An ageless tale that still is blazing trails today, “Rent” was first shown in 1993 in the New York Workshop Theater. “Rent” is the eleventh longest-running Broadway show tackling the harsh reality of AIDS, homosexuality, addiction, and trying to make ends meet in 1990s New York City.
Of all the characters that take us along on this journey, Angel is arguably the most influential. Almost anyone who watches “Rent” for the first time instantly falls in love with Angel. He teaches us a lot in a short amount of time.1. She teaches us to love
Angel carries herself with the utmost grace and power, but also know when to love others around her. We can see this in the way that Angel treats the homeless men, Collins when he first meets him, and Mimi throughout her entire struggle with her heroin addiction.
Angel has no problem spending her money that she earns in drag on her friends, buying them meals at Life Cafe and getting Collins a new coat because his was stolen. He convinces Roger to come to Life Support to get him the help that he needs dealing with his own HIV and his dead girlfriend, April.
2. She teaches us to be ourselves
When we first meet Angel in drag, she does not hold back. She performs a song and dance ("Today 4 U") for Roger, Collins, and Mark about killing Benny's wife's dog for a large lump sum from their neighbor. We see as Angel performs as if she is in front of an entire club, rather than just three dudes chillin' on a couch in NYC.
However, when Angel is not in drag, he acts in the same personality, maybe a little less flamboyant, but acting as Angel, nonetheless. He acts as himself in every way, shape, and form.
3. She teaches us to love ourselves despite our circumstances
We learn very early that Angel has HIV. Despite this, Angel is determined to live his life as someone that has never been sick a day in their life. He goes out and explores the world and makes it his, and we don't really see HIV affect him until his battle with AIDS begins.
We see Collins holding onto Angel, sobbing when it finally hits him that he's sick and he's dying. We see everyone surrounding Angel, who is still acting like Angel, as he is on his deathbed. Angel did not let his struggle with HIV hold him down and limit him in terms of who he was.
He loved who he was and was unapologetically himself.
4. She teaches us to care for everyone around us
Everywhere Angel goes, she cares for those that surround her. She treats all with grace and respect unless they give her any reason to earn anything less. She never once showed disrespect to anyone. She acted with grace and care.
5. She teaches us to live every day like it's our last
At the end of the show, we all mourn Angel like she was one of our friends. Angel taught us to live full lives, to be who we are and live every day as if it is our last.
For all of this, we are thankful to Angel. She deserved more than what she was given.
