camera. And at the very end we are shown the lives of these people we have come to love outside the walls of the theatre, beyond the moments we have witness in space.
Setting: The Lower East Side in the 1980s is a character. The posters peeling off the walls. The graffiti on the buildings. The skyline, the streets, the parks, the cafes, and the people.
Song: While many of the songs call for intimate moments between people, some want to be live in the world of music video. In those moments we will transform the space into the early, gritty days of MTV.
Contemporary: Media and citizen journalist content connects the issues of class, pandemic, and queer rights to contemporary efforts and actions in Houston
