Rent

(The audience enters in the theatre to discover a stage bare of curtains.

At stage left looms a metal sculpture intended to represent: [a] a totem

pole/Christmas tree that stands in an abandoned lot, [b] a wood burning

stove with a snaky chimney that is at the center of MARK and ROGER's

loft apartment, and [c] in Act II, a church steeple. On stage the

five-musician band performs under a wooden platform surrounded by

railing. The wooden platform has a staircase on the upstage side.

Downstage left is a black, waist-high rail fence. Once the audience is in

the theatre, CREW and BAND MEMBERS move about informally

onstage in preparation for Act I).

ROGER DAVIS, carrying an electric guitar, enters upstage left and

crosses to a guitar amp sitting on a chair at center stage. He casually

plugs his guitar into the amp and adjusts levels, then crosses downstage

and sits on the table.

After a few chords, the COMPANY, led by MARK COHEN, enters from

all directions and fills the stage. MARK sets up a small tripod and a

16mm movie camera downstage center, aimed upstage. He addresses the

audience.)

"INTRO"

MARK:

We begin on Christmas Eve with me, Mark, and my roommate, Roger. We

live in an industrial loft on the corner of 11th street and Avenue B, the top

floor of what was once a music publishing factory. Old rock 'n' roll posters

hang on the walls. They have Roger's picture advertising gigs at CBGB's and

the Pyramid Club. We have an illegal wood burning stove; its exhaust pipe

crawls up to a skylight. All of our electrical appliances are plugged into one

thick extension cord which snakes its way out a window. Outside, a small tent

city has sprung up in the lot next to our building. Inside, we are freezing

because we have no heat.

(He turns the camera to ROGER)

Smile!

"TUNE UP #1"

MARK:

December 24th, Nine PM

Eastern Standard Time

From here on in

I shoot without a script

See if anything comes of it

Instead of my old sh*t

First shot -- Roger

Tuning the Fender guitar

He hasn't played in a year

ROGER:

This won't tune

MARK:

So we hear

He's just coming back

From half a year of withdrawal

ROGER:

Are you talking to me?

MARK:

Not at all

Are you ready? Hold that focus -- steady

Tell the folks at home what you're doing Roger ...

ROGER:

I'm writing one great song --

MARK:

The phone rings.

ROGER:

Saved!

MARK:

We screen

Zoom in on the answering machine!

(An actor places a telephone on a chair and we see MARK'S MOM in a

special light.)

"VOICE MAIL #1"

ROGER & MARK'S OUTGOING MESSAGE

"Speak" ... ("Beeeep!")

MOM:

That was a very loud beep

I don't even know if this is working

Mark -- Mark -- are you there

Are you screening your calls --

It's mom

We wanted to call and say we love you

And we'll miss you tomorrow

Cindy and the kids are here -- send their love

Oh, I hope you like the hot plate

Just don't leave it on, dear

When you leave the house

Oh, and Mark

We're sorry to hear that Maureen dumped you

I say c'est la vie

So let her be a lesbian...

There are other fishies in the sea

... Love Mom!

(Lights fade on MOM and answering machine.)

"TUNE UP #2"

MARK:

Tell the folks at home what you're doing Roger

ROGER:

I'm writing one great song

MARK:

The phone rings

ROGER:

Yesss!

MARK:

We screen

ROGER & MARK'S ANSWERING MACHINE

"Speak" ... ("Beeeep!")

(Lights fade up on the street: the front-door area of MARK and ROGER's

building. Nearby is a battered public pay phone. TOM COLLINS stands

at the phone.)

COLLINS:

"Chestnuts roasting -"

ROGER & MARK

(as MARK picks up the phone)

Collins!

COLLINS:

I'm downstairs

MARK:

Hey!

COLLINS:

Roger picked up the phone?

MARK:

No, it's me

COLLINS:

Throw down the key

(MARK pulls out a small leather pouch and drops it off the apron

downstage center as if from a window; a weighted leather pouch plops

down from "upstairs." COLLINS catches it.)

MARK:

A wild night is now pre-ordained

(Two THUGS appear from above, with clubs. They are obviously close to

attacking COLLINS, who says back into the phone...)

COLLINS:

I may be detained

(THUGS mime beating and kicking COLLINS, who falls to the ground as

lights on him fade)

MARK:

What does he mean...?

(Phone rings again)

What do you mean "detained"?

(Lights come up on BENNY, who's on a cellular phone.)

BENNY:

Ho ho ho

MARK & ROGER

Benny! Sh*t

BENNY:

Dudes, I'm on my way

MARK & ROGER

Great! F***

BENNY:

I need the rent

MARK:

What rent?

BENNY:

This past year's rent which I let slide

MARK:

Let slide? You said we were 'golden'

ROGER:

When you bought the building

MARK:

When we were roommates

ROGER:

Remember - you lived here!?

BENNY:

How could I forget?

You, me, Collins and Maureen

How is the drama queen?

MARK:

She's performing tonight

BENNY:

I know

Still her production manager?

MARK:

Two days ago I was bumped

BENNY:

You still dating her?

MARK:

Last month I was dumped

ROGER:

She's in love

BENNY:

She's got a new man?

MARK:

Well -- no

BENNY:

What's his name?

BOTH:

Joanne

BENNY:

Rent, my amigos, is due

Or I will have to evict you

Be there in a few

(ROGER defiantly picks out Musetta's theme from Puccini's La Boheme

on the electric guitar. The fuse blows on the amp)

MARK:

The power blows

"RENT"

(The COMPANY bursts into a flurry of movemen. Then everyone except

MARK and ROGER freezes in a group upstage)

MARK:

How do you document real life

When real life is getting more

Like fiction each day

Headlines -- bread-lines

Blow my mind

And now this deadline

"Eviction -- or pay"

Rent!

ROGER:

How do you write a song

When the chords sound wrong

Though they once sounded right and rare

When the notes are sour

Where is the power

You once had to ignite the air

MARK:

And we're hungry and frozen

ROGER:

Some life that we've chosen

TOGETHER:

How we gonna pay

How we gonna pay

How we gonna pay

Last year's rent

MARK:

We light candles

ROGER:

How do you start a fire

When there's nothing to burn

And it feels like something's stuck in your flue

MARK:

How can you generate heat

When you can't feel your feet

BOTH:

And they're turning blue!

MARK:

You light up a mean blaze

(ROGER grabs one of his own posters)

ROGER:

With posters-

(MARK grabs old manuscripts)

MARK:

And screenplays

ROGER & MARK

How we gonna pay

How we gonna pay

How we gonna pay

Last year's rent

(Lights go down on the loft and go up on JOANNE JEFFERSON, who's

at the pay phone)

JOANNE:

(On phone)

Don't screen, Maureen

It's me -- Joanne

Your substitute production manager

Hey hey hey! (Did you eat?)

Don't change the subject Maureen

But darling -- you haven't eaten all day

You won't throw up

You won't throw up

The digital delay ---

Didn't blow up (exactly)

There may have been one teeny tiny spark

You're not calling Mark

COLLINS:

How do you stay on your feet

When on every street

It's 'trick or treat'

(And tonight it's 'trick')

'Welcome back to town'

Oh, I should lie down

Everything's brown

And uh -- oh

I feel sick

MARK:

(At the window)

Where is he?

Rate this script:3.6 / 7 votes