RENT Auditions

Audition Information

Based on Puccini’s beloved opera La Bohème, RENT follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan’s East Village. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, struggles to find his place in the world; his roommate Roger, an HIV-positive musician, wonders how he will leave his mark before he dies. Mimi and Angel look for true love as they face the harsh reality of life as HIV-positive young people, while the businesslike Joanne seeks fidelity from her wild-child performance artist girlfriend Maureen. The group’s dreams, losses, and love stories weave through the musical’s narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980s, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

Quad City Music Guild’s production of RENT is looking for a diverse ensemble cast who can bring to life the essence of the original production; while at the same time breathing their own fresh take on Jonathan Larson’s iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning musical.

RENT shaped a generation of audiences and taught us all to measure our life in love. Join us for audtions.

CASTING

Prepare 16-32 bars of music from a musical of your choice.  Choose a piece that is up tempo, shows off your vocal range, and ideally allows you to demonstrate some interpretation of the music and the character.  You may choose a song from RENT.  Please bring sheet music as an accompanist will be provided.  No prerecorded music will be allowed. Dress comfortably and with shoes that allow you to learn a short dance routine.

Due to the show’s content, RENT is rated PG-13, and those auditioning need to be 18-years of age or older at the time of auditions.

• Cast Size: Flexible
• Cast Type: Diverse Ensemble Cast
• Age: 18+
• Dance Requirements: Minimal

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

• Roger Davis – A struggling musician and former drug addict. He is reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. Roommates with Mark in the loft and struggles with being HIV-positive.
  • Gender: Male
  • Age: 20 to 35
  • Vocal range: F2 to A4
• Mark Cohen – Aspiring filmmaker and video artist. Knee deep in his own soul-searching, Mark is the typical young artist. He and Roger are roommates in the loft. A bit of a nerd.
  • Gender: Male
  • Age: 20 to 35
  • Vocal range: A2 to G4
• Tom Collins – A computer genius and liberal professor. He is a nurturer with a smooth and relaxed disposition. Used to be a roommate in the loft and is HIV-positive. Tom is homosexual and he Angel develop deep and intimate relationship.
  • Gender: Male
  • Age: 25 to 45
  • Vocal range F#2 to A4
• Benjamin Coffin III – The landlord of Mark and Roger’s apartment building. A former roommate in the loft, Benny traded in his personal values for stability, power and wealth.
  • Gender: Male
  • Age: 20 to 35
  • Vocal range Bb2 to F#4
• Joanne Jefferson – A public interest lawyer and headstrong lesbian. She is smart and purposeful in all her decisions. She is in a tumultuous relationship with Maureen.
  • Gender: Female
  • Age: 25 to 45
  • Vocal range G3 to E5
• Angel Dumott Schunard – The eccentric HIV-positive street drummer. A drag queen with an incredible gift for dance and a magnetic personality. He becomes Tom’s lover.
  • Gender: Male
  • Age: 20 to 40
  • Vocal range C3 to A4
• Mimi Marquez – An HIV-positive stripper with drug addictions. Slender and sickly, she conceals it all at her job in the local strip club. She lives in the same building as the loft.
  • Gender: Female
  • Age: 18 to 30
  • Vocal range Eb3 to E5
• Maureen Johnson – An unpredictably high maintenance performance artist. Maureen oozes sexuality and used to live in the loft. She has recently dumped Mark for Joanne.
  • Gender: Female
  • Age: 20 to 40
  • Vocal range C4 to F5
• Ensemble – Homeless Men & Women; Junkies, Police officers, Parents (Mrs. Cohen, Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson, Mrs. Davis, Mrs. Marquez); Support Group (Steve, Gordon). The ensemble is a vitally important component of RENT. Covering many roles, and at times acting as a Greek Chorus, many ensemble members will be highlighted with musical solos and featured dialogue.