My university put on the musical "Rent" recently. It was a great performance. It was my first time seeing the show and I was ready for an encore. The musical focuses on the lives of two starving artists, Mark and Roger. Mark wishes to make it as a filmmaker and Roger as a musician. They are struggling to pay the rent for their New York apartment.
One night the power goes out and along comes the beautiful Mimi. She is their neighbor and comes in search of a candle. Roger is stricken by her beauty and a connection is made between them. After the encounter, they run into each other frequently and Mimi repeatedly tries to seduce him. Roger is conflicted. He would like to reciprocate her actions but he has HIV.
Roger is a recovering drug addict and most likely contracted the virus through sharing syringes. He found out when his ex-girlfriend, who also used drugs, killed herself and left a note saying that they have HIV. Roger knows how it feels to live with this sickness and how depressing it can be. His concern lies with how Mimi will view him if she found out.
One day he haltingly tries to explain his situation after delaying it so many times, but before he could tell her, she says "AZT break" and takes the medication. AZT is a medication given to those with HIV to help fight the virus. So, it turns out they both have HIV and can be together. This seems like a happily ever after story.
But there is something that has been bothering me about their love story. Does Mimi already know about Roger's illness? If so, how? Roger and Mimi live in the same building, so it is possible that she has seen Roger around prior to the power going out. Perhaps, she asks around to find out about him and decides to make her move that night the power goes out. Roger is sensitive about his sickness, so she probably waited until the right moment to reveal her status as HIV-positive to him.
If Mimi does not know his HIV status prior to them meeting, then their story has an entirely different meaning. She knowingly is putting him at risk and does not care. It wasn't until he spurns her advances numerous times that she indirectly tells him of her illness. It is also possible that she is afraid of what Roger will think and withholds the information as a result. Behavior such as that only spreads the disease further and put more and more people at risk.
I am aware that there are different versions of every play and perhaps one clarifies whether or not Mimi knew about Roger's illness. It is also possible I missed something while I was watching the play. But, for now, I have no choice but to list her last on my favorite "Rent" characters list.
