Talk to Near West Theatre Artistic and Musical Director Bob Navis about how his work with teens in Ohio City putting together huge musicals has been changing lives, and you might mistake his life's mission for that of every other theatre director: excruciating auditions, exhausting rehearsals. But then you look around and hear the real-life issues these teens tackle in the process of building a musical: homelessness, AIDS, drug abuse, building community.
Watch the video and hear from Navis and teen actor Joe Barbicas as they talk about the challenges of putting on one of Broadway's grittiest, most real-life productions with a cast of 34 teens, and the AIDS quilt the cast is sewing, honoring their loved ones, to be used in the production. This is truly extraordinary theatre. RENT: School Edition runs Fri 7/23 thru Sun 8/8. http://www.NearWestTheatre.org