We believe there's no better time to bring our production of Rent to life because of its deep resonance with our present moment. It’s a way to reflect on where we’ve come from, a way to come back from loss together and, ultimately, a way to take care of one another.
We believe there's no better time to bring our production of Rent to life because of its deep resonance with our present moment. It’s a way to reflect on where we’ve come from, a way to come back from loss together and, ultimately, a way to take care of one another.
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Story
Mission Statement
We make art that is of and for Los Angeles, with our unique Pay What You Want model that encourages accessibility in our programming, casting and in our audience makeup. We make art that centers people who have not been allowed to be centered—trans, black, fat, brown, queer, disabled, genderqueer.About The Project
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 HIV/AIDS. The physical and emotional complications of the disease pervade the lives of Roger, Mimi, Tom and Angel. Maureen deals with her chronic infidelity through performance art; her partner, Joanne, wonders if their relationship is worth the trouble. Benny has sold out his Bohemian ideals in exchange for a hefty income and is on the outs with his former friends. Mark, an aspiring filmmaker, feels like an outsider to life in general. How these young bohemians negotiate their dreams, loves and conflicts provides the narrative thread to this groundbreaking musical.
Coming back from the pandemic, it felt right to produce a musical, to bring us together in a space that is familiar, that is nostalgic, that is unabashedly loud and celebratory, but that acknowledges the pain flowing through its veins. We are interested in embodying this community of people figuring out how to live when they are not the status quo. We believe that there is much more at the core of this play than is usually conveyed. As much as we loved the original (our Artistic Director slept on the street for $20 orchestra tickets), it was very much a product of its time, largely centering cis white men. But there is so much to be mined, so much that Larson saw in the world he inhabited that were stories that we find just as (if not more) compelling. That’s what we are looking for in this production—what is timely still.
We have just lived through a plague. Our queer forebears have now lived through two. We want our audiences to look that in the face. 30 years ago, there were no vaccines and the cries of AIDS activists fell on deaf ears. Now we live in a world where queer people can get married, where HIV is manageable, where drag queens read stories to kids. But we also live in a world where trans kids are villainized, where books on queer identity are banned, where terrorists plot to attack pride celebrations in U-Haul vans.
We have so much more work to do. Producing one musical won’t fix everything, or even anything maybe. But by putting bodies on stage who have been forced to live on the edges, by centering our black, brown, fat, trans, queer, genderfree, disabled, and more and more communities, we hope that new and old audiences get to see themselves. We believe this play not only still works, but that it can be a play of right now - and have that great magic of also being a story of where we came from. We also believe in telling big stories in intimate rooms - that to find OUR story, we have to include you, physically. So come sing at the top of your lungs with us. Let’s step back into the light.
Coeurage was founded in the fall of 2009, when 12 graduates from California State University, Fullerton met in the back of a pie shop to form a theatre company. Our philosophy was simple: the cost of a ticket should never prevent anyone from seeing high quality theatre in Los Angeles. With our Pay What You Want ticketing model in place, we produced our first piece in early 2010, an original series of monologues written for an all female cast titled “Head Over Heels.” The late Steve Julian attended and wrote a widely shared article with the headline, "Six people see Head over Heels, millions show no Coeurage." The writeup, which lauded our work while lamenting small LA theatre houses, helped put us on the map, and our attendance rose to a rare level of consistency amongst LA's intimate theatre scene.
We would have never conceived that the work we originally produced out of garages and now- condemned buildings could ultimately lead us to acclaim in American Theatre Magazine and a slot in the mainstage season at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre, where Coeurage was awarded the inaugural production of their Block Party program.
The majority of the money we raise will go towards paying each and every collaborative artist working on this show.
CONTRIBUTE | No contribution is too small, and every dollar will go directly to making this production a reality. See our incentives for a run-down of the perks you’ll receive in gratitude.
SPREAD THE WORD | Your enthusiasm and words of encouragement help a lot, too! Following us on social media and sharing our videos and page goes a long way.You can copy one of these posts below:
*Help @Coeurage bring RENT to life! Join them on @seedandspark: RentSomeCoeurage.org
*I just heard that @Coeurage is producing RENT this fall and I'm so excited to see this show through their eyes, you've got to support this production! Join them on @seedandspark: RentSomeCoeurage.org
*I'm so excited to see RENT at @coeurage this fall! Please help make thier musical theatre dreams come true and support them on @seedandspark: RentSomeCoeurage.org
We cannot tell you enough what your support means to us but we can tell you this: Thank you!
Incentives
$10
Personalized Thank You on Facebook
We will create and share a personalized social media shout out dedicated to you!
$25
One Ticket to Coeurage Ensemble's Production of RENT
One ticket to any performance of RENT (excluding opening night), plus the above perk!
Performances will be held at The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Opening night to be announced soon!
$50
Thank you in our RENT playbill
Your name will be listed under "Special Thanks" in our playbill for RENT, plus the above perks!
$100
Digital Recording of the Coeurage Ensemble cast of RENT singing "Seasons of Love"
We will send you a digital recording of the Coeurage Ensemble cast of RENT singing "Seasons of Love", plus the above perks!
$101
CROWDFUNDING 101-SPECIALIZED PERK! LIMITED TIME ONLY!
CROWDFUNDING 101
SPECIALIZED PERK! LIMITED TIME ONLY!Want to learn how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign? Up your crowdfunding knowledge and GREEN-LIGHT YOURSELF!
• 30 Minute Private Coaching Session with Melissa Center, Lead Coach at The Kickstarter Guy, plus the above perks!
Melissa is an actress, filmmaker, and lead coach in partnership with Justin Giddings of The Kickstarter Guy. The top crowdfunding training with a 97% success rate, team TKG has helped raise over 6 MILLION dollars for independent artists and creators!
This reward is a step that can help you fund your passion and change the course of your life. Get on a call with Melissa and learn the system we're personally using to raise nearly $15K in less than two weeks!Claimed: 2 of 3
$200
Poster of our image for RENT!
You will be sent a poster of our image for our production of RENT, designed by Kyle T. Hester, plus the above perks!
*Please let us know if you would like the poster to be signed by our cast or left unsigned.
$500
Invitation to First Read Through!
You are invited to the first rehearsal of Coeurage Ensemble's production of RENT where the cast will read and sing through the script for the first time, plus the above perks!
$1,000
Verbal Thank You Before Each Performance
The house manager will verbally thank you by name for your donation in thier pre-speech before every single performance, plus the above perks!
$2,500
A Picture with the Cast on Stage!
You will be in invited on stage after curtain call for a picture with the cast, plus the above perks!
$5,000
Sing Seasons of Love on stage with the cast!
You will join the cast of RENT on stage after curtain call, while the audience are still in their seats, and sing an encore of Seasons of Love with the cast, plus the above perks!
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
Personalized Thank You on Facebook
We will create and share a personalized social media shout out dedicated to you!
$25
One Ticket to Coeurage Ensemble's Production of RENT
One ticket to any performance of RENT (excluding opening night), plus the above perk!
Performances will be held at The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles. Opening night to be announced soon!
$50
Thank you in our RENT playbill
Your name will be listed under "Special Thanks" in our playbill for RENT, plus the above perks!
$100
Digital Recording of the Coeurage Ensemble cast of RENT singing "Seasons of Love"
We will send you a digital recording of the Coeurage Ensemble cast of RENT singing "Seasons of Love", plus the above perks!
$101
CROWDFUNDING 101-SPECIALIZED PERK! LIMITED TIME ONLY!
CROWDFUNDING 101
SPECIALIZED PERK! LIMITED TIME ONLY!Want to learn how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign? Up your crowdfunding knowledge and GREEN-LIGHT YOURSELF!
• 30 Minute Private Coaching Session with Melissa Center, Lead Coach at The Kickstarter Guy, plus the above perks!
Melissa is an actress, filmmaker, and lead coach in partnership with Justin Giddings of The Kickstarter Guy. The top crowdfunding training with a 97% success rate, team TKG has helped raise over 6 MILLION dollars for independent artists and creators!
This reward is a step that can help you fund your passion and change the course of your life. Get on a call with Melissa and learn the system we're personally using to raise nearly $15K in less than two weeks!Claimed: 2 of 3
$200
Poster of our image for RENT!
You will be sent a poster of our image for our production of RENT, designed by Kyle T. Hester, plus the above perks!
*Please let us know if you would like the poster to be signed by our cast or left unsigned.
$500
Invitation to First Read Through!
You are invited to the first rehearsal of Coeurage Ensemble's production of RENT where the cast will read and sing through the script for the first time, plus the above perks!
$1,000
Verbal Thank You Before Each Performance
The house manager will verbally thank you by name for your donation in thier pre-speech before every single performance, plus the above perks!
$2,500
A Picture with the Cast on Stage!
You will be in invited on stage after curtain call for a picture with the cast, plus the above perks!
$5,000
Sing Seasons of Love on stage with the cast!
You will join the cast of RENT on stage after curtain call, while the audience are still in their seats, and sing an encore of Seasons of Love with the cast, plus the above perks!
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Our team is our ensemble. We are actors, producers, writers, dancers, singers, artists, comdeians, activists, amateur bakers and deeply passionate lovers of theatre.
Our mission is to develop and perform high quality "Pay What You Want" performances for Los Angeles and online audiences through processes that are ensemble driven, community conscious, intersectional and antiracist.
We are a part of this ensemble because we believe in making theater that meets you where you are— financially, yes, but also hopefully emotionally and spiritually. Theater is a communal expression and experience.
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Community
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