1 9 8 9 , ▁Jonathan ▁Lar son , ▁a ▁ 2 9 - year - old ▁composer , ▁began ▁collabor ating ▁with ▁Ar ons on ▁on ▁this ▁project , ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁composed ▁together ▁" S anta ▁Fe ", ▁" S pl atter " ▁( l ater ▁re - work ed ▁into ▁the ▁song ▁" R ent "), ▁and ▁" I ▁Should ▁Tell ▁You ". ▁Lar son ▁suggested ▁setting ▁the ▁play ▁" am id ▁pover ty , ▁hom eless ness , ▁sp unk y ▁gay ▁life , ▁drag ▁que ens ▁and ▁punk " ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁Village ▁neighborhood ▁of ▁Manh attan , ▁which ▁happened ▁to ▁be ▁down ▁the ▁street ▁from ▁his ▁Green wich ▁Village ▁a partment . ▁He ▁also ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁show ' s ▁ult imate ▁title ▁( a ▁decision ▁that ▁Ar ons on ▁was ▁unh appy ▁with , ▁at ▁least ▁until ▁Lar son ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁" rent " ▁also ▁means ▁torn ▁apart ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁he ▁asked ▁Ar ons on ▁if ▁he ▁could ▁use ▁Ar ons on ' s ▁original ▁concept ▁and ▁make ▁R ent ▁his ▁own . ▁Lar son ▁had ▁am bit ious ▁expect ations ▁for ▁R ent ; ▁his ▁ult imate ▁dream ▁was ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁rock ▁opera ▁" to ▁bring ▁musical ▁the ater ▁to ▁the ▁MTV ▁generation ". ▁Ar ons on ▁and ▁Lar son ▁made ▁an ▁agreement ▁that ▁if ▁the ▁show ▁went ▁to ▁Broadway , ▁Ar ons on ▁would ▁share ▁in ▁the ▁proceed s ▁and ▁be ▁given ▁credit ▁for ▁"