Greensburg Civic Theatre stages multi-award-winner 'Rent'

Edward Bostedo loves “Rent” so much that he has a lyric from the musical tattooed on his leg.

When Greensburg Civic Theatre needed a director for its upcoming production of the multiple award-winner, he applied right away and was accepted.

Though the Delmont resident has been directing community theater for more than 20 years, including productions for The Theatre Factory and McKeesport Little Theatre, this will be his first time directing “Rent” and his first time working with the Greensburg group.

“Rent” will be staged at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center.

“Every person who comes to see ‘Rent’ has a little bit of each character in them,” Bostedo said. “Every time I’ve seen it — and I’ve seen it 1,000 times — I fall in love with a different character.

“The story is as powerful and relevant today as it was 25 years ago. It just has that friend-love feeling,” he added.

With book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, “Rent” follows a year in the life of a group of struggling young artists and musicians, living under the shadow of HIV/AIDS in New York’s Lower East Side. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom, Angel and other characters.

Courtesy of Edward Bostedo

Dylan Pal (left) is Marc Cohen and Will Herrington is Roger Davis in the Greensburg Civic Theatre production of “Rent.”

Loosely based on the 1893 Puccini opera, “La Boheme,” the musical won the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical and the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

It promises “a good night out, full of love, energy and compassion, especially for Valentine’s Day,” Bostedo said.

The cast of 15 actors from across Western Pennsylvania includes Will Herrington of Connellsville as Roger, Raegan Hochman of Level Green as Mimi, Zachary Gilkey of Greensburg as Angel and Taylor Anderson of Pittsburgh as Tom.

Several of the actors are playing multiple roles.

“One member plays, I think, seven characters. She is onstage literally changing costumes,” Bostedo said. “It’s a struggle to have them changing characters just that quickly and to have them keep the same energy up all throughout.”

One thing that helps, he said, is that the theater troupe is “very organized. In a nutshell, there are a lot of people working on the production and we’ve got it moving forward.”

Musical director and accompanist is Eric Barchiesi of Export, choreographer is Kristine Lowanse of West Newton and stage managers are Sarah Weisel of Irwin and Marcus Greenberg of Greensburg.

Advance tickets are $18, $16 for 55 and older, $13 for students. Tickets are $2 more at the door, subject to availability.

Theater-goers will be asked to wear a mask inside the facility, regardless of vaccination status.

For information and reservations, call 724-836-8000 or visit ggccevents.org.