By Wendy Cai

A decade and 66 productions after its first production, the Emerald City Players will present its biggest show to date, the 1996 Pulitzer Prize winner RENT, from April 23-May 8.

According to Brian Cheslik, a member of the Emerald City Players Board of Directors, the show is one of the most ambitious productions the community theater group has attempted. RENT is a worldwide sensation, but its risqué themes sometimes make it taboo for community theater organizations. That didn’t stop the Emerald City Players, however.

“RENT is a musical with a universal theme,” Cheslik says. “Though on the surface it seems to be the story of just dealing with AIDS and alternative lifestyles, it is really a celebration of life and understanding the power of friendship, love and respect.”

The theater company is shaking things up for this special production: for the first time ever, they will perform in the audience risers rather than on the stage. The stage will be transformed into the seating area, complete with risers for clear sight lines. Cheslik says the decision to flip-flop the stage and seating area was a necessary one to make the production work.

“Performing in a space with a ceiling height of about 10 feet is always a problem, but we have always been able to adapt,” he says of the theater stage. “But, if we had remained at our traditional stage height, it would have been terribly restrictive. The feel of RENT makes it easily adaptable to all sorts of venues. The open, warehouse quality of the original Broadway show lends itself to any number of interpretations, and this is ours.”

The success of the production relies heavily on the dedication and commitment of the actors who have dealt with a lot changes, Cheslik says, but the production’s 18 actors are thrilled to be a part of the show.

“The actors have been excited since the very beginning,” he says. “They have been trusting and bought into the whole concept.”

RENT will open at 8 p.m. April 23 and will run through May 8. The Emerald City Players is located at 6799 Dublin Center Rd. in the Dublin Village Shopping Center. For tickets or more information, visit www.emeraldcityplayers.com or call 614-210-1111.

 Wendy Cai is a contributing writer for Dublin Life.