WESTON, VT (July 9, 2026) – WESTON, VT – Weston Theater Company continues its 90th Anniversary Season with Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical RENT, running July 22 through August 16 at Walker Farm.
Thirty years after its groundbreaking Broadway premiere, RENT remains one of the most influential and beloved musicals of the modern era. Urgent, ardent, and alive with possibility, this groundbreaking rock musical reveals what it means to love fiercely in uncertain times. Set in New York City’s East Village at the height of the AIDS crisis, RENT tells the story of a group of friends navigating love and loss, creativity and chosen family.
Directed and choreographed by Tony and Olivier Award-nominated actor and OBIE Award-winning director Michael Berresse, RENT arrives at Weston as both a celebration of a landmark work and a reminder of the enduring power of art, compassion, and human connection.
“RENT is a story about art and the power of community, two things Weston knows very well,” said Berresse. “Thirty years later, the extraordinary vitality of this score continues to inspire its audience to live fully and love courageously, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Passionate, unapologetic, heartrending and overflowing with hope, RENT reminds us that although loss is inevitable, it should never keep us from connecting with each other. Art unites us. In the words of Jonathan Larson, ‘The Opposite of War isn’t Peace, it’s Creation.'”
Berresse returns to Weston following acclaimed productions including Million Dollar Quartet and Once.
The cast stars Christian Hopper as Roger Davis and Trevor James as Mark Cohen. Hopper makes his Weston debut following appearances in Hulu’s Murdaugh: Death in the Family and Amazon’s Modern Love. James was recently seen on the national tour of the Tony Award-winning revival of Parade. The company also features Stanley Martin, an original Broadway cast member of Disney’s Aladdin, as Tom Collins.
The company includes Weston returner Caitlin Doak (Million Dollar Quartet) as Maureen Johnson, Aaron Gabriel Graham (La Cage Aux Folles at NYCC & The Muny) as Angel Dumatt Schunard, Amirah Joy Lomax (Regional: The Wiz, Hair) as Mrs Jefferson and Seasons of Love Soloist, Alexis Papaleo (Off-Broadway: 3 Penny Opera) as Mimi Marquez, Finley-Imani Rivera (The Ugly Xmas Sweater Musical at The REV) as Joanne Jefferson, Xavier Turner (Regional: My Fair Lady at American Theatre Group, Ragtime at Goodspeed) as Benjamin Coffin III.
Weston’s 2026 Young Company, a group of emerging professionals fresh off their Vermont tour of Schoolhouse Rock Live, form the ensemble. They include David Bautista, Oliver Boomer, Melea Dessommes, Jessica Olexy, Aidan Ramirez, and Bella Van Bergen.
The creative team features longtime Weston collaborators, including Music Director Larry Pressgrove, Scenic Designer Lee Savage, Costume Designer Leon Dobkowski, Lighting Designer Seth Reiser, and Sound Designer Megumi Katayama. The Production Stage Manager is Lia Jennings with support from Assistant Stage Manager Ella Gover. Associate Choreographer and Associate Director are Brionna Trilling and Tomias Robinson, respectively. The production’s live band features Weston returners Emily Davies on bass, Daniel Gaviria on guitar, Jaz Koft on keys, Amanda Lee Morrill on drums.
RENT performs July 22 through August 16 at Walker Farm in Weston, Vermont. Tickets are available by calling the Weston Theater Company Box Office at (802) 824-5288 or online at westontheater.org
Weston Theater Company builds on and enhances the unique assets of its Vermont village campus to produce a diverse, entertaining, and challenging season of live professional theater and events. Weston Theater Company is a non-profit organization making significant contributions to the American theater through young professional training programs, new play development, and artist retreats. Learn more at westontheater.org
