Rent focuses on film-maker Mark, who’s girlfriend Maureen, a performance-artist left him for another woman, Joanne who is an attorney. His roommate Roger, a struggling musician, wants to write one great song before he dies of AIDS. Roger falls in love with Mimi, who is a S&M dancer also with AIDS and addicted to heroine. Meanwhile their friend Tom Collins meets and falls in love with Angel, a Latino street-drummer and drag queen - both also infected with AIDS. Benny, an ex-roommate, is now their extremely wealthy landlord who hounds them on paying rent. The musical shows one year in their lives, their struggles of paying rent, eviction, drugs, death, love and memories.