RENT
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Laura Welsh, director
Matthew Dolan, music director
Lauren Marousek, choreographer
Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.
Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's RENT follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.
RENT is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
Content Advisory: This show contains mature themes and situations, including strong language, and suggestive content. This includes depictions of violence, substance abuse, references to suicide, and terminal illness. This production may use strobe lighting, which may affect photosensitive viewers, and theatrical fog and haze throughout the performance. Signs will be posted in the lobby.
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TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets will go on sale September 8, 2026
Reserved Seats $15 ($10 for students, faculty, staff, military & seniors)
For assistance in purchasing tickets, please contact Oberlin College Central Ticket Service.
This fully-staged production of Oberlin Music Theater will be presented in six performances, December 1-3 and 5 at 7:30pm, December 6 at 1:30pm, and December 8 at 7pm. Estimated Run Time: 2.5 hours including one intermission.
