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

[malcs98]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 1:34pm

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

 

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

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 6:20pm

Neurodivergent, we are all neurodiverse.

And what does that have anything to do with ReNt? 

Updated On: 4/15/26 at 06:20 PM

[malcs98]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 6:23pm

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

[JSquared2]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 6:25pm

malcs98 said: "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"

 

I did --- and it doesn't do that at all.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 6:54pm

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]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 7:08pm

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."

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

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 7:29pm

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]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 7:40pm

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

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

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 8:03pm

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

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 8:35pm

blaxx said: "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."

So what show should the Theatre Company whose mission statement is to show off Neurodivergent and Disabled people be doing?

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/15/26 at 9:56pm

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, 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/16/26 at 9:29am

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. 

[MezzoDiva47]

Posted: 4/16/26 at 10:18am

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

 

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 4/16/26 at 11:11am

TheatreFan4 said: "blaxx said: "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."

So what show should the Theatre Company whose mission statement is to show offNeurodivergent and Disabled people be doing?"

Shuffle Along

[Seb28]

Posted: 4/16/26 at 5:56pm

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]

Posted: 4/16/26 at 6:45pm

Seb28 said: "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?"

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

[Seb28]

Posted: 4/17/26 at 8:36am

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. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/17/26 at 3:07pm

Seb28 said: "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."

You were never going to see this show so you can save it. 

[binau]

Posted: 4/18/26 at 3:30am

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

[TheatreMonkey]

Posted: 4/18/26 at 5:57am

And look at who started this thread...

I've clicked on Instagram links posted by "malcs98", and because I'm not signed into my own Instagram account, and it's shared from their own, it has the pop-up "Join malcs_creative on Instagram..."  Very interesting.

Updated On: 4/18/26 at 05:57 AM

[Seb28]

Posted: 4/18/26 at 6:50am

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]

Posted: 4/18/26 at 11:32am

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.

[bwaylvsong1]

Posted: 4/18/26 at 8:33pm

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.