The Wallace Theater and LHUCA proudly announce dates, cast, crew and a new ticketing initiative “Pay What You Can” preview night for RENT!
In support of serving missions of both The Wallace Theater and LHUCA, “Pay What You Can Night” is aimed at making our high quality theatrical productions more financially accessible to our West Texas community.
Directed by The Wallace Theater’s Artistic Director, Anna Hogan, RENT is the final installment of The Wallace’s first full production Season entitled “Gather: exploring the significance of a community gathering place and the impact of a community dialogue.”
A very special thank you to The Wallace’s “Gather 2022” Theatrical Season Presenting Sponsors, United Supermarkets and Smith Auto Family.
Pay What You Can Night: Everyone feels the “pain at the pump” and have read stories of so many families who are struggling to pay their bills, or agonizing over grocery bills.
As arts organizations, this mission and service is not to feed people, but to ease their burden by “feeding their souls.”
Through art it can provide a brief respite from the struggles of life.
By making theatre productions financially accessible, art can inspire people to continue their fight and believe in themselves and to empower them with resources and knowledge to make a difference in their lives.
If each person walks away from this show considering the relationships in their own lives and what they can do to strengthen relationships, this show will have a long-term impact on the social fabric of the community.
“As we began to plan for productions in 2023, we took stock of our mission and knew that our ticketing model was making our theatrical productions financially inaccessible to many patrons,” said Alycyn Keeling, Executive Director of The Wallace Theater. “With the support of generous underwriters, foundations and sponsors we have committed to setting our general admission tickets no higher than $30 in 2023 and are very excited for our first “Pay What You Can Night,” “As we celebrate LHUCA’s 25th Anniversary, we are excited to continue to fulfill Louise Hopkins Underwood’s dream of presenting live theater to the public with RENT in partnership with The Wallace Theater,” said Lindsey Maestri, Executive Director, LHUCA.
February 10, will be a preview performance and feature our new Pay What You Can ticketing initiative modeled after similar initiatives by other successful theatres around the county.
“The Pay What You Can ticketing initiative is rooted in our mission statement to provide our signature experiences that Entertain, Inspire, and Empower all audience members in our community,” said Keeling. “Patrons will be given the opportunity to select their price when reserving their seat. They can pay the General Admission price of $30. They can choose to pay as little as $5 or they can choose to pay more.”
All proceeds from the Pay What You Can Night will be used to support expenses from other night’s productions and keep the General Admission ticket at $30.
Patrons will be asked to pay at least something in appreciation for the work and talent the artists and designers dedicated to the production.
Ticket tiers include $30 general admission tickets, $25 senior tickets, $15 student tickets, and $75 VIP tickets.
VIP tickets include prime seating options, two complimentary beverages, and light bites.
Tickets for RENT are available for purchase at: https:// www.wallacetheater.com/events.
Visit https://www.wallace theater.com/backstage to join “Backstage.”
Performances dates are as follows: --Friday, February 10, at 7:30 p.m.; --Saturday, February 11, at 7:30 p.m.; --Friday, February 17, at 7:30 p.m.; --Saturday, February 18, at 7:30 p.m.; --Friday, February 24, at 7:30
p.m.;
--Saturday, February 25, at
7:30 p.m.; --Sunday, February 26, at 5 p.m.; and --Saturday, March 4, at 7:30
p.m.
All performances will take place at the LHUCA Firehouse Theater, 511 Ave. K, in Lubbock.
The cast is headlined by Alejandro Hernandez as Roger Davis, Zachary Judah as Mark Cohan, Joey Rodriguez as Tom Collins, Caleb Aguilar as Benjamin Coffin III, Annie Nichols-Burge as Joane Jefferson, Jet Terry as Angel Dumott Schunard, , Sierra Roberson as Mimi Marquez and Rachel Biggs as Maureen Johnson.
The full cast includes: Leah Rodriguez, Mallory Flores, Mary Hogan, Kensy Mayer, Ramona DeLuna, Travis Burge, Dylan Avant, Fletcher Pape and Natalie Stanislaus, as ensemble members and understudies.
The production crew includes: Anna Hogan (Director), Zac Goin (Technical Director), Dantz Debusk (Assistant Director), Casey Keenan Joiner (Music Director/Conductor), Anh Collins (Collaborative Pianist), Daniel Hogan (Set Design), Courtney Ferguson (Choreographer), McKenzie Pearce (Production Stage Manager), Kevin Greenhaw (Assistant Stage Manager), Jordan Wood (Sound Designer/ Audio Engineer), David Cox (Assistant Scenic Builder), Mary Hogan (Hair and Makeup Designer), Jill Johnstone (Costume Designer), and Patrick Mitchell (Properties Master).
“At last, a show that lives up to its hype! RENT is theatre at its best: passionate, exuberant, uplifting, and joyous.” -Theatermania Set in the East Village of New York City, RENT is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today.
Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, RENT has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages.
“RENT rejoices in the truth of what it tries to capture. That life and relationships are fun, gritty, painful, wonderful, and ever changing. Every time I listen to RENT, I am reminded to be grateful for my friends and to relish in the experience of my own passing seasons of love.” – Joey Rodriguez, Cast as Tom Collins (by The Wallace) Based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s RENT follows a year in the life of a group of impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive and create in New York’s Lower East Side, under the shadow of unimaginable struggles at the height of an 1980’s and 1990s epidemic.
How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.
“What makes RENT so wonderful is not its hipness quotient, but its extraordinary spirit of hopeful defiance and humanity.” – The New York Times