Rent Program

Jimmy A. Noriega Phd., School Director Susan Padveen, Artistic Director

PRESENT

RENT Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com Amy video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Directed by Daryl Brooks Choreographed by Tanji Harper Music Directed by David Fiorello May 1-10, 2025 GETZ THEATRE CENTER COURTYARD THEATRE 72 E 11TH ST CHICAGO, IL 60605

Scenic Design Al Villanueva

Costume Design Remus DePriest

Lighting Design Alison “Al” Popelka

Sound Design Benji Felix Nina Domanus

Props Design Mariah Bennett

Hair Design Syd Ellis

Makeup Design Bey

Dramaturgy Max Christensen Lisa Gil

Fight Choreography Shelby Fish Edgar Lopez

Intimacy Julie Granata-Hunicutt Celine Berger

Dialect Kendra Thulin

Stage Management Dylan Hirt

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We collectively acknowledge that Columbia College Chicago occupies the ancestral, traditional, and contemporary Lands of the Anishinaabeg— Three Fires Confederacy of the Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi, as well as the Miami, Menominee, Ho-Chunk, Illinois, Sac and Fox nations.

Although there are no recognized Indian nations in the state of Illinois, we recognize, support and advocate for the sovereignty of all Indian nations, for the historic Indigenous communities in Illinois, for Indigenous individuals and communities who live in the Chicagoland area, and for those who were forcibly removed from their Homelands. By offering this Land Acknowledgment, we reaffirm our College’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mission statement, and affirm Indigenous sovereignty and will hold Columbia College Chicago more accountable to the needs of American Indian and Indigenous peoples.

RUN TIME 2 hours, 30 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission

CONTENT ADVISORY Please be advised that there will be stage violence, drugs and references to death in this production.

AIDS Memorial Quilt

Dear students, faculty, and staff, Three panels from the AIDS Memorial Quilt are now on display in the lobby of the Getz Theatre Center, 72 E. 11th Street. They will be on view until May 13 and are with us as part of the programming around our production of Rent. I encourage everyone to visit The Quilt and to take time to reflect on the HIV/AIDS pandemic and to honor those who were lost because of it.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt is a living archive and a memorial tribute made from the hands of those who lost loved ones. When working with the AIDS Memorial Quilt, I asked for them to loan us sections that contain the panels of legendary choreographer, dancer, and activist Alvin Ailey (who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater); Broadway choreographer and director Michael Bennett (most known for his choreography of the original A Chorus Line); and actor and singer Larry Kert (who originated the role of Tony in Broadway’s West Side Story).

These three individuals are among countless artistic lives that were lost to AIDS and among the more than 40 million people who have died of the disease since the 1980s.

As you reflect on their lives, I want to remind you that HIV/AIDS history is theatre history. The pandemic had an immense impact on the NYC artistic communities; it was also these same communities that mounted the earliest interventions of activism and care for those afflicted by the disease. Organizations like ACT UP (co-founded by playwright Larry Kramer) and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS are two of the leading voices in the fight for HIV/AIDS education, prevention, and awareness.

The fight against HIV/AIDS has always been a political one. It is also an artistic one.

Tell people about the AIDS Memorial Quilt. Come see it with your class, bring your friends and loved ones, and take time to reflect and discuss how you feel in its presence.

The Quilt is open to the public.

Thank you and take care, Dr. Jimmy A. Noriega

BEYOND THE STAGE

CONNECTION IN AN ISOLATED AGE Programming Connected to RENT April 30 – May 13, 2025

AIDS Memorial Quilt On display April 30–May-13 Lobby of 72 E. 11th Street AIDS/HIV in Chicago: An Ongoing History Saturday, May 3 12:00 PM Pre-show presentation Classic Theater, 72 E. 11th Street Featuring: •

Erin Bell, Operations Director of the Gerber/Hart Library & Archive

• Heather Minges Wols, PhD, Instructor of “The Biology of AIDS” • Victoria Can, PhD, Instructor of “Biology of Human Immune System” • Albert Williams, Former editor, Chicago GayLife and Windy City Times; Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame inductee AIDS DIVA Documentary Tuesday, May 6 1:00–3:00 PM +Talkback Hokin Auditorium, 623 S. Wabash

Queer People of Color Panel + Mixer Wednesday, May 7 4:00–6:00 PM The Hive 618 S. Michigan, 3rd Floor (SDI Event) Lavender Ceremony Thursday, May 8 5:30–7:30 PM The Hive 618 S. Michigan, 3rd Floor (SDI Event) Unity in Pride Ball Friday, May 9 5:00–7:00 PM 623 S. Wabash, The Haus (SDI Event) Pre-show Q&A + Activation Table Friday, May 9 6:30 PM Lobby, 72 E. 11th Street Featuring: •Terra Campbell (Howard Brown Center)

RSVP required for: Friday, May 9 at 6:30 PM Pre-show Q&A + Activation Table With Terra Campbell (Howard Brown Center)

From the Director of the School of Theatre and Dance Welcome to the 2024-2025 season of Columbia College Chicago’s School of Theatre and Dance! We are thrilled to present a dynamic lineup that captures the heart of our program: innovative storytelling, diverse voices and perspectives, and powerful experiences that challenge, entertain, and inspire. Our season explores timeless questions of identity, love, resilience, and belonging, and we are honored to bring these powerful stories to the stage. Our season kicks off with Comedy Cabaret, a celebration of the power of comedy, collaboration, and creativity. In this uniquely Columbia experience, our talented students bring fresh energy to a genre that’s essential to our collective identity and we are excited for audiences to experience their bold and fearless voices on stage as they revise and refine their show each week. HAIR: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is the iconic show that broke boundaries and continues to resonate across generations. It presents themes of freedom, love, and protest and feels just as relevant today as when it first premiered in 1967. In Fabulation or, the Re-education of Undine by Lynn Nottage, we see a story of resilience and self-discovery as our protagonist grapples with identity, family, and issues of class as she works to rebuild her life and find a new sense of purpose.

In the spring semester, You on the Moors Now brings classic literary characters into a bold, contemporary world where they wrestle with timeless questions of independence and agency. This playful, feminist reimagining of beloved figures from Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, and Louisa May Alcott reanimates our understanding of these classics. Finally, our season concludes with Rent, Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking musical about love, struggle, and survival in the early years of the AIDS pandemic. This beloved musical speaks deeply to the ethos of our program— pursuing one’s passion, making connections and community in an ever-divided world, and promoting themes of care, community, and hope.

In addition to these shows, we are presenting over 40 student-led productions that include plays, one-acts, staged readings, new works, and dance pieces. In all these productions, our students explore vitally important themes while stretching their creative capacities to present a series of events that celebrate the power of live performance. We invite you to explore our webpage and Instagram account (@columbiacollegetheatre) to stay up to date with these productions and hope you will join us to celebrate our collective creative talent!

Enjoy the show, Jimmy A. Noriega, PhD School Director

From the Artistic Director

Welcome theatregoers, This season we celebrate the individual in society – the person who doesn’t hide in the back row but steps forward to be counted. That is the humorous truth of this year’s Comedy Cabaret, and of a young person challenging the war in HAIR. It may be the woman who has discounted her past only to embrace it in her future in Fabulation or, the Re-education of Undine; the women with no agency who escape from their limitations in You on the Moors Now; or the artists who each have their own stories of liberation to tell in Rent – in each the status quo is always challenged, and is often actually the source for engaging storytelling.

We hope our audiences leave the theatre after each of this season’s offerings with a renewed sense of what is possible when even only one person says no to authority or cultural mores. Thanks to all our student artists and faculty and staff mentors, and our audiences, as we bring another season of storytelling to the stage.

Susan Padveen Artistic Director

From the Director In 1996, I was a Junior at Shenandoah University majoring in Musical Theater. I fully remember when RENT dropped. We knew that RENT was more than just another musical. It signaled change. Not just a change to the structure of musical theater as we knew it, but a change in how we talked about theater, its diversity and the statements that it was making. Theater is meant to be bold and make strong statements. RENT did just that. We listened to that soundtrack until the c.d. player burnt out. We all would have our characters we would sing, and at every party we would blast and proudly shout “La Vie Boheme!” I grew up in the 80’s during the height of the AIDS crisis. I saw just how devastating it was, and how the stigma around it had everyone in a tizzy. I also saw how our government decidedly did nothing and sat idly by while hundreds of thousands of people died from this terrible virus. I saw how they said that it was something preventable due to lifestyle choices. Determined to fight for the voice of the loved ones lost, the Queer community stood up and fought for the rights of themselves and the ones that were gone. Regulations changed, but the stigma didn’t. Jonathan Larson and RENT gave that movement a stage. Now here we are some decades later, and RENT is just as relevant as it was in ’96. We also find ourselves fighting some of the same battles. When I got the call to direct this piece, I knew that I had to be a part of this movement just I was in ‘96. This time instead of singing to the top of my lungs at a party, I would be behind the table leading a team of fantastic student actors, designers, and staff through a cultural revolution that will live on forever!

Thank you Jonathan Larson, Thank you RENT, Thank you Columbia College Chicago for having the courage to make this statement at a time when so many institutions are sidestepping their responsibilities to tell these stories at this time!!

Daryl D. Brooks Director RENT

THE COMPANY PRINCIPAL CAST

Roger Davis........................................................................................ Thomas Toohill Mark Cohen....................................................................................... Johnny Johnathan Webster Tom Collins......................................................................................... Mark Bonney Benjamin ‘Benny’ Coffin III, Roger Davis (u/s).......................... Jordan Thompson Joanne Jefferson............................................................................. Kaili Smith Angel Dumott Schunard................................................................ Brennan Lockwood Mimi Marquez.................................................................................... Addie Reynoso Maureen Johnson............................................................................ Harmony Rose Nielsen Steve, Squeegee Man, Waiter, Seasons of Love soloist.... Kyler Anderson Paul, Cop, Benjamin ‘Benny’ Coffin III (u/s)............................... Jeremiah Kimbrew Gordon, The Man, Mr. Grey ......................................................... Ryan Winters Mr. Jefferson, X-mas Caroler, Pastor, Tom Collins (u/s)..... Ethan Williams Mark’s Mom....................................................................................... Shadan Rediger Alexi Darling, Roger’s Mom........................................................... Sarah Driessen Mrs. Jefferson, Woman with Bags ........................................... Lillian Sophia Urresti

SWINGS

Aurora Boe Owen Gainer Lucy Sky Mandlowitz El Pinckney Michael Spahn Choe Venner

The Band

Bass..........................................................................................Michael Bulaw Keyboard................................................................................David Fiorello Drums...................................................................................... Benjamin Heppner Guitar 2 & Keyboard 2........................................................Cesar Romera Guitar........................................................................................Trevor Stewart

CAST BIOS

KYLER ANDERSON (he/him/his) (Steve, Waiter, Squeegee Man, Seasons of Love Soloist) is a freshman BFA Musical Theatre Performance major from Maryville, TN. Previous credits include The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson), SpongeBob the Musical (SpongeBob), Sweeney Todd (Anthony Hope), and Into the Woods (Jack). Kyler is so excited and honored to make his mainstage debut in Rent!

AURORA BOE (she/her) (Joanne Jefferson u/s) is a senior BA Musical Theatre major originally from Hartford, CT, later based in Murfreesboro, TN, and now living in Chicago. Favorite performance credits include Sunday in the Park with George (Dot), the International Lyric Academy’s Les Misérables (Fantine), Chicago Cabaret Professionals' Merry Measure (2023–24), and The Beautiful City Project's We Will Rock You and Oscar’s Night. As a choreographer, she’s proud to have worked on The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Columbia’s inaugural Musical Theatre Dance Concert.

MARK BONNEY (he/him) (Tom Collins) is a freshman Musical Theatre major from Detroit, MI. His credits include The Wiz (Tinman), Once on This Island (Tonton Julian), and Joseph...Dreamcoat (Joseph), among others. A 2023 Jimmy Awards nominee, Mark performed at the Minskoff Theatre in NYC. He began his journey with the Detroit Youth Choir and continues to grow as an artist and performer.

SARAH DRIESSEN (she/they) (Alexi Darling, Ensemble) is a sophomore Musical Theatre major from Fairfax, VA. Previous credits include Fabulation, or the Re-Education of Undine (Stephie). She would like to thank Ashton Shacochis, Moe Kuhlmann, and you for coming to see the show!

OWEN GAINER (he/him/his) (Mark Cohen u/s, Steve u/s) is a junior Musical Theatre major with a minor in Education, born and raised in Chicago, IL. Previous Columbia credits include Pippin and the Musical Theatre Dance Concert. Owen is so grateful to the cast and crew for making this such a joyful and fulfilling experience.

JEREMIAH KIMBREW (he/him) (Paul, Cop, Benjamin ‘Benny’ Coffin III U/S) is a sophomore Acting BA major from Chicago, IL. He is the son of Katherine-Cherry Davis and Titus Kimbrew. Jeremiah hopes you enjoy Rent.

Film credits include: Passion Project (Zack), Fear (Kai), and The Mess (Randy) – D1 Short Film.

CAST BIOS

BRENNAN LOCKWOOD (he/him) (Angel Dumott Schunard) is a third-year BFA Musical Theatre major originally from Chicago, Illinois. He made his Columbia Theatre debut as a freshman in Musical Theatre New Stew and has since appeared as Luke in Dance Nation (dir. Alison Dornheggen), in the ensemble of Pippin (dir. Daryl Brooks), and as Hud in HAIR (dir. David Fiorello). He is thrilled to be performing in his sixth production at Columbia and grateful to share the stage with such an incredible cast.

LUCY SKY MANDLOWITZ (they/she) (Mimi u/s, Alexi Darling u/s) is so excited to be making their main stage debut. They are a freshman from Boulder, Colorado majoring in Theatre with a concentration in Directing. Their previous roles are Angus/Caterpillar in Alice by Heart, Frieda in Carrie, Janet in Rocky Horror, and Wendy Jo in Footloose. They hope you enjoy the show. Viva la vie boheme.

HARMONY ROSE NIELSEN (she/her) (Maureen Johnson) is a sophomore singer, dancer, actor, and choreographer pursuing a BFA in Musical Theatre at Columbia College Chicago. She dreams of reaching Broadway (and beyond!) and hopes to one day achieve an EGOT — but above all, she is passionate about telling stories that matter. Recent credits include co-choreographing and dancing in the Musical Theatre Dance Concert and playing Éponine in Les Misérables with the International Lyric Academy in Italy.

When not performing, she divides her time between Chicago, Los Angeles, and Costa Rica, where she works as a personal trainer and enjoys time with her two dogs, Duke and Draco.

This performance is dedicated to everyone we have lost to AIDS and to all who have lost someone they love. Rent reminds us that life is best measured in love — and this world could always use a little more. And in true Maureen spirit: the only way out is up!

EL PINCKNEY (he/him) (Cop, Paul u/s, Gordon u/s) is a junior Acting major from Chicago, IL. He was last seen as Michael in Tick, Tick… Boom. and is excited to return to the world of Jonathan Larson with Rent.

He thanks the creative team, cast, and his loved ones for their endless support.

SHADAN REDIGER (she/her) (Mark’s Mom, Ensemble) is a freshman Audio Arts major with a minor in Music Business from Yorkville, IL. Previous credits include Mamma Mia! (Donna) and Mean Girls (Janis). Shadan has loved being part of her first collegiate production and thanks everyone who made it possible.

CAST BIOS

ADDIE REYNOSO (she/her) (Mimi Marquez) is a sophomore Musical Theatre Performance major and Chicago native. Columbia credits include Lone Star Spirits (Marley) and Pippin (Ensemble). She is ecstatic to bring Mimi to life — enjoy the show!

KAILI SMITH (she/her) (Joanne Jefferson) is a sophomore from Wood Dale Illinois, past productions are tick tick…Boom! (Kareesa Johnson) and Little Shop of Horrors (Audrey).

MICHAEL PHOEBE SPAHN (he/she/they) (Cop, Angel Dumott Schunarad u/s, Mr. Jefferson) is a junior transfer student from Longmont, CO. Past credits include All Shook Up (Dennis), Sweeney Todd (Tobias Ragg), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Leaf). Michael is thrilled to make their mainstage debut at Columbia. No day but today!

JORDAN THOMPSON (he/him/his) (Benjamin ‘Benny’ Coffin III, Roger Davis u/s) is a freshman Musical Theatre major from O’Fallon, MO. Columbia credits include Bones, Ice Cream Machine, and Percentages. He’s excited for everyone to witness the hard work of this incredible cast and crew.

THOMAS TOOHILL (he/him) (Roger Davis) is a third-year Acting major with a Video Production minor from Le Roy, IL. Columbia credits include Hair (Father/Tribe). Other favorites: Newsies (Davey), Grease (Danny), and Willy Wonka (Wonka). Thomas recently starred in the BFA thesis film 5w-30 and performed in Mary Poppins (Parkkeeper/U.S. Bert). He’s been preparing for Roger since October and is honored to help tell this story.

LILLIAN SOPHIA URRESTI (she/her) (Mrs. Jefferson, Woman with Bags, Sue, Seasons of Love Soloist, Ensemble) is a junior from Orange County, CA. Columbia credits include Sunday in the Park with George (Nurse/Harriet), Pippin (Ensemble/Catherine U/S), and Hair (Jeanie). Thanks to friends, family, cast, and crew for all the love and support. La vie Bohème! Much love!

Instagram: @lillianurresti

CAST BIOS

CHLOE VENNER (she/her) (Ensemble) is a sophomore at Columbia College Chicago and thrilled to be in Rent.

Previous credits include Hair (Sheila, CCC), Heathers (Stoner Chick, Point2Productions), Anastasia (Countess Lily, Conant HS), and The Lightning Thief (Clarisse/Charon, Schaumburg on Stage).

JOHNNY JOHNATHAN WEBSTER (he/him) (Mark Cohen) is a fourth-year Theatre Design & Technology major with a focus in Sound and Lighting. Originally from Glenwood Springs, CO, his credits include: Design: HAIR (CCC, 2024), Feathers & Teeth (2023), Ride the Cyclone (Thunder River Theatre Co.), Comedy Cabaret (CCC), and more. Performance: HAIR (Ensemble, CCC). This performance is dedicated to Jimmy Owen — your light continues to shine brighter than you could’ve imagined.

ETHAN WILLIAMS (he/him/his) (Ensemble, Tom Collins u/s) is a sophomore Musical Theatre major from St. Louis, MO. Columbia credits include Musical Theatre New Stew (2023) and the Inaugural Musical Theatre Dance Concerts (2024 & 2025). He’s excited to be part of Rent!

RYAN WINTERS (he/him) (Gordon, The Man, Mr. Grey, Ensemble) is a senior Music BA major from Lodi, WI. This is his first and last production at Columbia, and he’s thrilled to return to musical theatre after five years away.

AUTHOR BIO

Jonathan Larson received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for RENT. He also won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 1994 Richard Rodgers Award for RENT and twice received The Gilman & Gonzales-Falla Theatre Foundation's Comendation Award. In 1989 he was granted the Stephen Sondheim Award from American Music Theatre Festival, where he contributed to the musical "Sitting on the Edge of the Future". In 1988 he won the Richard Rodgers Development Grant for his rock musical Superbia, which was staged at Playwrights Horizon. He composed the score for the musical J.P. Morgan Saves the Nation, which was presented by En Garde Arts in 1995. Mr. Larson performed his rock monologue tick, tick... BOOM! at Second Stage Theatre, The Village Gate and New York Theatre Workshop. In addition to scoring and song writing for "Sesame Street", he created music for a number of children's book-cassettes, including Steven Spielberg's "An American Tail" and "Land Before Time". Other film scores include work for Rolling Stones magazine publisher Jann Wenner. He conceived, directed and wrote four original songs for "Away We Go!", a musical video for children. RENT, his rock opera based on "La Boheme", had its world premiere on February 13, 1996 at New York Theatre Workshop. Mr. Larson died unexpectedly of an aortic aneurysm on January 25, 1996, ten days before his 36th birthday. His music (including songs cut from his shows) is archived in the Library of Congress.

MTI BIO

MTI works directly with the composers, lyricists and book writers of these musicals to provide official scripts, musical materials and dynamic theatrical resources to over 100,000 professional, community and school theatres in the US and in over 150 countries worldwide.

MTI is particularly dedicated to educational theatre, and has created special collections to meet the needs of various types of performers and audiences. MTI’s Broadway Junior® shows are 30- and 60-minute musicals for performance by elementary and middle school-aged performers, while MTI’s School Editions are musicals annotated for performance by high school students.

MTI maintains its global headquarters in New York City with additional offices in London (MTI Europe) and Melbourne (MTI Australasia).

PRODUCTION BIOS

Daryl D Brooks (Director) is a Chicago based Director, Writer and producer. Daryl has been with the Black Ensemble Theater for over 20 years and is currently the Producing Managing Director. His musical revue, You Can’t Fake the Funk: A Journey Through Funk Music, premiered at Black Ensemble Theater and earned him an African American Arts Award, Black Theater Alliance Award, and the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Musical/Revue. His production Men of Soul also received multiple awards and nominations including the Chicago BroadwayWorld nomination for Best Director for a Musical/Revue, a Jeff Award Nomination for Best Director of a Review, and was selected for production at The National Black Theater Festival. He has directed over fifty productions and some credits include; Black Pearl: A Tribute to Josephine Baker, Women of Soul, Time Machine: A Tribute to the 80’s, HITT Records(Black Ensemble Theatre), Memphis!, Pump Boys and Dinettes (Porchlight Musical Theatre), Million Dollar Quartet (Theatre At the Center), Akeelah and the Bee and Fast Food Chain (Adventure Stage and Northwestern Settlement) Color Purple, Dreamgirls (Phoenix Theater Company) Assassins (Theo Ubique) Sunday In The Park With George, Pippin!

(Columbia College Chicago) and many, many more! Daryl is a proud member of the Sarah Siddons Artistic Council. In 2019 Daryl received the Chicago Defender’s Men of Excellence Award for building diversity and equity within the Chicago theater community. He was also named one of New City Stages 50 Players in Chicago in 2022 and 2024. His most important role to date is being a father to his wonderful, Tik Tock loving daughter Maya!

Tanji Harper (Choreographer), a proud South Side Chicago native, is a teaching artist and choreographer trained by Joseph Holmes Chicago Dance Theater, Chicago Dance Medium, Homer Bryant, Joel Hall, and others, and an alumna of The Chicago Academy of the Arts. After high school, she trained in L.A. and New York and danced for major R&B and Hip Hop acts including R. Kelly, Sparkle, Do or Die, Avant, and Busta Rhymes.

Returning home, she became artistic director of The Happiness Club and launched apprenticeship programs for Chicago teens through After School Matters. Recently, she’s focused on supporting the often-overlooked 18–25 age group through Blu Rhythm Chicago, offering workshops and performances. Over 18 years, Harper has contributed to programming with organizations like the Chicago Park District, CPS, Redmoon Theater, Dance Chicago, American Rhythm Center, Lollapalooza, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and even the White House Easter Egg Roll during the Obama years.

David Fiorello (Musical Director) is a Jeff Award-winning music director, director, performer, orchestrator, and playwright whose work has been seen worldwide. Recent credits include Blues in the Night (with Felicia P. Fields), Sunday in the Park with George (with Sean Alan Krill), To Be at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the international premiere of With a Song in My Heart, and music direction for Gypsy (Porchlight), Sweeney Todd (international tour), and Danny & Sylvia (Off-Broadway). He has taught at Columbia College Chicago, Loyola, and Northwestern; leads The Beautiful City Project, raising funds for Chicago charities through musical theatre; heads musical theatre at the International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy; and is developing a new work on Puccini and his original musical The Language or the Kiss, featuring Indigo Girls music. More at fiorellostudios.com and thebeautifulcityproject.com.

Mariah Bennett she/her/hers (Props Designer) Mariah is a Texas native with a BFA from University of North Texas and a Masters of Design from Rhode Island School of Design. She gave up her life as an architect to pursue her current career in the realm of film and theater. As a properties designer, she's had the pleasure of working with Chicago Opera, Definition Theater, Haven, Congo Square, Filament Theater, Third Rail, APTP, Refracted Theater, The Gift, Gilbert & Sullivan, DePaul Opera, Shattered Globe, and Northlight Theater.

PRODUCTION BIOS

Leigha Armstrong (she/her/hers) (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a senior Theatre Design and Technology major from Muscatine, Iowa. Her previous credits include scenic design for Lost Girl, Minutes and Seconds, and Bones, and assistant design for The It and Creature.

Lewis Beaver (they/he) (Assistant Scenic Designer) is a junior Theatre Design and ASL Interpreting major from Knoxville, Tennessee. They were the scenic designer for Things My Mother Taught Me and Musical Theatre New Stew, and served as light board programmer/operator for The Bluest Eye.

Celine Berger (they/them) (Intimacy Choreographer) is a senior Acting major. Previous work includes intimacy choreography and consultation on Percentages, Stop Kiss, and the 2025 One-Act Playfest. They’re grateful to be part of this production— enjoy the show!

Isaac Bowman (he/they) (Assistant Production Electrician/Programmer) is a sophomore Theatre Design and Technology major from Green Bay, WI. His credits include lighting designer for Orlando, electrician for Fabulation, and sound designer for Lone Star Spirits. Outside Columbia, he works for Lighthouse Productions in Wisconsin. Special thanks to his parents, girlfriend, and mentors.

Max Christensen (he/they) (Dramaturg) is a junior Theatre Design and Technology major from Lawrence, Kansas. He’s also a scenic designer, having designed The Impracticality of Modern-Day Mastodons, The Nether, and Feathers and Teeth.

He hopes you enjoy the show!

Jo Cigarroa Ontiveros (they/them) (Assistant Costume Designer) is a senior Theatre Design and Technology major focusing on costume design. They’ve previously designed Stop Kiss and assisted on The Bluest Eye and Revolt. They are thrilled to be part of Rent.

PRODUCTION BIOS

Remus DePriest (he/him/his) (Costume Designer) is a senior Theatre Design and Technology major from Missouri. Past Columbia credits include Lone Star Spirits, Pippin, The Nether, and The Giver. He’s thankful for the creative minds he’s worked with.

Nina Domanus (she/they) (Sound Co-Designer / A1) is a junior Sound Design major from Bedford, Michigan. Previous credits include Lost Girl and Minutes & Seconds (Sound Designer) and Hair (A2). She’s grateful for the opportunity to work on Rent.

Syd Ellis (they/them) (Hair and Wig Designer) is from Bedford, New Hampshire, and has designed for Hair, You on the Moors Now, and The Bluest Eye. They are excited to design again this fall for Grease and hope you enjoy RENT!

Benji Felix (he/him) (Sound Co-Designer) is a junior Sound Design major from Aurora, IL. Columbia credits include On The Town (Audio Assistant), Pippin (Audio Tech), Hamlet (Sub Sound Op), and The Nether and Fabulation (Sound Designer). He also worked on short films Big Steps and Sundown Drive.

Shelby Fish (they/she) (Fight Choreographer) is a senior Acting major and Stage Combat minor. They previously choreographed fights for Lone Star Spirits and Heathers. They’re honored to close out their time at Columbia with Rent.

Destiny Garner (she/her/hers) (Assistant Lighting Designer / Spot Designer) is a junior Theatre Design and Technology major from the south suburbs of Chicago. Her Columbia credits include Sunday in the Park, Pippin, Creature, Minutes and Seconds, Musical Theatre Dance Concert, and Fabulation. She also designed Within a Shadow at The Den Theatre.

Quinn Gomez (Technical Director) is a senior from Tinley Park, IL. Columbia credits include Medea, On The Town, and Tango Palace. He also works in the scene shop and is grateful for the community at Columbia.

PRODUCTION BIOS

Jack Hewitt (he/him) (Wardrobe Crew) is a freshman Musical Theatre major from Muskogee, Oklahoma. He recently performed in the Musical Theatre Dance Concert and D2’s Across All Worlds Double Bill.

Dylan Hirt (she/her) (Stage Manager) is a senior Stage Management major. Credits include Rent (SM), Hair and Hamlet (ASM), 24-Hour Play Festival (SM), and Creature (SM). Thanks to her mom and all her mentors. “The opposite of war isn’t peace, it’s creation.” – Rent

Moe Kuhlmann (3rd Assistant Stage Manager) is a sophomore Stage Management student from St. Louis, MO. Credits include The Impracticality of Modern-Day Mastodons (SM), 24-Hour Playfest (ASM), and Minutes and Seconds (SM).

Edgar Lopez (he/him) (Fight Choreographer) is an actor, playwright, and fight choreographer from Chicago. Columbia acting credits include Fabulation, Small Mouth Sounds, and Rogers Play. He’s grateful to have worked on Rent.

Ruby Lundeen (she/her/hers) (2nd Assistant Stage Manager) is a stage management major from Lewes Beach, Delaware. Credits include Lone Star Spirits, Enter Pursued by a Whale, The Giver, Prowess, and Eurydice/Antigone Now. Thanks to Tiyana, Donna, and duet partner Kelly Collins. Carpe diem!

Keelano Mayo (he/him) (Costume Assistant) is from West Fargo, North Dakota. He has worked on Hamlet, Tango Palace, Hair, Things My Mother Taught Me, Sender, and Rent. His favorite credits include Hair and Hamlet.

Michael Meschbach (he/him) (Assistant Lighting Designer) is a junior Design and Technology student from the northwest suburbs of Chicago. Favorite productions include Pippin, Hair, and Rent.

PRODUCTION BIOS

Eddie Neal-Morales (he/they) (Paint Charge) is a junior Theatre Design and Technology major with a scenic focus from Columbus, Ohio. Design credits include The Nether, Witch, and Chairs; assistant credits include I and You, Feathers & Teeth, and Hair.

Alison Popelka (they/them/theirs) (Lighting Designer) is a senior Lighting Design and Technology major from Madison, Wisconsin. Columbia credits include Bones, Dark Play, and Lost Girl. They thank their family, friends, and the Rent team!

Dominick Rodriguez (he/him) (Hair Assistant) is a freshman Musical Theatre major with minors in Dance and Social Media. From Brea, CA, he’s performed in show choir, danced in the Musical Theatre Dance Concert, and worked on Hair.

Beyrali “Bey” Santiago (she/her) (Makeup Designer) is a sophomore Theatre Design and Technology major with a concentration in makeup, from Chicago. Rent marks her first production at Columbia as a designer. With no direct mentor in the role, Bey embraced the challenge of designing for a full cast—drawing on skills from a past text analysis course to inform thoughtful, research-driven choices. She is especially grateful to Frances and KClare for their support, encouragement, and generosity throughout the process. Bey is proud of the work she’s contributed and deeply appreciative of the opportunity to bring these characters to life through makeup.

Kate Sheets (she/her) (Wardrobe Crew) is a sophomore from Cedar Park, Texas, and is thrilled to be teching her first show at Columbia after previously working on the acting side of theatre.

Lindsay Smith (she/her) (Assistant Director) is a sophomore Directing major from San Luis Obispo, California. She previously served as assistant stage manager on Tango Palace last spring and will direct her Directing II project next semester. Lindsay is especially honored to work on Rent, as the show’s impact during her freshman year of high school inspired her to become a director. She thanks her parents and brothers for their constant support (and for patiently listening to her talk about this show for five years). Enjoy the performance!

PRODUCTION BIOS

Zachary Swerdlow (they/them)(A3) is a sophomore Audio Arts and Music and Theatre Design and Technology major from Santa Monica, California. At Columbia, they have served as Sound Designer for Sender and Sound Board Operator for Lone Star Spirits.

Maine Triplett (he/him) (Assistant Music Director) is a freshman BA Musical Theatre major from St. Charles, Illinois. He has music directed The Sound of Music and The Little Mermaid, and has performed in over 40 productions, including Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, and (upcoming) Grease this fall. Maine is ecstatic to be part of his first Columbia College Chicago production and is immensely proud of how far the entire team has come.

Ambika Trivedi (1st Assistant Stage Manager) is a Stage Management concentration from Libertyville, Illinois. Past Columbia credits include 1st ASM on Fabulation, or The Re-Education of Undine and PSM of The Nether. She is excited for you to experience Rent and hopes you enjoy the show!

Al Villanueva (they/he) (Scenic Designer) is a senior Theatre Design & Technology major with concentrations in Scenic and Costume Design, from Aurora, Illinois. Previous scenic design credits at Columbia include The Bluest Eye, Late: A Cowboy Song, and I and You.

River Wise (he/him/they) (Assistant Props Designer) is a senior Theatre Design & Technology major from Des Moines, Iowa. His previous credits include Lobby Hero (Scenic Charge Artist, Shattered Globe Theatre), Hair (Scenic Designer), True West (Scenic Designer), and Bat Boy: The Musical (Assistant Scenic/Run Crew).

The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David M. Rubenstein.

Special thanks to The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust for supporting the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; and the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation.

Kennedy Center education and related artistic programming is made possible through the generosity of the National Committee for the Performing Arts.

This production is entered in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF). The aims of this national theater education program are to identify and promote quality in college-level theater production. To this end, each production entered is eligible for a response by a regional KCACTF representative, and selected students and faculty are invited to participate in KCACTF programs involving scholarships, internships, grants and awards for actors, directors, dramaturgs, playwrights, designers, stage managers and critics at both the regional and national levels.

Productions entered on the Participating level are eligible for invitation to the KCACTF regional festival and may also be considered for national awards recognizing outstanding achievement in production, design, direction and performance.

Last year more than 1,500 productions were entered in the KCACTF involving more than 200,000 students nationwide. By entering this production, our theater department is sharing in the KCACTF goals to recognize, reward, and celebrate the exemplary work produced in college and university theaters across the nation.

PRODUCTION TEAM Production Manager Erica L. Sandvig

Assistant Stage Managers Ambika Trivedi Ruby Lundeen Moe Kuhlmann

Assistant Director Lindsay Smith

Assistant Musical Director Maine Triplett

Assistant Intimacy Choreographer Celine Berger

Technical Director Grant Sabin

Scene Shop Supervisor Kevin Rolfs

Student Technical Director Quinn Gomez

Paint Charge Eddie Neal-Morales

Assistant Scenic Design Lewis Beaver Leigha Armstrong

Costume Shop Management kClare McKellaston

Assistant Costume Designer Keelano Mayo Sio Davis Jo Cigarroa Ontiveros

Lighting Supervisor Nelli Fritjofson

Assistant Lighting Designer Destiny Garner Michael Meschbach

Assistant Production Electrician Isaac Bowman

Director of Technology Josef Szaday

Assistant Prop Design River Wises

Assistant Hair Design Dominick Rodriguez

SHOW CREW Deck Crew Analisa Gomes

Lighting Programmers Isaac Bowman

Wardrobe Crew Head Sio Davis

Spot Ops Skye Baker Nat Forsberg

Ushers Ava Cossolotto Maple Luna

Wardrobe Crew Jack Hewitt Kat Liu Kate Sheets Sound Team A1 Nina Domanus A2 Claire McGowen-Henderson A3 Zachary Swerdlow

MENTORS AND ADDITIONAL THEATRE STAFF Stage Management Mentor David Castellanos

Scenic Design Mentor Jaqueline Penrod

Costume Design Mentor Frances Maggio

Lighting Design Mentor Kentrell Brazeal

Sound Design Mentor Mikhail Fiksel

Dramaturgy Mentor Grace Kessler-Overbeke, PhD

Combat Mentor David Woolley

Director of Academic Operations Mary Butler

Audience Services Manager Abigail Karr

Administrative Office & Resource Center Max Christensen Jadyn Hogue Khalyah Adams-Thompson

Production Management Assistant Moe Kuhlmann

Production Assistants Khalyah Adams-Thompson Natalie Frisch Emma Jean Golden Dylan Hirt Jadyn Hogue Whitney Ratliff Ramon Rodriguez

Scene Shop Megan Burke Quinn Gomez Eddie Neal-Morales Gael Owens Sprig Velic Al Villanueva River Wise

Costume Shop Kyler Anderson Lou Baggett Lauren Evans Abi Hayes Venus Petter Lena Slininger Carlee Walka

Electrics Crew Zoe Cheever Socorro Park Al Popelka

STUDENT STAFF

AV Max Cichon Jack Plahutnik Johnathan Webster

Theatre Advisory Board The Theatre Advisory Board’s mission is to uplift students, alumni, and the Theatre Program at Columbia College Chicago by creating a vibrant community where they can exchange industry insights, share expertise, forge collaborative partnerships, and explore hands-on opportunities for professional growth while maintaining a strong connection with the institution.

To learn more, get involved and donate visit linktr.ee/ theatreadvisoryboard

Thank you for joining us! If you found this production interesting, inspiring, challenging, and/or entertaining, please consider a donation to the School of Theatre and Dance. Use the QR Code below or send a check EARMARKED TO THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE AND DANCE to: Columbia College Chicago c/o Development Department 600 S. Michigan Ave.