RENT - PLOT HOLE?

I saw the off-Broadway production of RENT a few days ago, and although I was really energized by certain aspects of the production, some of the choices made by the creative team really highlighted some of the flaws within the book/score, etc.

One major plot hole (I think) that I caught for the first time during this performance was Mark's response to helping Maureen with her equipment.

Mark and Rodger are in their apartment, Mark asks if Rodger would like to "catch Maureen's show in the lot or grab some dinner", and then departs the apartment - to go where? He can't possibly be going to help with Maureen's equipment, because after One Song Glory, Light My Candle and Today For You, Mark is back in the apartment and now has "a protest to save" and then moves on to Tango Maureen, in which he actually saves it.

Where does Mark go during his original departure before One Song Glory?

Updated On: 2/22/12 at 04:17 PM

RENT - PLOT HOLE? Yes. It is.

Thanks guys. I'll make sure to answer your questions about broadway credits, **** I've heard in the theatre, or what my opinion is for best play with the same amount of sarcasm and helpfulness that you've given me

Anyone with real thoughts?

I haven't seen the show in years, but doesn't he go out to look for Collins? Or maybe he was just in the john.

Mark doesn't actually tell Roger where he's going, but he says he'll be back to check up on Roger. Hence, Mark returns and later meets up with Joanne.

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In the 2005 movie Mark tells Roger he's going out to look for Collins.

Blaxx, Larson (or probably more accurately Billy Aronson) based the structure on that of La Boheme. Act One: one day in which impossibly magical things happen. And Two: One year. I think that's about how fast love goes and how fast time goes. Even in hundreds of thousands of minutes.

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Well, chalk that up to being one of the things that the movie definitively DID help fix- expanding Act 1 from being three hours of madly compressed events to a whole week.

Before One Song Glory, Roger asks Mark where he is going and Mark responds "Maureen calls.". So he is definitely headed to the lot. I assume he runs into Collins and Angel on his way. Keep in mind we aren't actually watching the show in real time. We don't know what amount of time lapses between scenes, or if certain scenes are occurring simultaneously.

Nope. If it were in real time, we'd be in the theater for 1 year. I think it's enough that it feels like a year.

I think one of the most common misconceptions about RENT (which was mentioned in this thread) was how too much happens in too little time. This is simply not accurate because the entire show takes place over one year, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Eve. Act II does a better job of making the passage of time more clear, by mentionthing things like Valentine's Day, the spring season, and the fall season. In Act I, some audiences members may be tempted to think that the show is happening in real time. But that is somewhat of a ludicrous idea. Why is it so hard to believe that During One Song Glory, more than several hours have passed in "real time"?

Why is it so hard to believe that During One Song Glory, more than several hours have passed in "real time"?

Because within the parameters the show sets up for itself, there are only three hours from the beginning of the show until Maureen's performance.

I think one of the most common misconceptions about RENT (which was mentioned in this thread) was how too much happens in too little time. This is simply not accurate because the entire show takes place over one year, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Eve.

As Phyllis mentioned, most of Act I takes place within 3 hours. Just the main couple goes through so much in 3 hours than a lot of people throughout their whole marriage, not to mention the rest of the cast. The characters must also run very fast from one place to the other.

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