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Erin Bryce Alligator Online January 27, 2000 |
Members of the cast and crew of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "Rent" spoke to UF students Wednesday morning about interracial relationships, homelessness and homosexuality. UF sociology Professor Terry Mills invited cast members Marcus Chaney and Horace Rogers and crewmember Roger Stricker to speak to his Social Problems class about the show's theme. When Elizabeth Rich, education director at the Center for the Performing Arts, found out "Rent" was coming to Gainesville, she sent an e-mail message to professors who teach classes with diversity themes. Mills responded. "I think there are some really interesting issues that 'Rent' brings up," Rich said. Rogers said the show deals with prominent issues in society that people tend to avoid. He plays gay character Tom Collins. Several of the characters have AIDS or are HIV-positive. Some are gay. The show also deals with parent-child relationships and alcohol and drug abuse. "These issues that we talk about are prevalent in every city," Rogers said. The show, written in 1994 by Jonathan Larson, is about a diverse group of bohemians experiencing the hardships of life in New York City. Larson died on Jan. 25, 1996, from an aortic aneurysm the night before an audience saw his musical for the first time. Rogers said Larson's death proved "everything in life is rented. It's a short term kind of thing." Stricker said the controversial issues have been known to appall some members of the audiences. Stricker is the show's wig, hair and makeup supervisor. He said he used to make fun of the amount of people leaving the show. "No one wants to deal with these issues, whether dirty, clean, man or woman," Stricker said. He said he contracted the HIV virus 10 years ago. Stricker joined the crew "to show you that I'm a normal person, I'm not sick and that we are everywhere. . ." Chaney plays Mr. Jefferson - a homeless man - and several other smaller parts in the show. Chaney said the musical has great diversity. The characters are from all different races and there are several interracial relationships within the story. Chaney said being on a college campus is similar because "there has to be lots of diversity. I think it's a human experience." Rogers said the relationship between his character and another male character, Angel, is a "love story." "He sees this other person who's similar," Rogers said. Both his character and Angel, who is a drag queen, are suffering from AIDS. "They are both not ready to give up life," Rogers said. The two characters are gravitated together because they share that experience, he said. Rogers said some members of the audience find the two characters' relationship hard to accept. "These people are in love," Rogers said. "They have a right to survive." Stricker said the support group in the play for people who are HIV-positive was based upon actual groups. "When (Larson) wrote it, he wanted it to reach out to his people," Rogers said. "Rent" will
play at the CPA through Sunday. A limited number of $20 tickets for the first 20 rows are
available two hours before the show. |
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