La Bohéme to Rent: Legacies
Rent is loosely based on the opera La Bohème, composed by Giacomo Puccini. Learn more about the story of La Bohéme and its connection to Rent.
Thank You, Jonathan Larson: 25 Years of Rent
More than 25 years after Jonathan Larson's death and the original cast's first preview performance of Rent, both of which occurred on January 25, 1996, the world still has Jonathan to thank for his contributions to the living canon of musical theater.
From the Director: Chip Miller
How do you measure a year? Director Chip Miller on the timeless and inspiring messages of Rent.
“And You Don’t Stop” — The Enduring Legacy of Hip Hop
If you happened to be in the Bronx on August 11, 1973, and you had a few quarters in your pocket, you may have become a witness to a world-changing event. At a Back to School Jam hosted in the rec room of his apartment complex, DJ Kool Herc, a teenage Jamaican immigrant, singularly invented a new art form that would evolve into a global phenomenon.
The Hill District
The Hill District is a 1.4-square-mile section of Pittsburgh that has been predominantly African American since the 19th century. This small strip of Pittsburgh is where a majority of the Century Cycle Plays are located. To understand more, read to explore where these plays come from!
From the Director: Chip Miller
Director Chip Miller on the significance of memory, history, and ancestral connection in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean and the other plays of Wilson's Century Cycle.
Behind the Curtain: Spotlight on Aunt Ester
Over the course of approximately 26 years, Wilson wrote one play for each decade in the 20th century. At the center of this tapestry stands Aunt Ester, the character which Wilson himself deemed the most significant in his plays.
The Century Cycle
Beginning in 1904 with Gem of the Ocean and ending in 1997 with Radio Golf, August Wilson's 10-play American Century Cycle charts the lived experience of African Americans throughout the 20th century. Learn more about each of these plays and their connection to one another.
Reviews of Rent
"With a story based on Puccini's 19th-century opera La Bohème, Rent tells the story of angsty young adults struggling to pay their rent and worrying about a cyber arts studio coming to their impoverished neighborhood." -Deseret News
Reviews of Freestyle Love Supreme
"What distinguishes Freestyle Love Supreme from other Broadway songfests is that its numbers spring into existence before your very eyes, or ears. And you, dear audience members, are the co-authors of these numbers — feeding the onstage crew the words, ideas, and emotions that they then transform into improbably rhymed performance pieces." –The New York Times
Reviews of Gem of the Ocean
"Introspective and keenly engaged with the problems of the world … the play shows that to fix what influences you, you first have to understand and come to terms with, yourself." – Chicago Critic
Portland Center Stage is committed to identifying & interrupting instances of racism & all forms of oppression, through the principles of inclusion, diversity, equity, & accessibility (IDEA).
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