TOW #18: RENT poster

Among the list of great contemporary musicals, one stands out as potentially more authentic and meaningful. That musical is Rent. Rent is a musical about a group of friends living together in New York City in the early 1990s. This show addresses heavy issues, like AIDS/HIV, homosexuality, and poverty, among others. The poster for this show highlights the eight leads, Angel, Collins, Mimi, Roger, Benny, Maureen, Joanne, and Mark. All of the characters have their own picture (except for Maureen and Joanne) that seems to give them a sense of characterization without any words. Angel is dressed in bright colors, and surrounded by red to show her brightness of expression. Mark's image is tinted blue to give a sense of loneliness to the picture. He is also holding his camera to represent how he video documents everything, which is one of the main plot points of the show. These little boxes create separate personas for the characters that come together to form a collage of color and personality on the poster. "RENT" is written on the poster is all caps, block lettering. This is straightforward and clear, not meant to be pretty or swirly. The title of the show is the most crucial part of the poster, and the font that was chosen says a lot about the show. The spray painted effect adds to the appearance of authenticity the show holds. Also, it tells audiences that the actors and directing team will not be sugar-coating anything. It is meant to be clear rather than vague. Rent is one of my favorite musicals, and I believe that this poster truly embodies the spirit and feel of the show. It gives off a casual but intense vibe, a difficult balance that is hard to accomplish. I do not believe in judging a book by a cover (or in this case a show by its poster) but I do think that good, realistic first impressions can only help a show, not hurt it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_%28film%29