Rent by Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana

What To Know About This Production

Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice, and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon, with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.

Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Jonathan Larson's Rent follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York's Lower East Side, under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provide the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.

This is theatre at its best – exuberant, passionate, and joyous. Regional theatres will love the freedom and flexibility that Rent offers; minimal costuming and sets are required.

Performance Dates

  • Aug 4 Thursday 7:30 PM
  • Aug 5 Friday 7:30 PM
  • Aug 6 Saturday 7:30 PM
  • Aug 7 Sunday 2:00 PM

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Auditions For Rent

What To Expect At Auditions

Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University 2022 Audition Information (Rent)


Please make sure you are using an "audition profile" when submitting an audition. The other option (family profile) is being phased out.

This season we will be presenting three productions: Bandstand (June 23-26); Into the Woods (July 14-17); Rent (Aug. 4-7). 

Due to health and safety protocols, all auditions will be conducted through online video submissions via the Cast 98 website. To audition for any or all of the three shows, you must go to https://cast98.com, sign up for an account, and "follow" Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University (https://us.cast98.com/studios/slt). On the site, you will be able to upload your headshot and resume and input your role preference, conflicts, video URL, and other pertinent information. You must submit a separate submission for each show. We will accept submissions via Cast98 from February 7- March 7, 2022. 

Rent rehearsals are July 18- August 3, with performances August 4- August 7, 2022.

 

VOCAL AUDITION REQUIREMENTS 

Rent: Please submit a 16 to 32-bar cut (or 30-45 secs)of a song from a rock musical or a commercial song (preferably Rock, but Pop and R&B could work). Please do not submit a whole song. You can sing something from the show, but please make sure your selection shows off your range and acting ability. If you would like to submit two song cuts to show contrasting styles, you may but please remember you are not required to do so. 

 

DANCE AUDITION REQUIREMENTS 

All shows will have movement of some kind.  

Rent - Please submit the Rent dance/mover combination. If you are auditioning for Angel, please dance in heels. 

Filming/video instructions- please use the landscape framing (Picture wider than taller) for your movement video. Make sure your whole body is always in the frame. 

SLT 22- RENT Movement Combination Video: https://youtu.be/6Xk1bahmNi4 

Music for all combinations can be found at https://tinyurl.com/yckt4b7z. 

 

AUDITION VIDEO SUBMISSION 

You can have separate videos for your songs and dance/movement videos, but the best way would be to put them all into one video. If that is beyond what you can do, don't worry about it. Also, remember that while you may combine song and dance into one video, audition elements from different shows may not be combined; different shows require different video submissions. Ensure your main vocal video URL is in the Video Submission area on the Audition Sheet. Then, copy the other link(s) into the Additional Information section of that form. 

Videos need to be uploaded to a platform like YouTube or Vimeo and then submit the URL. You cannot upload videos to this audition platform. 

 

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION & EMC 

We do hire AEA members, depending on the show/role. 

Since Summer Lyric is a bonded company with Actors' Equity Association, all cast members and stage managers will be eligible for EMC points if they are members of the Equity Member Candidacy program. 

 

HEALTH & SAFETY PROTOCOLS 

Summer Lyric Theatre will be adhering to all Health & Safety Protocols set forth by Actors' Equity Association, Tulane University, the City of New Orleans, and the State of Louisiana. We will be following a fully vaccinated protocol (including a booster). Cast members must bring their vaccination cards with them to the first rehearsal. 

 

EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION 

Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to creating a safe space for its company members. No one will be discriminated against based on their race, sexuality, sex, gender expression, or physical challenge. 

 

RESOURCES FOR VIRTUAL AUDITIONS 

Backing Tracks: Piano Trax https://www.pianotrax.com 

Self-Taping: Please refer to Bob Pavlovich's Self-Taping Guidelines on the SLT Website (https://tinyurl.com/4tawfzsv) 

Here are a few blog posts with videos and tips and tricks for self-tapes 

·                    Broadway Collective: https://bwaycollective.com/selftapeguide/ 

·                    Backstage: https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/guide-perfect-self-tape-1758/ 

·                    "10 Tips To Nail Your Next Self-Tape Audition" – The Actor's Aesthetic: https://www.actoraesthetic.com/blog/self-tapes 

·                    Makayla Lysiak on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTe43wmDZNs 

 

CASTING BREAKDOWNS 

Rent 

Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson 

Character Breakdown 

Roger Davis- A struggling musician and former drug addict. He is reminiscent of Kurt Cobain. Roommates with Mark in the loft and battles with being HIV-positive. Age: 20 to 25. Vocal range top: A4. Vocal range bottom: F2 

Mark Cohen- 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. Age: 20 to 30. Vocal range top: G4. Vocal range bottom: A2 

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. Age: 25 to 35. Vocal range top: A4. Vocal range bottom: F#2 

Benjamin Coffin III- The landlord of Mark and Roger's apartment building. A former roommate in the loft, Benny traded in his personal morals for power and wealth. Age: 25 to 35. Vocal range top: F#4. Vocal range bottom: Bb2 

Joanne Jefferson- A public interest lawyer and headstrong lesbian. She is smart and purposeful in all her decisions. Carries on a tumultuous relationship with Maureen. Age: 25 to 40. Vocal range top: E5. Vocal range bottom: G3 

Angel Dumott Schunard- The eccentric HIV-positive street drummer. A drag queen with an incredible gift of dance and a magnetic personality. He becomes Tom's lover. Age: 20 to 30. Vocal range top: A4. Vocal range bottom: C3 

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. Age: 18 to 21. Vocal range top: E5. Vocal range bottom: Eb3 

Maureen Johnson- An unpredictably zany performance artist. Maureen oozes sexuality and used to live in the loft. She has recently dumped Mark for Joanne. Age: 20 to 25. Vocal range top: F5. Vocal range bottom: C4 

Ensemble 

Homeless Men & Women; Junkies, Parents (Mrs. Cohen, Mr. & Mrs. Jefferson); Support Group (Steve, Gordon) 

 

The audition form isn't posted yet, so cool your jets and check back later!

Audition Process

Create a free Cast98 audition profile then return here to fill out the online audition form.

There are four steps to complete the audition form:

  1. Information about auditions and privacy
  2. Contact information and background
  3. Upcoming conflict calendar
  4. Time slots and preferred roles

Once submitted, you can review your form and make changes up until your audition date.

Cast List For Rent

Available Roles

  • Roger Davis
  • Mark Cohen
  • Tom Collins
  • Benjamin Coffin, III
  • Joanne Jefferson
  • Angel Dumott Schunard
  • Mimi Marquez
  • Maureen Johnson

Cast List

The cast list is not yet posted. Please check back later.

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