Casting set for David Cromer's Rent

Alan Schmuckler

American Theater Company and About Face Theatre have announced casting for their upcoming coproduction of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer-winning Rent, directed by David Cromer.

Alan Schmuckler (Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Murder for Two) will portray nascent filmmaker Mark Cohen, with Aileen May (Cromer's Cherrywood at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Company) as his ex-girlfriend Maureen and Lili-Anne Brown (Route 66's A Twist of Water) as Maureen's current girlfriend, JoAnne.

Derrick Trumbly (Leaf Coneybear in both the Drury Lane and Marriott productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) will play struggling musician Roger; Esteban Andres Cruz (Cromer's A Streetcar Named Desire at Writers' Theatre and the Williamstown Theater Festival) is drag performer Angel and Tony Santiago (Alluvium Group's The Winter's Tale) is Benjamin Coffin III. New York–based actors Grace Gealey as Mimi and Alex Agard as Tom Collins round out the leads.

Ensemble members include Karla Beard, Aaron Nelson, Danielle Plisz, Tyler Ravelson, Steve Tomlitz, Anji White and Luke Wygodny. Rent begins previews April 27 for a May 6 opening at American Theater Company, where it's scheduled to run through June 17. Porchlight Music Theatre is mounting a concurrent production of late writer Larson's tick, tick…BOOM!, running April 28–June 10 at Stage 773.