Mimi Marquez: 19
Roger Davis: 24-26
Mark Cohen: 24-26
Tom Collins: 32-35
Angel Dumott Schunard: 28-30
Maureen Johnson: 24-26
Joanne Jefferson: 26-29
Benjamin Coffins III (Benny): 26-27
Monday, October 20, 2014
Bohemia and the Village
Since we're talking about La Vie Boheme today, I figured this would be a good point to explain Bohemia and Bohemianism.
As a general term Bohemianism means to practice an unconventional lifestyle. Historically Bohemianism has been associated with the Romani people. Bohemianism as a concept tends to denote a nomadic lifestyle, "free love", radical political and social views, and a dedication to the arts with little concern or material wealth - something we see particularly with Mark and Roger.
Before its intense gentrification Greenwich Village was actually a hub for Bohemians. Beginning in the 1900's artists congregated in the Village to create work with a blatant disregard for the conventional or socially acceptable. We're going to be looking mostly at Bohemianism past the 1960's, however. I think one of the more important events for us to keep in mind thinking about Bohemianism, the Village, and RENT is the Stonewall Riots.
The Stonewall Riots took place in 1969, well before RENT. However it is viewed as the beginning of the LGTBQA movement within both the Village and New York. On June 28th police officers attempted to raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar run by the Mafia and one of the only bars in the city that allowed dancing. After stopping the dancing the police began to arrest patrons and mafia members. Tension between patrons and the police began to escalate when transgender patrons were forced to "verify" their gender identities to female officers in the club's bathroom. After a self identified butch lesbian was man handled by an officer in front of the crowd of patrons that had been forced to wait outside of the club, violence broke out and the police quickly lost control of the situation.
The riot lasted three days. During the riot the gay population of New York essentially retaliated against the blatant homophobia that run rampant in the city. Despite the length and intensity of the protest the event had very little news coverage.
Something that I think is extremely interesting to note, especially since we're talking about La Vie Boheme is that Pride parades actually commemorate the Stonewall Riots. The first took place in NYC, LA, Chicago in 1970. I guess to me the energy and color of La Vie Boheme feels reminiscent to Pride, especially since the cast is interrupted by the upset Restaurant Man several times within the song.
Of course since the Riots were the beginnings of the LGTBQA movement it also laid the foundation for the AIDS activism that took hold within the Villages in the 70's and 80's.
As a general term Bohemianism means to practice an unconventional lifestyle. Historically Bohemianism has been associated with the Romani people. Bohemianism as a concept tends to denote a nomadic lifestyle, "free love", radical political and social views, and a dedication to the arts with little concern or material wealth - something we see particularly with Mark and Roger.
Before its intense gentrification Greenwich Village was actually a hub for Bohemians. Beginning in the 1900's artists congregated in the Village to create work with a blatant disregard for the conventional or socially acceptable. We're going to be looking mostly at Bohemianism past the 1960's, however. I think one of the more important events for us to keep in mind thinking about Bohemianism, the Village, and RENT is the Stonewall Riots.
The Stonewall Riots took place in 1969, well before RENT. However it is viewed as the beginning of the LGTBQA movement within both the Village and New York. On June 28th police officers attempted to raid the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar run by the Mafia and one of the only bars in the city that allowed dancing. After stopping the dancing the police began to arrest patrons and mafia members. Tension between patrons and the police began to escalate when transgender patrons were forced to "verify" their gender identities to female officers in the club's bathroom. After a self identified butch lesbian was man handled by an officer in front of the crowd of patrons that had been forced to wait outside of the club, violence broke out and the police quickly lost control of the situation.
The riot lasted three days. During the riot the gay population of New York essentially retaliated against the blatant homophobia that run rampant in the city. Despite the length and intensity of the protest the event had very little news coverage.
Something that I think is extremely interesting to note, especially since we're talking about La Vie Boheme is that Pride parades actually commemorate the Stonewall Riots. The first took place in NYC, LA, Chicago in 1970. I guess to me the energy and color of La Vie Boheme feels reminiscent to Pride, especially since the cast is interrupted by the upset Restaurant Man several times within the song.
Of course since the Riots were the beginnings of the LGTBQA movement it also laid the foundation for the AIDS activism that took hold within the Villages in the 70's and 80's.
Wednesday, October 1, 2014
Interesting articles...
So Mariah found this super interesting Spoken Word video that is somewhat a continuation of our discussion on Monday:
http://www.upworthy.com/everything-wrong-with-the-world-in-25-minutes-sorry-if-this-offends-you?g=2&c=reccon1
Then I stumbled upon these images. I would love it if you all could take a look at them. They show that our message is still relevant, twenty years later:
http://news.distractify.com/mark-pygas/pictures-taken-in-past-10-years/?v=1
http://www.upworthy.com/everything-wrong-with-the-world-in-25-minutes-sorry-if-this-offends-you?g=2&c=reccon1
Then I stumbled upon these images. I would love it if you all could take a look at them. They show that our message is still relevant, twenty years later:
http://news.distractify.com/mark-pygas/pictures-taken-in-past-10-years/?v=1
Monday, September 29, 2014
Greenwich Village
Something important to keep in mind is where in New York City RENT is taking place. Roger and Mark live in an "industrial loft on the corner of 11th Street and Avenue B" (2). In other words, right in the middle of Greenwich Village, a New York neighborhood that was/is an artistic bohemian haven. Greenwich Village as a community played a vital role in the beginnings of the LGBTQ+ movement in America.
So it makes a lot of sense that show like RENT is taking place in Greenwich Village at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
The AIDS epidemic is going to come up a lot. (Mimi, Roger, Collins, and Angel all have AIDS) New York City had one of the largest populations of gay people at the height of the epidemic. As a community, Greenwich village was highly reactive to the stigma against AIDS that dominated the American media. A great deal of activist groups formed to push the government into reacting both more quickly and more effectively to the growing epidemic. A few of which are named within the script. (For example, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (54)).
Another thing I want to point out is the relatively recent gentrification of the Village. As one journalist put it, in the time RENT is taking place the Village was an "gay urban ghetto". Although it was seen as an immensely safe space in comparison to the prevalence of violently homophobic small towns across America. Today the Village has been gentrified, which means wealthier individuals have essentially pushed out all of the poor minorities that made it a "ghetto" in the first place. Many have argued that this surge of well off individuals into the neighborhood has detracted from what has, historically, been a high revolutionary space.
Here are some images of Greenwich today and in the 70's-90's so you can begin gaining a perspective of what this neighborhood has been and what it is.
Sorry if this post is all over the place, there's a lot to talk about! If there's something you'd like me to go into more detail on, let me know! Also the citations in my blog posts will always match up to the page numbers in your script so you know what it is in the script I'm referencing.
So it makes a lot of sense that show like RENT is taking place in Greenwich Village at the height of the AIDS epidemic.
The AIDS epidemic is going to come up a lot. (Mimi, Roger, Collins, and Angel all have AIDS) New York City had one of the largest populations of gay people at the height of the epidemic. As a community, Greenwich village was highly reactive to the stigma against AIDS that dominated the American media. A great deal of activist groups formed to push the government into reacting both more quickly and more effectively to the growing epidemic. A few of which are named within the script. (For example, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (54)).
Another thing I want to point out is the relatively recent gentrification of the Village. As one journalist put it, in the time RENT is taking place the Village was an "gay urban ghetto". Although it was seen as an immensely safe space in comparison to the prevalence of violently homophobic small towns across America. Today the Village has been gentrified, which means wealthier individuals have essentially pushed out all of the poor minorities that made it a "ghetto" in the first place. Many have argued that this surge of well off individuals into the neighborhood has detracted from what has, historically, been a high revolutionary space.
Here are some images of Greenwich today and in the 70's-90's so you can begin gaining a perspective of what this neighborhood has been and what it is.
One last note, since race and sexuality are all vitally important to RENT, I thought it would be good to point out that a gay black man, Mark Carson, was murdered in the Village on a Saturday night a little over a year ago. It was explicitly a hate crime against Carson's identity as a gay man. I mention this because I think it's important to keep an eye on the modern context of the places and spaces we're dealing with within RENT. It's a pretty depressing note to end on but think about it for a bit, I think it puts a lot into perspective and speaks to the importance of the work we're doing.
Sorry if this post is all over the place, there's a lot to talk about! If there's something you'd like me to go into more detail on, let me know! Also the citations in my blog posts will always match up to the page numbers in your script so you know what it is in the script I'm referencing.
Sunday, September 28, 2014
Shopping anyone???
I just found this super interesting thrift shop. Thought it might be interesting to check out:
http://www.phillyaidsthrift.com
http://www.phillyaidsthrift.com
Saturday, September 27, 2014
Welcome + Puccini's La Bohème
Hello!
This is a blog I've started to share background info and explain references within the text. We'll spend plenty of time talking about these things during table work but this blog will be resource for you all outside of rehearsals.
Feel free to contribute anything (pictures, info, videos, ect. . ) you think would be interesting/relevant to RENT! Also don't hesitate to ask questions either here on the blog or in person. As the dramaturg, a big part of my role is research, so if there's something related to your role you'd like me to look into just ask. Anything's game.
With that said, I figured a good place to start would be with a link to Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème. RENT is a lose adaptation of La Bohème. I'll post some more background by the end of this weekend but take a peek at the recording and see if there's anything that piques your interest. (*cough* Musetta's Waltz *cough*)
Mari
This is a blog I've started to share background info and explain references within the text. We'll spend plenty of time talking about these things during table work but this blog will be resource for you all outside of rehearsals.
Feel free to contribute anything (pictures, info, videos, ect. . ) you think would be interesting/relevant to RENT! Also don't hesitate to ask questions either here on the blog or in person. As the dramaturg, a big part of my role is research, so if there's something related to your role you'd like me to look into just ask. Anything's game.
With that said, I figured a good place to start would be with a link to Giacomo Puccini's opera La Bohème. RENT is a lose adaptation of La Bohème. I'll post some more background by the end of this weekend but take a peek at the recording and see if there's anything that piques your interest. (*cough* Musetta's Waltz *cough*)
Mari
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