When Simone Gundy (Memphis) looks at her character Joanne Jefferson in Rent, she sees someone not only rebellious, but an already marginalized person who chooses to be even more so — a decision she calls a daring move especially in the 1990s.
Rent (1996) , the story of young artists in New York City with little money and a lot of dreams, will once again grace the Hobby Center stage when Theatre Under the Stars brings the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning musical back to Houston for a two week run. The cast includes 16 adults and 10 teens, Gundy said.
In Rent, the consumption of Mimi in the opera La Boheme becomes an HIV-positive diagnosis, but not limited to one character. There are several characters dealing with AIDS either through having it or being involved with a member of their group who does.
Gundy has been in Rent before when she was 19 years old, but as a member of the ensemble in a Dallas production. Now she has a singular focus and describes her character this way:
“Joanne Jefferson is a fun, tough lawyer — comes from a very affluent family. She is a Black,lesbian living in the ’90s in New York which is in and of itself an act of rebellion and defiance. To choose to be a part of another marginalized group when you’re already innately part of one as a Black woman. I think that’s very huge for her. But she’s madly in love with the character Maureen. She’s very intelligent; she’s very linear, she’s got that kind of mindset so she’s not as outwardly enthusiastic as the rest of the group even though she can be that way.”
Even today, more than 25 years later, the subject of AIDS is one many people still want to avoid because of the stigma that associates it with same-sex activity and illegal drug usage. Which is a big part of the reason Rent remains so pertinent, Gundy said.
“AIDS is such a taboo subject even now. Even with all the advances in medicine, all the advances in detection. There’s all these strides that have been made with the disease. I still think it’s one of those things that people don’t talk about.
“Of course, the overarching theme is love. Shows about love are always going to be impactful because they show so many different kinds of love especially in this show. There’s love through friendship; there’s romantic love. There’s love of music; there’s love of performing. There’s love of activism.”
Rent is known as much for its music — “Seasons of Love, ” “Take Me or Leave Me,” “I’ll Cover You” and “Without You” — as it is for its story line.
Speaking specifically of “Without You,” Gundy said: “I think the words are so powerful, just talking about all the different parts of the world and how time in fact does go on even when you feel like you can’t go on without the person you love. I think it’s an overall theme of this show that time continues to pass while people dealing with this terminal disease.
“When I did the show before, that was in 2009 and I’ve loved since then; I’ve lost since then. So there have been different experiences that I can now bring to Joanne’s character that I didn’t have in 2009. I’ve gotten married since then. I’ve had a child since then, I’ve pursued my career with more fervor than I had before. So I think all of that influences how much I look at this character.
“My biggest challenge is playing a specific character. That forces you to follow the trajectory of that character and forces you to know that character more. My biggest challenge will be getting through the numbers and the scenes without getting too emotional but still retaining enough emotion to make the audience have the reaction I wish I could have. I want them to be able to cry like I want to on the stage but I can’t because I have to belt.”
Performances are scheduled for May 16-28 st 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-558-8887 or visit tuts.com. $40-$135.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
