Review(ish): student ‘Rent’

Commenting on a summer teen theater workshop production is akin to writing about high school plays. Friends and family constitute 95 percent of the audience, and extended applause between songs and standing ovations afterwards are a given.

So rather than offer critical commentary on the Park Tudor Summer Stock Stage production of “Rent,” I prefer to applaud the workshop’s organizers in their gutsy choices. In past years, productions included challenging work, including “Titanic” and “Urinetown,” along with more audience-happy fare such as “Beauty and the Beast.”

Beyond their appeal to its pre-sold audiences, such teen productions are also a good place for casting people to scout potentially hirable young talent. To those who missed “Rent,” I’d suggest keeping an eye on Cory McConville, who offered a soulful, well-sung Roger, and Anita Rogers, a stunner with a sweet voice, who owned the stage as Mimi (even if she didn’t seem terribly sick in the end).

Your thoughts?