A Neuroinclusive Theater Troupe Puts on Latest Production of “Rent”
Thirty years after the rock opera by Jonathan Larson created a downtown sensation that catapulted it to Broadway fame, the Epic Players are back with a new downtown version with a cast and crew made up of 99 percent neurodivergent and disabled members.
| 29 May 2026 | 06:52
The Epic Players cast of RENT, set in the East Village during the AIDS epidemic, during rehearsals before starting live performances on June 4. The show opens June 4 and runs until June 20 at the A.R.T/New York Theaters at 502 W. 53rd St. (
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Eric Fegan as Mark and Conor Tague as Roger in a new production of “Rent.” (
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The Epice Players cast of “Rent” pose for a photo shortly before the opening night performance slated for June 4. (
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There were over 5,000 performances on Broadway of the rock opera “Rent” where it won a Tony Award and a Pulitzer Prize in what ended up being a 12 year run on the Great White Way.
But the Jonathan Larson play, set in the East Village amid the 1980s AIDS epidemic, always had its roots firmly set downtown. It debuted at the New York Theater Workshop in 1996 in a tiny 150-seat venue.
Now, a new troupe, composed of a cast of disabled and neurodivergent actors, is hoping magic strikes again in another intimate theater this time in Hell’s Kitchen thirty years after the original first electrified audiences.
Epic Players, a leading neuroinclusive theater company based in New York and Los Angeles, is preparing for the latest production of “Rent” which will run from June 4th through 20th in A.R.T./New York Theatres at 502 W. 53rd St. The group provides paid, professional performance and career development opportunities to more than 100 Neurodivergent and Disabled artists each year. Their performers have earned union cards, made Broadway debuts, and toured nationally.
The non-profit organization started in 2016 with the goal of providing opportunities for individuals living with developmental disabilities. Only 32 percent of eligible working-age individuals with disabilities are employed, according to the Department of Labor. With only two percent of roles in the entertainment industry written for characters living with a disability, and 94 percent of those roles played by able-bodied or neuro-typical actors, the need for representation is high.
Eric Fegan, one of the cast members playing the role of Mark, has been with Epic since 2021 and has been a musical director, composer, and now a performer. “Before COVID, I had a bunch of projects that I had plans for that all got stalled. There was a period of not a lot happening. As I was getting back into theater, I was sort of assessing where my place was in the theater community, and I ultimately came upon the idea of finding other neurodivergent theater makers, and, through that, found Epic,” said Fegan. “And it really was the perfect fit. I learned so much about myself and about others through Epic.”
Fegan said the team at EPIC is highly supportive of his needs. With the help of his director Cassidy Kaye, he feels more than ready to take on his role in “Rent.”
“It’’s a very complex role,” remarked Fegan. He later added: “I really like, playing with the dynamic of being part of this group, but feeling like the outsider and the observer.” Kaye noted that the production will feature a live camera feed for the character of Mark, who is a struggling Jewish documentary filmmaker and the show’s primary narrator. He serves as the eyes and ears of the story, documenting the lives of his friends as they battle gentrification, addiction, and HIV/AIDS in 1980s New York.
Director Kaye studied educational theater at the University of Texas and joined Epic in 2020 as an intern. “I always knew that I wanted to do arts for social change in some capacity,” she said. One of the reasons she was so passionate about pursuing this career is because she recognized the lack of attention it had in the public eye.
During her youth and even through her time in college, Kaye was faced with confusion from her peers when she spoke about the path she was on. “They thought this like arts for social change, arts for education, arts as an equity tool, was something I was making up. They were like, that sounds cool, but how are you going to do it? It’s like, no, there are all these incredible change makers that are already out here doing it and I want to learn from them. And so I feel like Epic has really given me that opportunity.” In August, after working for Epic part-time or as a manager for their advocate program, she was hired full-time as their executive programs assistant.
The show will soon feature its first set of previews for the local community, and other EPIC players, at no cost. There are currently around 100 in NYC and 60 in LA. Through putting on shows at D75 schools, which are specialized, citywide school districts within the NYC Public Schools system dedicated exclusively to serving students with significant disabilities and complex needs, Epic has established a tight-knit support network. “We get a lot of our referrals for like hey, I think this person would be a great Epic Player, from other D75 schools and their high school teachers there,” said Kaye.
Rehearsals for the production started in January, with cast members and directors putting in dedicated hours each week to make this show come alive. “I’m really excited truthfully for this cast to get their flowers,” smiled Kaye. “I’m not sure if they’re ready for the audience to sob through all of act two.”