The Van Der Linde gang put on a production of Rent Chapter 1, a red dead redemption fanfic

The Van Der Linde gang put on a production of Rent

Rent and its characters owned by the estate of Jonathan Larson.

Red Dead Redemption 2 and its characters are owned by Rockstar Games.

Arthur Morgan as Mark Cohen

John Marston as Roger Davis

Charles Smith as Tom Collins

Abigail Roberts-Marston as Mimi Marquez

Javier Escuella as Angel Dumott Schunard

Tilly Jackson as Joanne Jefferson

Mary Linton as Maureen Johnson

Micah Bell as Benjamin Coffin III

The Company: Kieran Duffy, Molly O'Shea, Sean MacGuire, Karen Jones, Mary-Beth Gaskill, Lenny Summers, Simon Pearson, Orville Swanson, Sadie Adler, Bill Williamson, and Leopold Strauss.

The audience in the theater are gathered to watch a production of Rent by Dutch Van Der Linde and Hosea Matthews. As the audience waits for the production to start, both Dutch and Hosea come out to greet the audience and welcome them to the Imperial Theatre in Blackwater, West Elizabeth.

"Thank you and welcome to the Imperial Theatre here in the beautiful town of Blackwater. We are delighted you decided to join us for our little production of the Tony Award winning musical Rent. While we hope to move you emotionally, keep in mind that this musical deals with themes like AIDS, drug use, love, and to never take life for granted like no day but today." Dutch says.

"We hope you refrain from flash photography as it'll distract the actors, as we also hope you refrain from eating and so on and so forth." Hosea continues.

"Now we hope you enjoy tonight's production of Rent." Dutch says as they leave the stage to start the production.

Everybody enters and gets to their first positions as the play starts and Arthur, as Mark, addresses the audience.

"We begin on Christmas Eve, with me, Mark, and my roommate, Roger. We live in an industrial loft on the corner of 11th Street and Avenue B, the top floor of what was once a music publishing factory. Old rock 'n' roll posters hang on the walls. They have Roger's picture advertising gigs at CBGB's and the Pyramid Club. We have an illegal wood burning stove; its exhaust pipe crawls up to a skylight. All of our electrical appliances are plugged into one thick extension cord, which snakes its way out a window. Outside, a small tent city has sprung up in the lot next to our building. Inside, we are freezing because we have no heat." He then turns the camera to Roger and yells.

"Smile!"

Tune Up #1

(Mark)

December 24th, 9pm

Eastern Standard Time

From here on in

I shoot without a script

See if anything comes of it

Instead of my old shit

First shot—Roger

Tuning the Fender guitar

He hasn't played in a year.

(Roger)

This won't tune!

(Mark)

So we hear

He's just coming back

From half a year of withdrawal.

(Roger)

Are you talking to me?

(Mark)

Not at all

Are you ready? Hold that focus – steady!

Tell the folks at home what you're doing Roger…

(Roger)

I'm writing one great song –

(Mark)

The phone rings.

(Roger)

Saved!

(Mark)

We screen

Zoom in on the answering machine.

We then see an actress place a telephone on a chair and in the spotlight, we see that actress as Mark's mom.

Voice Mail #1

(Roger & Mark's Outgoing Message)

Speak…

Then proceeded by a loud beep…

(Mrs. Cohen)

That was a very loud beep

I don't even know if this is working

Mark – Mark – Are you there?

Are you screening your calls – it's Mom

We wanted to call and say we love you

And we'll miss you tomorrow

Cindy and the kids are here – send their love.

Oh, I hope you like the hot plate

Just don't leave it on, dear

When you leave the house

Oh, and Mark

We're sorry to hear that Maureen dumped you

I say c'est la vie

So let her be a lesbian

There are other fishes in the sea

Love, Mom!

Light fades on Mom and the answering machine.

Tune Up #2

(Mark)

Tell the folks at home what you're doing Roger

(Roger)

I'm writing one great song.

(Mark)

The phone rings.

(Roger)

Yesss!

(Mark)

We screen.

(Mark and Roger's answering machine)

Speak…

(Collins)

Chestnuts roasting—

Mark immediately picks up the phone and answers as Roger joins in.

(Mark and Roger)

Collins!

(Collins)

I'm downstairs

(Mark)
Hey!

(Collins)

Roger picked up the phone?

(Mark)

No it's me.

(Collins)

Throw down the key.

Mark throws down the key as Collins catches it.

(Mark)

A wild night is now pre-ordained.

Two thugs then appear to mug and rob Collins as he says.

(Collins)

I may be detained.

The thugs then beat the shit out of Collins as they steal his coat.

(Mark)

What does he mean…?

The phone then rings again.

What do you mean "detained."

Benny then appears as he speaks to them on a mobile phone.

(Benny)

Ho ho ho

(Mark & Roger)

Benny! Shit.

(Benny)

Dudes, I'm on my way

(Mark & Roger)

Great! Fuck!

(Benny)

I need the rent.

(Mark)

What rent?

(Benny)

This past year's rent, which I let slide.

(Mark)

Let slide? You said we were 'golden'.

(Roger)

When you bought the building.

(Mark)

When we were roommates?

(Roger)

Remember -you lived here!?

(Benny)

How could I forget?

You, me, Collins, and Maureen

How is the drama queen?

(Mark)

She's performing tonight.

(Benny)

I know

Still her production manager?

(Mark)

Two days ago I was bumped.

(Benny)

You still dating her?

(Mark)

Last month I was dumped

(Roger)

She's in love

(Benny)

She's got a new man?

(Mark)

Well – no.

(Benny)

What's his name?

(Mark & Roger)

Joanne

(Benny)

Rent, my amigos, is due

Or I will have to evict you

Be there in a few.

Roger then plays the Musetta's Waltz from the Puccini opera, La Boheme on his guitar. The fuse then blows out the amp.

(Mark)

The power blows.

Rent

The company of actors burst out into a flurry of movement. Everybody except Mark and Roger freezes in the group upstage.

(Mark)

How do you document real life

When real life is getting more

Like fiction each day

Headlines—bread-lines

Blow my mind

And now this deadline

"Eviction—or pay"

RENT!

(Roger)

How do you write a song

When the chords sound wrong

Though they once sounded right and rare

When the notes are sour

Where is the power

You once had to ignite the air

(Mark)

And we're hungry and frozen.

(Roger)

Some life that we've chosen.

(Both)

How we gonna pay

Last year's rent

We light candles!

(Roger)

How do you start a fire

When there's nothing to burn

And it feels like something's stuck in your

Flue

(Mark)

How can you generate heat

When you can't feel your feet

(Both)

And they're turning blue!

(Mark)

You light up a mean blaze

Roger grabs one of his posters.

(Roger)

With posters—

Mark then grabs some of his old manuscripts.

(Mark)

And screenplays

(Both)

How we gonna pay

Last year's rent

The lights dim on the loft as they go up on Joanne Jefferson, who's Maureen's current girlfriend and currently at a pay phone.

(Joanne)

Don't screen Maureen

It's me—Joanne

Your substitute production manager

Hey! Hey! Hey! Did you eat?

Don't change the subject Maureen

But darling—you haven't eaten all day

You won't throw up

The digital delay—

Didn't blow up exactly

There may have been one teeny tiny spark

You're not calling Mark!

(Collins)

How do you stay on your feet

When on every street

It's 'trick or treat'

And tonight it's 'trick'

'Welcome back to town

Oh, I should lie down

Everything's brown

And uh – oh

I feel sick

Mark then says at the window.

(Mark)

Where is he?

(Collins)

Getting dizzy

He says as he collapses.

(Mark & Roger)

How we gonna pay

Last year's rent

They both then stoke the fire. As the light brightens on Benny as he's on his mobile phone.

(Benny)
Alison baby—you sound sad

I don't believe those two after everything

I've done

Ever since our wedding I'm dirt—they'll see

I can help them all out in the long run

Everybody starts singing simultaneously.

(Benny)

Forces are gathering

Can't turn away

Forces are gathering

(Collins)

Ughhhhh—

Ughhhhh— I can't think

Ughhhhh—

Ughhhhh—I need a drink

(Mark)

The music ignites the night with passionate fire

(Joanne)

Maureen—I'm not a theatre person

(Roger)

The narration crackles and pops with incendiary wit

(Joanne)

Could never be a theatre person

(Mark)

Zoom in as they burn the past to the ground

And feel the heat of the future's glow

(Joanne, as she's cut off from the phone line)

Hello?

The loft phone rings. Mark picks it up.

(Mark)

Hello? Maureen?

-Your equipment won't work?

Okay, all right, I'll go!

(Mark & half the company)

How do you leave the past behind

When it keeps finding ways to get to your

Heart

It reaches way down deep and tears you

Inside out

Till you're torn apart

Rent!

(Roger & other half of the company)

How can you connect in an age

Where strangers, landlords, lovers

Your own blood cells betray

(All)

What binds the fabric together

When the raging, shifting winds of change

Keep ripping away

(Benny)

Draw a line in the sand

And then make a stand

(Roger)

Use your camera to spar

(Mark)

Use your guitar

(All)

When they act tough – you call their bluff

(Mark & Roger and both halves of the company)

We're not gonna pay

(All)

Last year's rent

This year's rent

Rent rent rent rent rent

We're not gonna pay rent

(Roger & Mark)

'Cause everything is rent

(All exit.)