CAST OF CHARACTERS 

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MARK COHEN.................... male presenting, Jewish, open race, early-mid '20s; Mark is an aspiring filmmaker. He is Roger's best friend and caregiver. He is Maureen’s ex-boyfriend, she left him for Joanne. Mark is a noisy introvert who believes in community and loves his friends fiercely. They are his chosen family. Must be a strong singing actor.

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ROGER DAVIS.................... male presenting, open race-ethnicity, early-mid '20s; Roger is a struggling musician who has recently been diagnosed with HIV, after finding a note his ex-girlfriend left him before she took her own life. He has just begun taking AZT and suffers from depression. Despite himself, he falls in love with Mimi. Must be a strong singing actor.

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TOM COLLINS................... male presenting, open race-ethnicity, mid-late '20s; Collins is gay, a computer hacker, and anarchist, who was recently expelled as an adjunct professor at MIT. He has been living with HIV since 1987. He has been regularly taking AZT since it became available through a Federally funded program. He falls in love with Angel. Must be a strong singing actor.

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BENJAMIN "BENNY" COFFIN III.... male presenting, open race-ethnicity, early-mid '20s; Benny used to be Mark and Roger’s roommate. He is the new landlord of the building he once lived in, forcing them to pay the rent or be evicted. Benny used to date Mimi before breaking things off with her to get married to the very wealthy, Allison Grey, whose father owns everything. Must be a strong singing actor.

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JOANNE JEFFERSON............... female presenting, open race-ethnicity, mid '20s-early 30s; Joanne is an out and proud lesbian, who is an Ivy League educated pro-bono lawyer and activist. Always willing to help those in need. She struggles to not be jealous of Maureen’s flirtatious nature. Joanne is loyal, has strong self discipline, morals, loves community, and her new friends. Must be a strong singing actor.

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ANGEL SCHUNARD................ male presenting, or non-binary, open race-ethnicity, early-mid '20s; Angel is a drag queen and hustler. He does whatever it takes to make money and survive on the streets of NYC, from street drumming to dog walking. He falls in love with Collins. He has recently developed AIDS and has less than a year to live, so he embraces life with every fiber of his being. Must be a strong singing actor who moves very well.

 

MIMI MARQUEZ................... female presenting, Hispanic, race open, early '20s–to play 19; Mimi is a heroin addict who works in a strip club as a dancer. She falls in love with Roger. She has been living with HIV for at least a year. She takes AZT, until she stops gaining access to it when she becomes homeless, and develops AIDS. Must be a strong singing actor who moves well.

 

MAUREEN JOHNSON................ female presenting, open race-ethnicity, early-mid '20s; Maureen is a flighty bisexual performing artist, and Mark's ex‐girlfriend. She left Mark to be with Joanne. Maureen is a bit left to center, fixated more on herself and her needs, versus the needs of other people, currently that’s Joanne. Must be a strong singing actor. 

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ENSEMBLE....................... a diverse ENSEMBLE of 5-7 people, early to late ‘20s, will portray various roles, as cast, and act as a type of Greek CHORUS. The ENSEMBLE is made up of strong singing actors, of all types that aren't middle-upper class suburbia. They understudy the principal characters.

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* All actors for this production of RENT should be strong singers and strong actors; seeking all types of human beings, who aren’t middle-upper class suburbia types, should be capable of honest emotion, with depth, nuance, and meaning; all should move well (or in the event an artist is mobility impaired, they are welcome).

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*The actor portraying Roger should have, at the minimum, basic guitar skills. The actors portraying Mimi, Angel, and the CHORUS, all should be strong movers (but open to casting a mobility impaired artist for all roles), it is important for everyone to be capable of coming off as raw, spontaneous, and "street" vs. looking like trained musical theatre actors, singers, dancers performing in a show.

They are the disenfranchised–the artists. 

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*We are seeking a COMPANY who are at their core–kind, thoughtful, considerate, caring human beings, who can believably portray everyday people living on the edge of their young lives in the years 1994-1995.

 

 

​INCLUSIVITY STATEMENT

 

Give 5 Productions strives to create a community that is welcoming and affirming of all identities. Performers of all identities (including but not limited to: race, ethnicity, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, disability, etc.) will be considered for all roles - regardless of how previous productions have been historically cast. Give 5 wants to emphasize that no individual with a disability shall be excluded from auditioning, if interested. 

 

We believe each person has something truly unique to offer this world, and we highly encourage everyone to audition for us.

 

Actors must be 18 years old by Nov 1 2025 to be considered.

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AUDITION INFO 

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AUDITIONS WILL BE HELD IN PERSON AND VIA VIDEO SUBMISSIONS. In-person is highly preferred.

 

If you need any accommodations during auditions, please let the team know when you submit.

 

In-person auditions are Sunday and Monday, November 9 and 10th from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM 

 

BY INVITATION ONLY

Audition location in Denver, CO TBA

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Please prepare a cut of a song (32 bar minimum) in the style of the show or from the show with your sheet music clearly marked. Piano accompanist will be provided. No a cappella or tracks, please.

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Please bring a hardcopy of your headshot and résumé.

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Please submit via THIS LINK

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- OR - 

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Please email a short video via YouTube link performing a short cut of a song in the style of the show or from the show, with a karaoke track or live accompaniment. No a cappella auditions, please. 

 

Please also email your headshot and résumé. 

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Send to casting@ballyhoodenver.com Subject Line: RENT AUDITION

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Video submissions are open now and will be accepted until Sunday, November 9. No late submissions will be accepted.

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We would prefer to see  people in person. So please come to the live audition, if at all possible.

 

CALLBACKS

Callbacks will be Thursday and Friday, November 20 and 21 from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM location in Denver TBA

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UNION STATUS / PAY

This is a Non-Union professional production.

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Pay stipends for actors will start at $35 per show with possible increase, based on experience / role offer. Rehearsal stipend per actor will be $300 flat.

 

​No housing provided. Actors must have local accommodations and dependable modes of transportation.

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CREATIVE TEAM / DESIGNERS

The team is being compiled as we speak!

 

So far, we have:

• Rodney Hicks, Director

• David Nehls, Music Director

• Julia Tobey, Executive Producer / Assistant Director

• Lara Maerz, Stage Manager

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THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR INTEREST!

 

WE WISH YOU THE BEST IN ALL YOU DO!