Diversity at Center Stage

Greetings, wandering soul! The Ink-stained Archivist invites you into the Library of the Lost—where, for each lost soul, a story might be found. 

My feline companions and I were poised to tuck in for a late dinner. Might we offer you a meal, or perhaps a beverage? Tonight’s menu consists of hand-crafted beers made in local breweries, iced tea, miso soup, curry vindaloo, and seaweed salad—coincidentally, all foods mentioned in the song, “La Vie Boheme.” Please, help yourself to whatever appears most delicious. 

I could not help but discern the unmistakable glow of an artist’s spirit emanating from you like the halo of a full winter’s moon. Am I correct in assuming you practice some form of creative expression? I, myself, am fond of writing—but, of course, you knew that already. We artists often seek out one another—especially in troubling times such as these.  Art reflects life, as they say: the beautiful, the devastating—the undiluted, most visceral realities of humanity.  

Might I offer you a fortifying goblet of mead? It’s no mead of Suttungr, alas—still, I’ve found it to be pleasantly sweet and mild. We’re fast traversing the path toward forming a companionable bond as host and guest. This is quite lovely. 

     Jonathan Larson’s RENT, as filmed live on Broadway during the original production’s closing night in 2008, coincided in time with the opening of theatre icon Lin Manuel Miranda’s production of In the Heights. Both revolutionary musicals captivated audiences during their astonishing runs on Broadway. The impact of this fascination would further influence a dramatic, long overdue shift toward what we now know as the modern musical, effectively reimagining the look and sound of musical theatre for proceeding decades. 

       Actor, writer, composer, producer, and rapper Lin Manuel Miranda, partially famous for the policy of blind casting his hit musical, Hamilton, like Johnathan Larson and the creative team of RENT, is a staunch proponent of centering diverse voices. Similarly, both artists purposely chose to craft stories around marginalized characters in an era when doing so was not as widely accepted as it is today. Amidst the AIDS crisis of the 1990s, a period of blatant fear-driven homophobia, Larson set his most famous work, RENT, in New York, a bustling metropolis famous for its cultural diversity, populated by countless unhoused individuals, and rife with the distribution of illegal substances. Still, Larson, like Miranda, was determined to portray humanity as it truly exists, to humanize those society might prefer to ignore, neglect, or disrespect. RENT—and to an extent, In the Heights—serve as examples of quiet rebellion and stolid activism against a broken system that callously disregards all who refuse to adhere to an unbalanced, warped status quo. Larson, via RENT, as a matter of fact, dares reference contemporary political activist group ACT UP, likely in an ode to those tireless crusaders who preceded him in the interminable fight to destigmatize this life-altering illness. His efforts in quelling the mass fear and acquired shame foisted upon those with AIDS reaffirmed the inherent dignity of those with this disease. In turn, Larson not only brought awareness to a biological, yet all-too-human war not yet won, he also pointedly highlighted the oft-ignored humanity of AIDS sufferers.   

     In a performance medium dominated by white faces, classically trained voices, and musical books depicting cis-gender, heterosexual, able-bodied characters, shows like RENT and In the Heights sought to center diverse stories beneath the blinding spotlights of Broadway’s stages. Featuring numerous characters with various marginalized identities—people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, the chronically ill—RENT reflects, not what traditional theater patrons had come to expect to witness onstage, but rather what they might witness in their own communities if they dared glimpse beyond their narrow worldviews. In its most authentic, vulnerable, profound state, art mirrors back to its audience the truths inherent in humanity. Sometimes, these truths are coarse, cruel, or confronting. The creators of RENT, as well as the actors who portray its characters, tread the balance between humankind’s preoccupation with fear and hope in a world where voices like theirs are systematically silenced. Creators like Miranda and Larson craft these stories to elevate these stifled voices, because their tales are just as vital and worthy as those previously prioritized in bygone generations. In engaging with musicals like RENT, we engage with each other, with “characters” and “stories” outside of our realms of experience. We question our ignorance and internalized prejudices and instead invite empathy. Art reflects humanity, in all of its diversity, its emotion, its imperfection—and artists like Miranda and Larson simply cradle the mirror in both hands,  challenging those brave enough to peer beyond. 

       To this day, RENT stands as one of the most famous works of modern theatre—and it’s easy to understand why this is so. The stories that unfold within this roughly two and a half hour show transcend individual life experiences or aesthetic preferences and burrow right into the marrow of what marks us each as innately mortal: fear, love, hope, and grit—which, inevitably, equalizes every character in RENT. Despite their gender expression, health status, skin color, or financial standing, these characters extended their hands and built a community for themselves and by themselves. Together, they kindled a sense of unity founded on a passion for self-expression and a refusal to accept defeat when revolution still stirred within them—and this, I think, is at the very crux of artists like Larson and Miranda, too. 

There I go again, ranting and rambling as if you’ve all the time in the world. As you‘ve likely surmised, my passion for live theatre—as well as for the topic of diversity in the arts—runs riot in my mind. But don’t  let me keep you, dear wanderer. Be on your way before I entangle you in another one of my endless preoccupations. 

If you’ve enjoyed this moment of theatrical mischief, please consider subscribing to Myths and Mischief. Each time we publish a new article, a wizened, technologically-erudite wizard will promptly notify you. I ask only that you do not force me to explain how any of that nonsense is accomplished. My skills start and end with wordsmithery and cat-wrangling. 

Your Ink-stained Archivist bids you farewell. 

Works Cited

In the Heights Original Broadway Cast Signed Poster Including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mandy Gonzalez & More. (n.d.). 

RENT – a perspective on an iconic musical. (2019, January 27). STRUMpit.