Photo Flash: First Look at RENT at NJSDA

New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts and Encore Youth Theater Project presents Rent by Jonathan Larson. January 9 & 10th at 8 pm, and January 11 at 3 pm. At Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College 449 Franklin St. Bloomfield NJ 07003. Tickets are available at www.Brownpapertickets.com(event/885196)$18

Under the direction/choreography of Alex Perez, Musical Direction by Terri Gorgone. Produced by Beth Baur and NJSDA. Music, Book and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson.

Based loosely on Puccini's La Boheme, Rent tells the story of a group of friends struggling with love, drugs and AIDS. Mark, a filmmaker, and Roger, a musician, are struggling to make rent when Mimi stumbles into their apartment and into to Rodger's arms. Meanwhile, Mark's ex-girlfriend, Maureen, who is now dating Joanne, is planning a major protest, and their friend Collins has struck gold in his discovery of Angel, a street performer, with whom he quickly falls in love. But their battles with AIDS, rent, vocation and love in turn tear the friends apart and back together again as they try to find the meaning of life.

The production team includes Dawn M. D'Arrigo (Stage Manager), Miguel Urbino (Set Design), Nik Marmo (Lighting Design), Nicholas Von Hagel (Sound Design), Thomas Carey Gsell (Assistant Director), Assistant managing Director (Ted Wrigley). Encore Youth Theater is a highly competitive pre-professional training program developing outstanding musical theater talent. New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts is a comprehensive theater arts training programwww.njactors.org

The Cast Features:

Noa Avital, Lilly Baldassare, Kelly Baron, Magie Biedenkapp, Santi Butler, Rachel Castaneda, Ramel Coleman, Eric Craft, Davis Lemely, Branden Mangan, Annalise Mendez, Tyler Moscaritola ,Michael Nigro, Dennis Oliveira, Quamir Payton, Susan Ramirez, Angela Romano, Audrey Russelman, Rachel Spillane, Robert Stevens.