Savannah Summer Theatre Institute to Present RENT, Begin. 7/19

The Savannah Summer Theatre Institute, now in its sixth season, is proud to present Jonathan Larson's Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning musical, RENT, at the Savannah Country Day School the last two weekends of July.

Based on Giacomo Puccini's opera La bohéme, RENT follows a group of struggling young bohemian artists, many living with AIDS, in New York City's Alphabet City during the late 1980s. Spanning one year in the lives of a group of friends, each grapples to maintain their identity and non-conformist bohemian ideals among rapidly rising rent prices and declining living conditions. Jonathan Larson's explosive rock opera was enormously popular on Broadway, running 12 years and inspiring a renewed love of musical theater in a younger generation of theatre-goers. Savannah Summer Theatre Institute's production of RENT features local and out of town talent, with 18 cast members from 13 different schools coming from 8 states and 2 countries.

The Savannah Summer Theatre Institute puts on a strenuous musical theatre intensive each summer that immerses high school students in an intense rehearsal period followed by a week of guest artist workshops. Created to show high school students how a professional rehearsal process is run, the students put together a full production in three weeks that cumulates with two weekends of performances. Guest artists who have been featured in the popular "Fourth Week" program in the past include Tituss Burgess (The Little Mermaid, Guys and Dolls) and Tony Award winner Roger Bart (The Producers, Young Frankenstein).

This year SSTI will be bringing in Will Chase to work with the cast of RENT. Chase is a 2013 Tony Award Nominee for The Mystery of Edwin Drood and has been seen on Broadway in numerous shows, including Aida and The Full Monty. Recently he has also had starring roles on TV's Rescue Me and SMASH. Will Chase was also the last person to play Roger in the Broadway production of RENT.

RENT will be performed July 19 & 20 and July 26 & 27 at 7:30pm and July 21 & 28 at 2pm in the Savannah Country Day School Jelks Auditorium. Tickets ($15 Adults; $10 Students) are available at the door and online at www.savannahsummertheatre.com. The Savannah Country Day School is located at 824 Stillwood Dr. in Savannah, Georgia.

RENT Cast List

Andrew Cliatt - Mark
Alex Burnette - Roger
Thaddeus Kaszuba - Tom Collins
Alex Rader - Angel
Andy Paul/Matthew Munroe - Benny
Kim Stevens - Mimi
Sarah Armstrong - Joanne
Kennedy Bastow/Wallace Rakoczy - Maureen
Matthew Munroe/Andy Paul - Gordon/Priest/Season Solo/Cop/Ensemble Wallace Rakoczy/Kennedy Bastow - Seasons Solo/Homeless/Mimi's Mom/Ensemble Amelia Kennedy - La Vie Boheme Waitress/Alexi Darling/Ensemble
Davis Tate - Steve/The Man/Squeegieman/Mr. J/Ensemble
Mary Virginia Mitchell - Mrs. Cohen/Homeless/Junkie/Ensemble
Alex Martins - Blanket Person/Coat Vendor/Mrs. J/Ensemble
Preston Bradsher - Group Leader/Vendor/Roger's Mom/Ensemble
Leah Channen - Pam/Homeless/Bells Solo/Ensemble
Mira Sneirson - Homeless/Support Group/Ensemble

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