POTTSTOWN PA – The on-stage appearance of “Rent,” an award-winning musical that continues through Oct. 20 (2024; Sunday) at Pottstown’s Steel River Playhouse, has become a sort of community design project.
Residents from across the borough and beyond stopped by the theater, 245 E. High St., in recent weeks to drop off items like street signs, skateboards, and even lava lamps, the playhouse says. All are being used in what Steel River reports is its “upcycled” version of the acclaimed production.
Those donated “everyday items,” according to the playhouse, are expected to help the musical “recreate the urban landscape and aesthetic of New York City’s Lower East Side during the late ’80s and early ’90s.” It’s possible audience members may recognize props from their own neighborhoods.
“Rent,” loosely based on Puccini’s “La Boheme,” is a Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning production with music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson. Its 12 performances run through Oct. 20 (Sunday), with direction by Anna Hogan, music direction by Nathan Kendrick, and choreography by Elizabeth Powell.
The story follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians. They struggle to survive and create on the Lower East Side under the shadow of HIV and AIDS. Hogan, an award-winning theatrical director and producer, has been in Pottstown since August to work on “Rent” with local actors, designers, and staff.
The musical represents “a celebration of life,” Hogan explains. “It is through an exploration of the stark realities of loss, adversity, and even death that we can truly comprehend and cherish the profound gift of being alive … The narrative poignantly highlights the cost of loving, losing, and the resilience required to persevere.”
Performance Dates and Ticketing
Tickets and seating choices are available for online purchase; or by calling its box office at 610-970-1199.
Running time for this two-act show is about 2 hours and 30 minutes, with one intermission. Tickets cost $29 for adults, $24 for seniors age 65 and older, and $17 for students. Rent contains mature subject manner and language. The show may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
Remaining performances are scheduled for:
- Oct. 11 (Friday) at 7 p.m.;
- Oct. 12 (Saturday) at 2 p.m. as a “Relaxed Performance;”
- Oct. 12 (Saturday) at 7 p.m.;
- Oct. 13 (Sunday) at 2 p.m.;
- Oct. 18 (Friday) at 7 p.m.;
- Oct. 19 (Saturday) at 2 p.m.;
- Oct. 19 (Saturday) at 7 p.m.; and
- Oct. 20 (Sunday) at 2 p.m.
For more information on upcoming shows, educational offerings, or volunteer opportunities send an e-mail to info@steelriver.org.
New Partnerships, Added Openness
“Rent” is staged in partnership with the LGBT Center of Greater Reading. The center creates, administers, and provides services, advocacy, and support to the Greater Reading LGBTQ+ community. It says it hopes to “create a welcoming, safe, and empowering environment for LGBTQ+ community members and allies.”
The joint presentation is part of Steel River’s attempt to open its doors “as wide as possible,” playhouse Executive Director Alec Lee Williams adds.
With its Oct. 3 local debut, “Rent” opens to the public with a “pay-what-you-want preview” to honor the LGBT Center. It is the first of several non-profit organizations to have the playhouse “highlight their mission and services,” Williams notes. The theater also anticipates “lowering or eliminating obstacles for individuals to attend performances or access our space,” he says.
With the 2024-2025 season, Steel River “has started accessible ticket programming initiatives” that will include other pay-what-you-want previews, and $2 ACCESS tickets for those with disabilities or enrolled in SNAP benefits. Additionally, it continues to offer relaxed performances that are accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Public participation in playhouse activities is an emphasis, too. Those “odd antique items” from the community that dress the Rent set? They’ve been lent to Steel River by their owners, at its request, in exchange for pairs of tickets to the show.
“Theater is meant to be shared, and (is) something that audiences can see themselves represented in,” Williams believes. “We can’t wait to share how ‘Rent’ reflects our modern lives and our community.”
Steel River Playhouse is a non-profit theatre and education organization. It is “dedicated to sharing stories that reflect our collective humanity, by providing a nurturing and empowering environment to represent and serve our diverse community.”
Cast photo provided to Travels With The Post by Steel River Playhouse
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