Live Theatre Returns to �鶹��ýAV University with Jonathan Larson’s “Rent”

Viva la vie boheme! 

Following a nearly five-year-long hiatus, live theatre has returned to �鶹��ýAV University with a production of Rent, a joint effort between Arts on Bergen and Argus Eyes, �鶹��ýAV student-run drama club.

Roy Irving Theater was packed for two nearly-sold-out performances on May 1st and 2nd. Directed by University Director of Music Joseph Hill, the cast featured Jossiel Lopez-Hernandez ‘28 as videographer Mark Cohen, Andres Zuniga ‘26 as jaded rockstar Roger Davis, and Brookes Carrillo ‘28 as Roger’s love interest, Mimi Marquez, plus more.

The musical, set against the backdrop of New York City during the HIV/AIDS crisis,  follows impoverished young artists and musicians struggling to survive, create art and find love. The show ran for over 12 years on Broadway and features classics like “Seasons of Love,” “Take Me or Leave Me” and “La Vie Boheme.”

“There are so many intangible things that students learn by being in a musical. Simple things. Be on time, know your stuff,” says Hill. “But also, deeper truths about the human experience.”

Live theatre had been a longstanding tradition at �鶹��ýAV; Argus Eyes performed classics like Urinetown, Godspell, and even Rent. However, the pandemic arrived just before the group’s March 2020 production of Hair, cancelling the production altogether and disappointing the students who had worked hard to make it happen.

When Joseph Hill arrived on campus in July 2022, he vowed to help performing arts on campus make a comeback. Prior to Rent’s auditions in November 2025, he searched high and low for actors, musicians and creative minds to come together for one shared mission: the love of the arts.

One of those talents was Brookes Carillo ‘28, a sophomore majoring in business. Even though she enjoys singing, Rent was her first show. “Throughout this process, I’ve grown more confident, and it’s given me a stronger sense of self. Like, ‘I can do this!’ And if I can do this, so can anyone else.”

Hill looks forward to two more productions next year. “I think that the biggest message that I would like to send to the University community is that theatre and performing arts matter at �鶹��ýAV. I’m definitely going to miss it when it’s over.”

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Watch the Making of Rent Documentary by Elektra Hanna ’26