So we weren't really that far out of DC. We were just in Kensington, MD (right outside the beltway) catching Kensington Arts Theatre's production of RENT.
Now RENT's dear to me. I specifically have memories of my junior year being the Sound Board Op for my high school's winter play, The Misanthrope. If you're familiar with the show, as you might imagine there weren't too many sound cues. The running time was also just a little longer than the soundtrack of RENT. However it came about, I ended up listening to the full soundtrack on my headphones (without missing my 5 sound cues from my Stage Manager)*.
*Let me add a bit of a disclaimer as well...this was a good 12 years ago. Operating boards now, I would not be listening to anything but the production AND my stage manager...but I digress.
Anyway, this is actually the first Kensington Arts Theatre mainstage production I've seen, and they presented the work wonderfully. I definitely saw why KAT is one of the better known community theatres in the DMV area.
There's really not much else to say about the production. It was just a fun evening with a full house with high energy performances all around, directed well and with great choreography. While outside of La Vie Boheme, there's not much "dance" dance, there's a lot of musical blocking.
RENT definitely is one of those shows you either love or you don't. However, particularly with recent studies regarding the above average rate of HIV infection, issues regarding affordable housing, same-sex relationships, class issues, life purpose...it's story and context are just as relevant (if not more so) today, than ever.
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