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KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 21, 2023

Iconic rock musical has sustained immediacy and theatrical power for over 25 years

网红头条 Department of Theatre and Performance Studies (TPS) will present April 6-16 at the Stillwell Theater on the Kennesaw campus. The iconic rock musical鈥攚ith music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson鈥攐ffers an intimate encounter with a diverse group of young artists living in the lower east side of New York as they struggle to make ends meet during the siege of HIV Aids. Their relationships reinforce the power of a supportive community, and, most of all, the hope and joy that love offers amidst loss and despair.

Director , coordinator of Musical Theatre and associate professor of Theatre & Performance Studies, says that 鈥凌别苍迟鈥� revolutionized the art form of musical theatre, as its songs quickly found their way into popular music by incorporating rock music. 鈥淭hat hadn鈥檛 been heard since 鈥楬air鈥� in 1968,鈥� she explains, 鈥渁nd the average American was not only interested, but maybe had their hearts and minds educated from seeing theatre.鈥� Larson combined Broadway traditions with contemporary music in a complex way, as the 鈥渟ongs are structured like pop songs鈥攖hey have pop song structures and are very memorable.鈥� Audience members may be surprised that not only is there just one song that everyone knows, but most people will be surprised by just how many songs they know. 

鈥凌别苍迟鈥� became 鈥渟omething that was a lot more in the public consciousness across America, certainly more so than most musicals. It鈥檚 the kind of show that high schoolers talked about at their lockers,鈥� adds , chair of the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. 

While most of the students performing in this KSU production, set in 1992, weren鈥檛 even born when 鈥凌别苍迟鈥� debuted in 1996 after the AIDS epidemic exploded in the late 1980鈥檚, the actors didn鈥檛 have to stretch too much to understand the hardships, especially growing up during tough economic times and COVID-19. 鈥淪tudents鈥� rent is going up, and we are having conversations about how to afford eggs vs. books for school. If we did this show ten years ago, we might have to explain a lot more to the cast,鈥� says Morgan.

TPS student Lance Avery Brown, who plays Benny, understands the daily challenges. 鈥淐ollege students can relate to the problems that the characters of 鈥楻ent鈥� are going through; the characters are close in age. They are asking questions that people in their early 20鈥檚 worry about, like 鈥楬ow am I going to get my rent on time? What is my next meal going to be? How can I be successful? Where do I even start?鈥� Brown adds that it鈥檚 important to see that the production covers day-to-day experiences in life, on top of the various themes in 鈥淩ent.鈥� 

TPS student and 鈥凌别苍迟鈥� Assistant Director Issa Sol铆s describes the themes of the play as 鈥渋ntersectionality鈥� because 鈥渋t recognizes that people can have overlapping marginalized identities which can marginalize them even further. In 鈥楻ent,鈥� there are many characters with intersectionalities, which personifies these struggles and helps a modern audience to understand the privileges they have, in order to use that privilege for good,鈥� she says. 

Of course, Larson addresses the HIV/AIDS crisis head on in 鈥淩ent.鈥� Patrons will notice quilts on either side of the stage; they are just two of thousands of pieces of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. TPS is the only current host of the AIDS Memorial Quilt in the entire Southeast region of the United States. Morgan notes that 鈥凌别苍迟鈥� attempts to 鈥渉umanize the stories of those affected by AIDS as well as additional ills of our society.鈥�  

Lighting designer and TPS student Mackenzie 鈥淢ack鈥� Scales hopes that audiences will take away several messages, including 鈥渁ppreciation for the community as well as the struggles those in our community experience鈥攍ike addiction and identity鈥攁nd I hope audiences can take ideas away to better support the community around them.鈥� 

Sol铆s wishes that audiences will 鈥渢ry to walk a mile in the shoes of a character whose identity does not resemble their own. Take in their life experiences, understand their soul. Are you as different as you thought you were at first? Or are we all just 鈥榤easuring [our lives] in love?鈥欌�� 

鈥凌别苍迟鈥� will be performed April 6-16 at the Stillwell Theater on the Kennesaw campus. Tickets are $12-20; buy or call Patron Services at 470-578-6650. Read more about this production. 

--Kathie Beckett