▁writes . ▁ ▁R ent ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁somewhat ▁aut obi ographical ▁work , ▁as ▁Lar son ▁incorpor ated ▁many ▁elements ▁of ▁his ▁life ▁into ▁his ▁show . ▁Lar son ▁lived ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁for ▁many ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁star ving ▁artist ▁with ▁an ▁uncertain ▁future . ▁He ▁sacrific ed ▁a ▁life ▁of ▁stability ▁for ▁his ▁art , ▁and ▁shared ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁hopes ▁and ▁fear s ▁as ▁his ▁characters . ▁Like ▁his ▁characters ▁he ▁end ured ▁poor ▁living ▁conditions , ▁and ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁conditions ▁( e . g . ▁illegal ▁wood - burn ing ▁st ove , ▁bat ht ub ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁his ▁kitchen , ▁broken ▁bu z zer ▁[ his ▁guests ▁had ▁to ▁call ▁from ▁the ▁pay ▁phone ▁across ▁the ▁street ▁and ▁he ▁would ▁throw ▁down ▁the ▁keys , ▁as ▁in ▁" R ent "]) ▁made ▁their ▁way ▁into ▁the ▁play . ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁motiv ation ▁behind ▁the ▁story line ▁in ▁which ▁Ma ure en ▁leaves ▁Mark ▁for ▁a ▁woman ▁( Jo anne ) ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁Lar son ' s ▁own ▁girl friend ▁left ▁him ▁for ▁a ▁woman . ▁ ▁The ▁Mark ▁C ohen ▁character ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁Lar son ' s ▁friends , ▁cinemat ograph er ▁and ▁producer ▁Jonathan ▁Bur kh art ▁and ▁document ary ▁film maker ▁Edd ie ▁Rosen stein . ▁ ▁Play w right ▁Sarah ▁Schul man ▁alleg ed ▁that ▁R ent ▁bore ▁striking ▁similar ities ▁to ▁her ▁novel ▁People ▁in ▁Tr ouble . ▁ ▁The ▁line , ▁"