Album: Rent Soundtrack

Life Support

[ANGEL and COLLINS attend an AIDS Life Support group.]
[PAUL, the support leader, sits on the downstage railing above.]
[GORDON, one of the members of the group, is standing downstage left,]
[facing the audience. As the members enter, they introduce]
[themselves and form a semicircle. Note: The names of the support]
[group members should change every night and should honor]
[actual friends of the company who have died of AIDS.]

[STEVE]

Steve.

[GORDON]

Gordon.

[ALI]

Ali.

[PAM]

Pam.

[SUE]

Sue.

[ANGEL]

Hi, I'm Angel.

[COLLINS]

Tom. Collins.

[PAUL]

I'm Paul. Let's begin

[ALL]

There's only us
There's only this ...

[MARK blusters in noisily.]

[MARK]

Sorry ... Excuse me ... oops

[PAUL]

And you are?

[MARK]

Oh -- I'm not --
I'm just here to --
I don't have --
I'm here with --
Um -- Mark
Mark -- I'm Mark
Well -- this is quite an operation

[PAUL]

Sit down Mark
We'll continue the affirmation

[ALL]

Forget regret or life is yours to miss

[GORDON]

Excuse me Paul -- I'm having a problem with this
This credo -- My T-cells are low --
I regret that news, okay?

[PAUL]

Alright
But Gordon - How do you feel today?

[GORDON]

What do you mean?

[PAUL]

How do you feel today?

[GORDON]

Okay

[PAUL]

Is that all?

[GORDON]

Best I've felt all year

[PAUL]

Then why choose fear?

[GORDON]

I'm a New Yorker!
Fear's my life!
Look - I find some of what you teach suspect
Because I'm used to relying on intellect
But I try to open up to what I don't know

[GORDON AND ROGER (who sings from his loft)]

Because reason says I should have died
Three years ago

[ALL]

No other road
No other way
No day but today