Photo Flash: Trustus & Front End Audio Presents RENT

Directed by Dewey Scott-Wiley* Musical Director: Christopher Cockrell*

Choreographer: Terrance Henderson Costumer: John Henson

Cast

Roger Davis............................................................................Jason Stokes*

Mark Cohen.............................................................................Kevin Bush*

Tom Collins.....................................................................Terrance Henderson

Benjamin Coffin III..................................................................Walter Graham

Joanne Jefferson.....................................................................Jocelyn Brannon

Angel Dumott Schunard...............................................................Lanny Spires

Mimi Marquez...........................................................................Katie Leitner

Maureen Johnson....................................................................Robin Gottlieb*

The Company ...............Jim Armstrong, Catherine Bailey, Lindsey Brown, Daryl Byrd, Garrett Ross Campbell, Dominique Johnson, Linda Posey, Sean Stephens

RENT was originally produced in New York by New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon

and New York Theatre Workshop

The Company of RENT would like to dedicate the show in loving memory of...

Jay Bailey, Don Blanchette, Harold Odom, and Jonathan Larson

Rent is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

There will be one intermission.

*Denotes Trustus Company Member

+Denotes Trustus Apprentice Company Member

This program is supported, in part, by contributors to the Arts Fund of the Cultural Council of Richland and Lexington Counties, the City of Columbia, the Shubert Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina in honor of EG Heard and the South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Trustus is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, the South Carolina Gay & Lesbian Guild, the South Carolina Theatre Association, the Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Vista Guild and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce.

Who's Who

Dewey Scott-Wiley* (Director) is delighted to be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Trustus by directing Rent with this incredible group of people! This is Dewey's 17th Season as a Trustus Company Member. Favorite directing credits at Trustus include: Evita, Reefer Madness, Bat Boy: The Musical, and When Pigs Fly, to name a few. She is proud to be an Associate Professor of Theatre at USC Aiken, where she has been teaching since 1993.

Christopher Cockrell* (Musical Director) was last seen in the role of Raul in Trustus' production of Extremities. Other roles include Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show, Che in Evita, Giuseppe Zangara in Assassins, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Jekyll & Hyde, Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar, Antonio Salieri in Amadeus, and Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden. Christopher has also served as the musical director for productions of Ruthless!, Little Shop of Horrors, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Footloose, The Wiz, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma!, and Reefer Madness.
Terrance Henderson (Tom Collins/ Choreographer) is excited to be returning to the Trustus stage as an actor after serving as choreographer for many shows over the past several years. He was last seen on the Trustus stage in Blues in the Night and Fierce Love. Other favorite community shows include The Full Monty, Ain't Misbehavin, Dreamgirls, and The Life. As a choreographer his work has been seen on Columbia stages in shows like Rocky Horror Show, It Ain't Nothing but the Blues, High School Musical, Urinetown, Jesus Christ Superstar, and countless dance performances and concerts. Terrance is the Artistic Director/ Choreographer of Vibrations Dance Company which was recently named runner-up for Best Local Dance Company in the Free Times BEST of Columbia. This past summer Terrance received the Bronze Leo Award for Outstanding Jazz Dance Choreography at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago, one of only three given to choreographers from across the world for 2009. He is also this year's state-wide Artist Fellowship recipient for Dance Performance. Besides being a freelance national choreographer, Terrance is also on the faculty at the Columbia Ballet School and the Southeastern School of Ballet. Terrance would like to dedicate this show in loving memory to his Dad.
John Henson (Costumer) is an award winning graphic designer with At& T and a published children's book author and illustrator. He has been involved with costumes from the Original Broadway Company of Rent since 1999 through Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS "Broadway Bears" auction. He has had the pleasure of working with many original Rent cast members such as Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Adam Pascal, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Wilson Jermaine-Heredia, Jesse L. Martin, Fredi Walker-Browne, Taye Diggs and from the film version, Tracie Thoms and Rosario Dawson. John has also worked with the costumes in "ursine" scale from the Tony Award winning shows Wicked, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown (1998 Revival), Cabaret (1998 Revival), The Secret Garden and Disney's Beauty and the Beast. He is currently trotting the globe with costumes and props promoting "TheTwilight Saga" film franchise, along with the cast and crew, last seen in a 3-city Australian tour promoting "New Moon" and upcoming in the United Kingdom this February. You can check out John's website at thetwilightcostumecollection.blogspot.com. A gigantic thank you goes out to Maggie and Amanda for sewing, painting, cutting, knitting and bleaching. To Dew..."I knew we'd hit it off the first time we met". To Anthony, the heart of Rent who keeps Jonathan's words and music alive 8 times a week...thank you for your support - you're a great inspiration and friend. To my hyper-hued, technicolor wondertink, Tracie, who officially welcomed this cast into the Rent family. To "Donna" in NYC...this show couldn't have been done without your support and generosity. And to Jonathan, who's messages have been in my heart every day since November 22, 1996. I would like to dedicate my work in this show to my mother, Jane and my father, Jim, who have proven to support, love and encourage me no matter what. To my big brother, Jimmy, who first introduced me to the theatre back when we were kids. I love you all tremendously. "NO DAY BUT TODAY!"

Jim Armstrong (Company) stepped into Rent with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. He has worked as an assistant stage manager for Trustus on Golf: The Musical in 2006 and is thrilled to return as an ensemble member. He recently graduated with a BA in Fine Arts from USC Aiken where he worked and grew under Dewey. A few of his favorite roles to date are: Osric in The Princess and the Pea, Little Harp in The Robber Bridegroom, Tom in The Glass Menagerie, and Carter in Fat Pig. He worked as an electrician this past summer at The Lost Colony in NC and was able to rock ensemble parts in Jesus Christ Superstar and Oklahoma!. He'd like to thank his family, Dewey, and his closest friends for their love and support and Trustus for having him again.

Catherine L. Bailey (Ensemble - Alexi, Blanket Person, and Company) returns to the Trustus stage after a long hiatus. She most recently appeared on the Workshop stage as Tourvel in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and has appeared in a variety of other roles with Workshop, Town, and the SC Shakespeare Co, including Milady de Winter in The Three Musketeers, Ronette in Little Shop of Horrors, in the Ensemble of Sweeney Todd, Maria in Twelfth Night, and Vera / Mother Burnside in Mame. She has also appeared in many shows here at Trustus - favorite roles include Lulu in Cabaret, Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show, and Claire in Proof. Catherine is thrilled to join the "Rent family" - very special thanks to Dewey, Chris, and Terrence for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this show. No day but today!

Jocelyn Brannon (Joanne) is excited to be apart of the Rent cast on this, her debut on the Trustus stage. Thanks Dewey and Chris for the opportunity. Past theatre credits include serving as Producer for High School Musical and High School Musical 2 at Workshop Theatre. Jocelyn was most recently seen on stage as Caroline in Caroline, or Change Spring 2009 at Workshop. Previous performances include It Ain't Nothin But the Blues, Ain't Misbehavin', Sistah Girl and the Soldier, and Leader of the Pack. Jocelyn debuted on the Columbia theatre scene as one of the Lutibelles in Greg Leevy's 2005 production of Purlie. She is director of The Palmetto School of Protocol, and serves on various Midlands areas arts, community and youth development boards including, Vibrations Dance Company and Girls Incorporated of Greater Columbia. Jocelyn also serves as an officer in the Columbia (SC) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is grateful to her husband, Derwin and six-year-old twins Catherine and William for their continued and unwavering support of mommy's wonderously outrageous theatrical endeavors!

Lindsey Brown (Company) received her Undergraduate and Graduate degrees in Music Education from the University of South Carolina. There she sang with the USC Concert Choir, University Choir, and Carolina Alive Jazz Ensemble. She is currently working as a private voIce Teacher at Carolina Music Academy. As the soloist in "Season's of Love" and a member of the ensemble in Rent, this is her first professional theatre performance.

Kevin Bush* (Mark) considers himself extremely lucky to once again be performing Jonathan Larson's work on the Trustus stage. He appeared in Larson's "other" play, tick...tick...Boom! at Trustus in 2007. Other Trustus credits include roles in Bat Boy: The Musical, The Little Dog Laughed, The Rocky Horror Show, The Thing About Men and Reefer Madness. His most recent stage work was in Workshop Theatre's The Producers. By day, Kevin is the marketing director for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of SC. Love and thanks, as always, to Brian, family and friends for constant support and encouragement. Thank you, Jonathan Larson.

Daryl Byrd (Company) is no stranger to the stage and is very excited to be making his Trustus debut in one of his favorite musicals. He is the Director of Bands at Crayton Middle School and the Assistant Director of the A.C. Flora Marching Band. Daryl would like to thank Dewey and the creative team of Rent for allowing him this wonderful opportunity and his wonderful cast and crew for being so AWESOME. No Day But Today.
Garrett Ross Campbell (Company) is so excited to be making his Trustus debut in Rent! He is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and a graduate of the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities in Greenville, South Carolina, where he studied Vocal Performance. He is currently a freshman at the University of South Carolina studying Vocal Performance with Tina Milhorn Stallard. Previous performances include, Cats (Tumblebrutus), Bye Bye Birdie (Freddie), Oklahoma, Camelot, Aladdin (Aladdin) in addition to various opera scenes including, The Magic Flute, Don Pasquale, and Show Boat. He would like to thank Dewey for this amazing experience and the cast for all of their hard work!

Robin Gottlieb* (Maureen) is grateful, and beyond excited, to be a part of Rent. The 25th anniversary of Trustus also marks Robin's 10th season as a company member, and it has been one of the most exciting theatrical years thus far. Other Trustus acting credits include: The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Evita, Reefer Madness, Rocky Horror Show, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, A...My Name Will Always Be Alice, White People, Elephant's Graveyard, Piaf, Jar The Floor, Sylvia, The Thing About Men, Golf-The Musical, Batboy-The Musical, Cabaret, and her personal favorite, Tick...Tick...Boom!, another Jonathon Larson piece. Robin has also directed Nunsense-Amen, The Tall Tale of Pecos Bill, and Rip Van Winkle. Robin is particularly excited about taking on a new role at Trustus, designing hair and make-up for this production. Currently, Robin is a full-time student at Paul Mitchell the School, where she is studying to be a professional stylist and is having the time of her life. Robin would like to thank Dewey, Chris, Terrance, and Jim and Kay for such an incredible opportunity and for always believing in her! And most importantly....'Thank You Jonathon Larson'!!!!
Walter Graham (Benny) is excited to be in the musical Rent ! He is happy be back on stage at Trustus Theatre where he last appeared in the play Fierce Love. Walter has appeared on stage at Workshop Theatre in Ain't Misbehavin, Purlie, A Chorus Line, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He previously directed High School Musical, High School Musical 2, Urinetown, and Suessical at Workshop Theatre. Walter teaches chorus at Crayton Middle School. He also is the Associate Choir Director at Trenholm Road United Methodist Church. He would like to thank Dewey, Chris, and Terrance for giving him this wonderful opportunity!!! NO DAY BUT TODAY!!!!

Dominique Chanel Johnson (Company) is a freshman at the University of South Carolina. Previous shows she has been in include You Can't Take it With You, The Good Doctor, and Aida. This is her first production at Trustus. She would like to thank her family for their support and Dewey and the awesome cast for a great experience!

Katie Leitner (Mimi) is a freshman at USC where she is studying music education. Her first appearance on stage was as Sandy in her high school's production of Grease. She has also been a part of Town Theatre shows including Little Shop of Horrors, Guys and Dolls, and Beauty and the Beast. This is her first time at Trustus Theatre and feels so honored to be part of such a talented cast. She would first like to thank Dewey Scott-Wiley for giving her this wonderful opportunity and having such faith in her. She would also like to thank her friends and family for all their love and support.

Kimberly Line (Assistant Stage Manager) is very happy to return to Trustus to work on Rent. Her last project at Trustus was Evita. She would like to thank Dewey and Marcia Lee for the opportunity and the wonderful cast and crew.

Clyde Moser is a student at Blythewood High and is making his Trustus debut. Since the first grade he has played Santa Bear in a Beary Merry Christmas, Prince Charming in Willabella Witch's Last Spell, Rutherford Wolf in Rutherford Wolf, and Yo-Yo in Psycho Beach Party.
Linda Posey (Company) is very happy to be once again on Trustus' stage after most recently appearing in the ensemble of The Producers at Workshop Theatre. Her other Trustus credits include, Reefer Madness and Rosie in Cabaret. Linda Holds a Bachelors of Music Education from Columbia College and currently teaches elementary music and is the children's choir director and soprano section leader at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. She also trained at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. Her performance experience includes a regional tour of A Christmas Carol and singing at Carnegie Hall. Her favorite roles have included Lily (The Secret Garden), Hope Cladwell (Urinetown: The Musical), Maggie (A Chorus Line) and The cat in the Hat (Seussical). "Thank you to Dewey, Chris and T.O. for this opportunity and to all my cast mates, thank you for always reminding me to live for today, ‘No Day but Today!'"

Ashlee Putnam is very excited to be a part of this amazing experience that is RENT! Past Trustus endeavors include, Reefer Madness, Rip Van Winkle, Evita, and Doubt. She would like to thank Dewey for yet another opportunity to be part of a brilliant cast and crew.
Sean Stephens (Company) is a junior theatre major at USC. USC credits include Oh! What A Lovely War (Ensemble), Mr. Marmalade (Larry), and The Skin Of Our Teeth (Doctor/Ensemble). More recently he played Seymour in Town Theatre's Little Shop of Horrors and Benny in Trustus Theatre's Southern Baptist Sissies. He is so grateful to be a part of this amazing show and would like to thank Dewey and Chris for the opportunity. Much love to his parents, family, friends, and his dogs Spud and Lucky for their love and support. No Day But Today!
Jason Stokes* (Roger) would not be capable of playing this role without Dewey's belief, Boogie's trust, Andre's tapes, the joy of working again with two of his Monty's and, most importantly, the comfort and security of his wife's love.

Marcia Leigh Stokes (Stage Manager) is very proud to be back at Trustus after her successful stage managerial debut during The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told earlier this season. She is thrilled to be working once again with the incomparable Dewey and this extraordinarily talented cast and crew! As always, she wants to thank the star and partner of her life, her husband Jason, for his constant guidance and support. D, without you....