STC Brings the Rock Musical RENT to Life this May

"A Timeless Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing Life in the Face of Adversity"

SHEBOYGAN, WI--April 15, 2024--The Sheboygan Theatre Company (STC), the local community theater, is closing out its 90th season with RENT, to be directed by Ryan Schabach, with Musical Director Zach Holden and Choreographer Amanda Hartlaub. The show opens May 10th at the Leslie W. Johnson Theatre on the Horace Mann Middle School campus and features 17 cast members and numerous backstage volunteers.

Set to a powerful, infectious score that blends rock, jazz, and Broadway, RENT has captivated audiences worldwide with its honest, gritty portrayal of life on the margins. The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning rock musical tells the story of a group of struggling artists and musicians living in New York City's East Village during the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1990s. 

RENT has become a classic story that many think they know, but really don’t. Created by the late Jonathan Larson, the show bravely explores themes of love, loss, addiction, and the will to survive in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. 

“We have so many talented singers in our area. RENT is the perfect opportunity to showcase them,” said STC Executive Director Tricia Roberts. “There aren’t very many shows that offer our actors the range RENT provides. If you loved Into the Woods, you need to see this show. I can’t wait to see what Ryan will do with it.”

Ryan Schabach is a member of Actors' Equity with experience in directing, playwriting, and fight choreography. He has directed at TAP, Door Shakespeare, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Southwest Shakespeare Festival, Stages - Houston, University of Wisconsin - Madison & Oshkosh, and Unity Theatre, TX. Most recently, he directed The Play That Goes Wrong and Dracula at UW - Oshkosh, Yankee Tavern at Unity Theatre in Texas, and Boeing Boeing at Third Avenue PlayWorks in Sturgeon Bay. He holds an MFA in classical performance from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and completed the Emerging Artist Residency Program at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater.

“It has always been a dream of mine to one day return to the area I grew up in and share with this community the power of live theatre. I am so honored that the leadership at STC has enlisted me to helm RENT, the musical that changed my life, taught me empathy, and ushered forward a professional career in theatre,” Schabach said. “There is a quote written on the largest wall at STAGES in Houston…. every day in winter, I entered the front doors of that theatre on my way to rehearsal and read the two-foot tall letters demanding to be heard, ‘We sit together in the dark to know how to love each other in the light.’ Directing RENT and watching this beautiful community of artists shine, is a step forward in being the change we wish to see in our world.”

The production will run from May 10-18, 2024. Tickets for the show are available online at https://www.stcshows.org/.

About Sheboygan Theater Company