Rent at The Egg
525,600 minutes...
There are a lot of amateur theater productions in the Capital Region -- a lot of high quality amateur theater productions.
But few, if any, are as ambitious as Our Own Productions' version of Rent, opening this weekend at The Egg. The $22,000 budget is more that twice what is normally spent on a single local musical theater production.
It didn't start out that large -- but it looks like it could prove to be a worthwhile investment for the relatively new theater company.
The project was originally planned for Revolution Hall, but when the space suddenly became unavailable, the group rehearsed for a while without a home. Director Matthew Teichner was sure they'd find a space -- "We were looking for a storefront or something like that. We wanted to do something environmentally interesting." Then executive producer Susan Elliashuk checked out The Egg.
"I don't think that I would have gone to The Egg for any other show but Rent. Rent is such a draw and the full version has never been done by a local company. You just take a chance and hope that you made the right decision." So far, so good. Ellis says they've already made up the $700 per day cost of renting the theater with pre-sale tickets.
They're counting, in part, on "Rent-heads" (yep, apparently that's a term), the show's cult followers. Last year some of the original cast came to Proctors with the touring show, but this is the first full amateur production in the Capital Region, so it's kind of a big deal.
And it doesn't look amateur.
Last night was their first full rehearsal at The Egg. Maybe the space had something to do with it, but everything seemed to have an air of professionalism. Between Teichner, producer Jon Janssen, their crew, a very cool set (raised in one day by volunteers from RPI Players), terrific costumes, a great band and a super energetic and talented cast -- they've put together a community theater dream team.
Here's a clip from last night's rehearsal:
You can catch the show this weekend and next on Fridays at 8, Saturdays at 2 and 8 and Sundays at 2. Tickets are $26 general admission, $21 for students.
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Comments
Thank you so much for promoting our show (I'm the set dresser)! It has been a very rewarding experience, and the actors blow me away each rehearsal with their performances. I hope everyone considers coming to see it!
You could also mention that Matt Streifert and Alana Sangiacomo (previously appearing on AOA as the "Fastastick Proposal" couple) are two of our stars - Mark and Maureen!
... said Jessica R on Mar 31, 2011 at 4:58 PM | link
It is awesome to see community theater doing this!
... said Lauren on Apr 1, 2011 at 2:52 PM | link
And Matlana is in it!
... said Justin Williams on Apr 1, 2011 at 6:13 PM | link
Have to say, I saw the show twice this past weekend. Friday night I took production shots and Saturday night I was in the audience.
The cast generates such electricity that it's hard not to get overwhelmed at times.
I am proud to say that I was part of this production behind the scenes. It's a shame that it's only running two weekends, because it could run longer.....
Bravo to cast and crew!
... said john on Apr 4, 2011 at 1:41 PM | link
It's truly a very special show with a first-rate cast, crew and production staff. Come see it while you can.
... said Alan on Apr 5, 2011 at 2:43 PM | link