Playbill: RENT Will Get a Majority Neurodiverse, Disabled Revival Off-Broadway

 https://playbill.com/article/rent-will-get-a-majority-neurodiverse-disabled-revival-off-broadway

 

Updated On: 4/15/26 at 01:34 PM

blaxx said: "Neurodivergent, we are all neurodiverse.

And what does that have anything to do with ReNt?"

well if you read the article it does make a clear point

blaxx said: "Neurodivergent, we are all neurodiverse.

And what does that have anything to do with ReNt?"

They're a Neurodivergent and Disability centered Theatre Company so that's how they cast the show. That's it. 

blaxx said: "TheatreFan4 said: "blaxx said: "Neurodivergent, we are all neurodiverse.

And what does that have anything to do with ReNt?"

They're a Neurodivergent and Disability centered Theatre Company so that's how they cast the show. That's it."

 

good grief shut up

Strange choice of musical considering it focuses on a specific ailment, oh well."

 

TheatreFan4 said: "blaxx said: "Strange choice of musical considering it focuses on a specific ailment, oh well."

Do Neurodivergent and disabled people just not deal withAIDS or Drug Addiction? I have some information for you..."

Yes, that was not the point of the show. It's to focus on the AIDS endemic in a specific time and place, not to pile other challenges to the already convoluted story and characters. 

Updated On: 4/15/26 at 08:03 PM

It’s all a bit conceptually vague for me. Someone pitched it to me and I personally was a bit puzzled as to if it was just doing the regular show with an ND cast, or they got permission from the estate to maybe reframe and make changes to certain characters and story to reflect the company.

I have my doubts that it’s the latter and so I don’t feel particularly compelled to sit through RENT just because of this casting concept alone. I wish them all the best though, 

u ppl dont get it

they are simply trying to cash in on a hot trend

after ‘how to dance in ohio’ was such a smash hit

 

Kad said: "This seems like at most a semi-professional / educational production that gives neurodivergent and disabled performers of various experience levels an opportunity they likely would not have otherwise. And it’s running for ten days. I think we can cut them slack."

Good point, they can put whoever they want on stage and I hope they have fun. Cutting them slack is the kindest way to handle it.

But I do have some questions about it. Everyone is neurodiverse to a certain extent. Who is going to determine if you are neurodiverse enough? Will people be rejected because their level of neurodiversity is too mild? And do people actually want to watch a show where this is the main casting criterion?

 

TheatreFan4 said: "I would leave that to... the casting director? I don't know, just seems a little weird to even care this much."

Well, I care about what I visit and pay money for. I see neurodiverse people in every show, so that is not what is going to attract me to this particular production. 

One of the cast members

https://www.reddit.com/r/Broadway/comments/1l3uqxm/has_anyone_heard_of_this_person_weird_interaction/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Wow. Now I am definitely not going to see this show. Using the terms neurodiverse or disabled is not an excuse for terrible behaviour and claiming the rights to everything.

 

communitytheatergal88 said: "this is a wonderful theater group for neurodiverse individuals...in addition to the performers there are lots of participants on the tech and backstage side. They have a west coast group too. Epicplayersnyc.org.....it is a wonderful organization. I am surprised that this is getting so much negativity here. I think the playbill headline is a bit misleading, referring to it as an "off broadway revival"...this group does various performances of various kinds during the year. I know someone involved and they are really excited about doing Rent."

Exactly! People are misinterpreting the news. This is a semi-professional theatre company that is for the neurodivergent community. They happen to be located in NYC, and they happen to be doing a production of “Rent”. This is neither an off-Broadway production nor a concept of the characters being neurodivergent.

Jordan Catalano said: "I saw today’s performance and was so impressed with Epic Players (a group I was unfamiliar with before this) for what they’re giving this cast and crew. It was a more fully staged production of “Rent” than I’ve seen a lot of smaller companies do over the years so kudos to them for that. But really, it’s so interesting to see an entire company onstage so obviously fully supporting each other and rooting for everyone to succeed. I can’t “critique” this production and comment on individual performances because I just don’t think it would be fair or that it frankly matters. What does matter is this company performed a fully staged production of this show and they did it very well.
I’ll absolutely be following this company and supporting them, moving forward. The look of pride on everyone’s face afterwards was enough to cement that for me."

Yup.

This is the single post in this thread that deserved another "thumbs-up" and to be re-posted in its entirety.

EDIT: kudos to the posts from communitytheatergal88 and bwaylvsong1, too

Updated On: 6/14/26 at 06:34 PM