Last night was our last night rehearsing at Upstage. The space was such a big part of creating this show, leaving it feels almost like leaving a cast member behind. From the first hot, sweaty "read through," when we worked together to make a usable space for ourselves, WHERE we were influenced WHO we were. Kudos to our director for that - it was brilliant! Making a place for yourself, living with what IS, finding what you need within what you have available - these are all important pieces of the "Rent" story, and being at Upstage allowed them to be an important part of our "Rent" experience as well. We worked hard there, we ate & drank, we laughed & cried, we made music, mistakes, magic, and memories. Upstage served as the birthplace and home of this production.  Now that it's time for us to move out into the world and share what we became there, I feel the need to acknowledge my gratitude for what the space provided - because I have certainly come to value the importance of the walls around you throughout this process.