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56 Cottage Three _2011 G.

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A 'Rent' Play Fan's Guide to What Happens in 'Bohe`me'

by

Mark Walter Meredith

It all begins on Christmas Eve's day. "Marc. C". is living in the attic studio apartment of a building making a picture. It is Christmas Eve's day and Marc. wants to get out that evening and do something but he only gets enough money barely to finally eat every once in a while and sometimes eat dinner at the nearby Café. Still he doesn't want to stay inside all evening—even if "Marc". has to use an errand "as excuse" to get out and "Marc." has to do drudge work on that errand. The windows in the back of the "stage" are practically a wall of smaller windowpanes making a giant "winDOW -wall". In the middle of the large studio apartment there is an old fashioned wood burning stove, a table and a backup candle in case it's too dark. Marc. starts to ask what R is doing. Marc.'s roommate R is putting off his writing of stanzas that rhyme—finally –after so long._ C comes back to the building and gets the key so that C could open the door. Marc. has recently been broken up with by his girlfriend so that she could date a richer person.— ... —Marc.'s ex"-girl"friend has always been a vivacious person who "people like to party" with and it is very easy to be jealous of the people that hang around her—and mistake her friendships for romantic interests in others that isn't really there. A rent slip is soon held out as the person sings out, "Rent!"! There is no electricity so "Marc's." roommate has lit a candle because it is too shadowy to see what they are doing. Marc. notes that, "we're … [hungry.]" Marc. jokes that the writing that R has written sounds awful. Marc—, ... R –. –hear the landlord and try to screen Bennie but he still gets through. An interval was now "up" and Ben wants the rent that is then due at the moment that he arrives. R "—Marc's." room-mate has grabbed some pages of his writing and has burned them for warmth. Marc. had wanted to burn two of his pictures. Marc. had been burning one of his thousand word descriptions—but when the room mate was then burning R's poetry –—he was saying things like "how the fire's warmth" was like the warmth of a woman's ardent, passionate –"—love." ... —R says that his papers have the "spark" of wit! He didn't want to spend what little he-himself had wanted to save for dinner at the Café` so "Marc". drew a line and made a stand and didn't agree to Ben's payment. Ben walked away from that door of the building without his payment –yet at least –and R—, —Marc. close the door with the lock behind them. Marc. and R have to pay at least three months of rent "backed up."

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Later when C. finally meets up with Sch'unard —C is asked if he is dying –he says he is not dead "unfortunately –"—not yet "at the least".

Mimi –walks up the stairs –blowing out her candle. R tries to write but can't. Mimi is a young Latino woman. A petite young woman—later –knocks on the door to the apartment—her name is Mimi –she lives in the building and she pretends that she needs a match –for somebody to help ignite her candle with her. When Mimi spins around she feels faint and loses her balance for a second. The room is spinning around Mimi's head –to her. R catches her before Mimi regains her balance momentarily –and her composure too. R asks if Mimi is O.K. After R lights her candle – —R says, "Good night". Mimi walks to the doorway and the breeze coming through the edges of the window and making a draft near the door is about to blow out the candle. The ideal woman lets the candle blow out purposefully. Mimi says that she has dropped the key to –—how Mimi was going to spend the rest of her evening. R is staring at Mimi's head and how beautiful it is in the moonlight. R looks at Mimi's hair in the moonlight –shining—Mimi has a halo of light around her head –looking like an "angel of the first degree". Mimi asks R to help Mimi look for her key to the rest of her evening. The candles they both are holding coincidentally are snuffed out just then. Mimi and he feel along the ground hurriedly and he coincidentally finds her key and puts it into R's pocket because R doesn't want her to "have it". Mimi and his hands meet and R, her hold hands for warmth! Mimi gets her key from R—she says, "They call me Mimi …."

End of Act 1.

... Mimi asks R to take her "out …" tonight. Later on in that day Mimi offers to take R back to Mimi's apartment where they could be alone. Later R asks Mimi to go to dinner at R's ol' favorite nearby Café`. C comes in ... his feet are frozen! Marc —. now that C knows that C … is there —C announces that, a wild night … is destined! Schunard's friend opens the door for Schunard. Now that C has joined M and R –. –R, "M" finally meet Schunard who has bought "provisions –"—food, tobacco for smoking, and some "booze" to drink. After C and Schunard show up and they can drink— –—C says that, it's a feast that is preordained! Schunard brings something else they need: wood! C had carried in the firewood. Schunard divides his money among them all. Schunard tells R, "M" and C about how Schunard got "the money" for the food –that Schunard had met someone who lived in a nice, expensive neighborhood and paid Schunard to play "Schunard's music" until "someone's" pet died! The rich person brought Schunard to that persons home to play his music. It is understood that Schunard will pay today for Schunard's "guests –" "Marc", C and R – "—tomorrow" C, R, and "M" will pay when C, R and M run into some money. R says that Ben could use some drugs so that Ben won't constantly be "on their back". Now that C finally has met up with Schunard –they have gone outside in the cold and C, Schunard go out then see someone "hawking" jackets. Schunard buys something. Moe. Onson finally appears in the middle of the music opera earning applause from the opera's audience. Perhaps one can even see The Statue of Liberty in the background. C gets a new coat. Schunard offers to pay for "supper". When another evening comes R —, ... Mimi –, ... —Marc ——, ... C –and –Schunard meet at the nearby Café that is their favorite Café`! R introduces Mimi to "M". R wants to stay indoors and try some more to write some stanzas that rhyme but decides to enjoy the night with Mimi and "go out." R and Mimi show up at the front of the Café –Mimi in her hat. People are hawking cheap things to buy on the street. "Marc's." ex-girlfriend Mo shows up right in front of their favorite nearby Café` ... with Mo's new rich partner Ann. Mo kisses M. The rich person Mr. R. is there at the Café`.

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In R's last relationship R was very jealous and angry. R tells Mimi, "I should tell you ..." but doesn't impress upon Mimi nor emphasis the point that he needs to tell anyone R is in a relationship with: R is VERY jealous of other men during a relationship with a woman and R will MAKE Mimi's life Hell. Earlier Mimi told R that Mimi is dying of disease. Mo orders "Ann" around on errands like a dog practically. Schunard and C ask for wine. C is a philosopher. "M" begins singing along—loud enough for "Ann" to hear ... but "Ann" doesn't think –that M is talking specifically about Mo at first.

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M sings along a musical "number" about how Mo's eyes burn when she feeds on other men's burning desire for Mo. M sings along with his musical song about the dance that Mo makes the people Mo flirts with –go through. Mo has sung a musical's song about how WHEN Mo is walking down the street everybody stares at Mo.

Mo and life partner both say, "Good by" at the same time as Mo walks off going Mo's own way!

Three days have passed. R gets jealous that Mimi is cheating with someone else. Who is R jealous of? Most likely R's jealous the landlord Ben is having an affair with Mimi –"—Ben—" –who has said that he has cheated on "Ben's" wife. R's jealousy makes Mimi and R miserable. R is leaving the building and thinks that Mimi isn't there listening when R says out loud that R can't let himself get any closer to Mimi because R is afraid of Mimi dying soon—and R can't let himself be hurt by Mimi's dying. When R sees that Mimi was there listening to R the whole time R was talking –Mimi says "good-by." to R. The weather is cold again when M has left a tavern and was overhearing Mimi saying that Mimi is miserable because R is jealous and that R and Mimi were going to break up. Mimi has to say good by love. R can't split up from Mimi –nor be away from Mimi. Mimi had been "driven" outside "into the snowy-day" by Mimi's misery. Mimi is coughing because Mimi was driven out into the snowy day by Mimi's misery over R's jealousy.

R tries to write R's poetry with a pen but can't find "his song" because R is thinking about Mimi and R is being consumed by love. Mimi doesn't want R to split from Mimi so they decide to stay together and wait for spring and take it day-to-day and see where the day takes them until Mimi's sickness claims her ... and live for the moment –because it's better to forget the past –because the past is gone –and there is no day but today! Mimi has gone to live in a rich place but when the end of the opera comes it turns out that Mimi has gone missing and Mo is helping to look for Mimi. R knows that Mimi was R's writing-piece since the night R was procrastinating R's poetry and Mimi became his inspiration.

M when he is making M's picture-"- ... M" keeps sensing a pair of lips –inspiring M to make "M's" picture. Finally Mo happens upon Mimi in the cold –barely able to walk. R tells Mimi not to talk and to rest and Mimi instead whispers. "M" has said that R has found R's poetry. "M," C and R are back in their studio apartment ALL without life partners –now.

Doctors are called but they aren't coming in time. Mimi is dying of disease when Mo happens to come across Mimi so Mimi says to bring her to "M's" apartment building._ Mo helps carry Mimi to "M's" apartment building. Mimi wants to spend her last moments with R. R in Mimi's presence has sung –letting her know that she is the incarnation of song itself. Mimi was told that she was R's poem all along. _R told Mimi that R didn't get mad at Mimi because R didn't love her –it was because R did love Mimi and he didn't want to be hurt by getting close to her right before she died. _R has said about how R's love came into R's life when he saw Mimi's eyes come into R's door for the first time. _R has said to Mimi that her brown eyes had surprised him the night Mimi's pretty eyes came into his life. R cradles Mimi's lifeless body.

Suddenly –Mimi has an out-of-body experience because her heart stops and Mimi stops breathing for a while. _R after a while R cries out, " MM-II-Ii-MmMiiI-ii-iI-IIiI-I "!

Mimi's hand falls off of where she's lying when Mimi's spirit leaves her body.

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Does Mimi come back to life? Does Mimi die? Go to the Barnes and Noble Website and order a DVD of LA BO`HEME right now! Do it today!

The End