AFTON – For nearly seven weeks, members of the Afton Community Theater (A.C.T.) have been hard at work preparing to perform one of the most ambitious and involved productions in the organization’s history: RENT.
The varied ensemble of stage actors with varying degrees of experience will soon take to the stage at Afton High School with their version of the internationally-acclaimed musical that critics agree single-handedly brought live stage production to a new generation of up and coming audiences.
Described as “The musical that changed Broadway forever,” RENT is a high energy, emotionally compelling piece of theater that promises to move audiences from all walks of life.
This infamous musical is an amped up modern take on Puccini’s opera, La Boheme. The story line follows a dynamic cast of eight young bohemian characters over the course of a year, translated in terms that the MTV generation can relate to.
The unique bohemia of RENT is portrayed in poor youth and struggling artists who defy convention and reject the mainstream culture. The characters in the musical aim to live life on their own terms, doing what they want from day to day and living for art.
With the AIDS crisis of the ‘80s and ‘90s as a looming backdrop, they face the joys and despairs of falling in love, fighting their vices, coping with loss, and learning what it means to live and love for today, all while facing mortality itself. Given the intensity of the subject matter, the show is recommended for audiences of 16 or older.
The cast of this exciting production stars Michael Graziano as Mark, Mark Durkee as Roger, Danika Clair as Mimi, Frank Joseph as Angel, Jonathon Stockton as Collins, Jackie Olson as Maureen, Doddy Crisell as Joanne and Scott Germond as Benny.
The above mentioned – along with an energetic and talented ensemble – are a force of theatrical exuberance who have poured their hearts, minds, and souls into bringing this musical to life over the past few months.
“It’s giving me life,” said Graziano, a SUNY Oneonta graduate. When asked to describe the experience of working with his cast-mates, he said, “No matter what happens when I go through my day, I get to go to rehearsal later…creating something that so many people love.”
