RCC Theatre Department Presents the Iconic Musical RENT — A Celebration of Diversity, Love, and Community

Mar 19, 2025
rent graphic

The Riverside City College (RCC) Theatre Department invites the community to experience the powerful and timeless musical RENT, a story of love, loss, and the resilience of chosen family amidst the AIDS crisis of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Performance Dates:

  • April 3–5 at 7:00 p.m.
  • April 5 at 2:00 p.m.
    Location: RCC Theatre
    Tickets: Available now at https://rccboxoffice.com. Seating is limited, so secure your tickets soon for this intimate and unique performance.

Jonathan Larson’s RENT follows a year in the lives of a diverse group of struggling artists in New York City:

  • Mark, a filmmaker
  • Roger, a musician
  • Mimi, a dancer
  • Collins, a professor
  • Angel, a drag performer
  • Maureen, a performance artist
  • Joanne, a lawyer
  • Benny, their landlord

Set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic, RENT delves into the struggles of marginalized communities while celebrating the power of love and art. The musical's impact endures decades after its debut, offering hope and solidarity to all who experience it.

In tribute to the lives lost to HIV/AIDS, the production will include a special acknowledgment during the "Life Support" scenes. If you would like to honor someone whose life was cut short due to HIV/AIDS, please contact us by March 28 to have their name included.

Inspired by Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT has become a defining work of musical theatre. The musical's raw exploration of themes like housing insecurity, gentrification, addiction, and LGBTQIA2+ visibility resonates just as strongly today as it did upon its premiere. Jonathan Larson’s tragic passing the night before the show's first performance adds an enduring poignancy to every production.

RENT asks us how we measure a year in our lives: in daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. Above all, it encourages us to measure our lives in love—a message as timely now as it was in 1996.

Join us for this unforgettable production. For more information, please visit https://rccboxoffice.com.