Rent April 28-30 and May 1, 2022

RENT

Music, Lyrics, and Book by Jonathan Larson

April 28, 29 & 30 at 7:30 pm
May 1 at 2 pm


Goppert Performing Arts Center
Bill and Jean Buchanan Stage
Avila University
11901 Wornall Road
Kansas City, MO 64105

Tickets

To reserve tickets, please contact our Box Office via telephone at 816.501.3699 or email at box.office@avila.edu.

Regular Tickets

Regular — $10
Seniors — $8
Non-Avila Students — $8
Avila Students — FREE

Children under 10 receive free entry at all Avila Performing Arts events

Who’s Who

Learn more about the RENT cast, staff, and crew!


Director’s Notes

“How do you document ‘real life’ when real life’s getting more like fiction each day?”

This first line of the song “Rent”, I believe, succinctly sums up our human existence of the past couple of years now. Our “new normal” as a human race has evolved several times over in such a short span of time, the turn of events has been almost cinematic in their dramatic ebbs and flows. I have found that ‘when real life’s getting more like fiction each day,’ we search desperately for something that is true to us personally: community. One of the cruxes of the pandemic is/was the inability to gather with our various communities whether it be family, friends, co-workers, or neighbors. Though we are still weathering that storm a bit, the ability to finally gather has given us some of our footing back. We may not consciously realize it, but we have spent the last few years measuring our lives in terms of love. Many of us have become skillful and meticulous in finding ways to safely gather with those that we love.

Rent is based on Giacomo Puccini’s opera La Boheme, in which the character, Mimi, has tuberculosis. In Rent, Mimi is ‘plagued’ with a different illness that claimed the lives of many people in the 1980s, including quite a few of Rent composer, Johnathan Larson’s, friends. Rent is a love letter: to life, to finding your community, to acceptance, and, above all, to love in all of its boundless, kaleidoscopic forms.

—Chioma Anyanwu, Director

Cast

Mark Cohen
Understudy
Richard Bertoldie
Daniel Hicks
Roger Davis
Understudy
Brandon Williams
Tyler Lindquist
Mimi MarquezGracey Hopkins
Tom CollinsPaul Joseph
Angel SchunardGarland Moore
Maureen Johnson
Understudy
Taylor Williams
Danielle Adcock
Joanne Jefferson
Understudy
Bee Givens
Alec Sade
Benny Coffin
Understudy
Davin Zamora
Tucker Rushing
EnsembleDanielle Adcock, Gaby Dawn, Miriam Gleeson, Ari Hernandez, Rachel Howard, Izaak Kimsey, Tucker Rushing, Alec Sade, McKenna Sanford

Production Staff

DirectorChioma Anyanwu
Musical DirectorDr. Amity Bryson
ChoreographerHope Williams
Scenic DesignerRachel Howard
Digital Media DesignerSamantha Reiner
Costume DesignerMolly Zagorski
Lighting DesignerTinna Rivera
Sound DesignerTalia Hinckley
Properties DesignersIsabella Brauner & Ellie Peoples
Stage ManagerKaitlyn White
Technical DirectorBethany Elliot
Costume SupervisorShannon Reginer
Assistant Stage ManagersTalia Hinckley & Charlie Parsons
Assistant Digital Media DesignerDanielle Adcock
Assistant Scenic DesignerDaniel Hicks
Assistant Costume DesignersKelsey Harms & Ta’ja Snipes
Assistant Lighting DesignersRichard Bertoldie & Eleanor Frances
Assistant Sound DesignersTyler Lindquist & Samantha Reiner
Box Office SupervisorXanda Pilley

Pit

Rehearsal Accompanist & Lead PianoJohn Livingston
GuitarSophia Motta
SynthesizerRansom Ward
DrumsAnaliese Motta

Production Crew

Scenic Change ArtistAri Hernandez
PaintersDanielle Adcock, Richard Bertoldie, Gaby Dawn & Lynn Winkler
Master CarpenterChristian Lucas
CarpentersRichard Bertoldie & Davin Zamora
CostumesKelsey Harms & Ta’ja Snipes
Props McKenna Sanford
Master ElectriciansTyler Lindquist & Samantha Reiner
ElectriciansIzaak Kimsey, Garland Moore & Tucker Rushing
Light Board OperatorSamantha Reiner
Sound Board OperatorAbby Dearing
Digital Media OperatorEleanor Frances
Run CrewKyle Hammond & Lynn Winkler
Wardrobe CrewKelsey Harms & Ta’ja Snipes
Production OfficeMatt Schwader Harbor, Tinna Rivera & Adrianna Wendel
House ManagerTinna Rivera
Box OfficeKyle Hammond & Adrianna Wendel

Performing Arts Faculty

Interim Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social SciencesDr. Regina Staves
Chair of Performing ArtsDr. Amity Bryson
Director of Performance StudiesMatt Schwader Harbor
Director of Design and TechnologyBethany Elliot
Artist in ResidenceDr. Michalis Koutsoupides
Adjunct FacultyChioma Anyanwu
Jim Fletcher
Hope Goertzen
John Livingston
Gene Mackey
Dr. Aaron Redburn
Kristina Ruf
Shannon Smith-Regnier
Alexandra Pilley

Special Acknowledgments

Advancement Office
Avila’s School of Visual & Communication Arts
Leslie Coats
Belinda Troxler and Bob Crow
Nicole Equibel
Great Western Dining
Leawood Stage Company
Guilherme De Carvalho Berbel Lozani
Maintenance and Housekeeping
Office of Marketing and Communication
MicroCinema Film Club
Benjamin Pascoe
Garrett Tipton
Kimberly Wibbenmeyer, Sullivan High School Theater


Arts at Avila

Friends

David C. Connor
Heather Noble
Marcia, Jean & Rosie Pasqualini
Pattie & Kevin Robertson
Regina Staves, Ph.D. & Ryan Staves
Scott & Diann White

Sponsors

Wendy & John Acker
Amy Bucher
Darby Gough & Girls
Troy & Paige Illum
Paul & Mary LeCluyse
Gene & Sheryl Mackey
Sue Ellen McCalley
Mr. Nick & Dr. Amy Milakovic
Dr. Cathy Miller
Maggie Mohrfeld & David Davis
Alicia & Randy Murillo
Benjamin Pascoe
Blair & Sue Penney
Matt Schwader Harbor
Diana & Jim Taylor
Nancy J. White
Susan & Chris Winters
Mr. & Mrs. Sabin Yanez

Patrons

Anonymous gift in honor of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet
Walter Brandes
Dr. Amity H. Bryson
Bill & Jean Buchanan
Lauren E. Chiodo-Benmuvhar
Carol K. Coburn, Ph.D.
Constance M. Cooper Charitable Foundation
Mr. Bob Crow & Mrs. Belinda R. Troxler
Roderick J. & Jo Anne Cyr Foundation
Carol Davis
Joseph & Susan Fahey
Jim Fletcher & Carol Cowles
Dave & Geri Frantze
Vita Goppert Charitable Trust
Richard & Charlene Gould
Dr. Andy Jett & Brad Ozias
Drs. Larry & Jan Marsh
Anya, Suzanne & Dr. Jeffrey Myers
Robert M. Scoles 88’
Victor E. & Caroline E. Shutte Foundation
Dr. Ronald A. & Mrs. Suzanne Slepitza
Dr. Jordan Wagge
Jim & Sue Willcox
David & Ginny Woy


Ticket Information

Reserve tickets by calling the Box Office at 816.501.3699 for more information.

Evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday matinee performances begin at 2 p.m.

Season Tickets

Regular — $30
Seniors — $28

Regular Tickets

Regular — $10
Seniors — $8
Non-Avila Students — $8
Avila Students — FREE

Children under 10 receive free entry at all Avila Performing Arts events

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