A preview of FIU Theatre’s ‘Rent,’ Part III

The show’s scenic and lighting designers, Jesse Dreikosen and Anthony Galaska (both FIU faculty), give us a behind-the-scenes peek at the upcoming staging of the Pulitzer- and Tony-winning rock opera at MMC. The show will run for three weeks beginning Nov. 4 in the Main Stage of the Wertheim Performing Arts Center.

As we count down to the opening of the FIU Theatre production of Rent Homecoming week (Nov. 4, to be precise), we already have introduced you to the show’s musical director and costume designer.

This week, we stay behind the scenes…or right on it and above from it. After all, these are settings the production’s scenic and lighting designers command.

Jesse Dreikosen is an assistant professor of scenic design with FIU Theatre, while assistant professor Anthony Galaska teaches lighting. The former joined the FIU family four years, while the latter followed suit a year later.

The two Wisconsin natives actually know each other from their years in grad school at Purdue and are happy to be working together at FIU and on Rent.

“I’d never, before working this production, seen the show,” said Galaska. “When I was growing up and in college Rent was very, very popular, so I kind of…always shied away from it. But it’s been really fun working on it.”

“I actually saw the original cast when the show was first on Broadway in ’96, said Dreikosen, “so that’s a long time ago…. The story sort of stuck with me, and I was very excited that we were going to produce it here.”

The FIU Theatre production of Rent will be staged in the Herbert & Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center’s Main Stage at Modesto A. Maidique Campus Nov. 4-6, Nov. 11-13, and Nov. 18-21 at 8 p.m.

Sunday shows – Nov. 7, Nov. 14, and Nov. 21 – are set for 2 p.m. For tickets and more information, click here.