In Stagestruck noted novelist and outspoken critic Sarah Schulman offers an account of her growing awareness of the startling similarities between her novel People in Trouble and the smash Broadway hit Rent. Written with a powerful and personal voice, Schulman’s book is part gossipy narrative, part behind-the-scenes glimpse into the New York theater culture, and part polemic on how mainstream artists co-opt the work of “marginal” artists to give an air of diversity and authenticity to their own work. Rising above the details of her own case, Schulman boldly uses her suspicions of copyright infringement as an opportunity to initiate a larger conversation on how AIDS and gay experience are being represented in American art and commerce.
Closely recounting her discovery of the ways in which Rent took materials from her own novel, Schulman takes us on her riveting and infuriating journey through the power structures of New York theater and media, a journey she pursued to seek legal restitution and make her voice heard. Then, to provide a cultural context for the emergence of Rent—which Schulman experienced first-hand as a weekly theater critic for the New York Press at the time of Rent’s premiere—she reveals in rich detail the off- and off-off-Broadway theater scene of the time. She argues that these often neglected works and performances provide more nuanced and accurate depictions of the lives of gay men, Latinos, blacks, lesbians and people with AIDS than popular works seen in full houses on Broadway stages. Schulman brings her discussion full circle with an incisive look at how gay and lesbian culture has become rapidly commodified, not only by mainstream theater productions such as Rent but also by its reduction into a mere demographic made palatable for niche marketing. Ultimately, Schulman argues, American art and culture has made acceptable a representation of “the homosexual” that undermines, if not completely erases, the actual experiences of people who continue to suffer from discrimination or disease. Stagestruck’s message is sure to incite discussion and raise the level of debate about cultural politics in America today.

"“Stagestruck showcases Schulman’s persuasive voice in all its energy and eloquence. . . . Schulman is persuasive and passionate as she guides the reader to her final indictment of our entire consumer culture, one that has reduced the gay community to a marketing niche.”" - Girlfriends

"“If Schulman was unable to rescue her rights from the underworld of corporate entertainment, she has not returned from that inferno empty-handed. Stagestruck is a stunning act of courage and political truth-telling.”" - Lambda Book Report

"“Take the stardust out of your eyes and clear the deck for Stagestruck. . . . Finally, an inside account of how the original novel People in Trouble, written by Schulman, was misappropriated for the musical Rent. More importantly, Schulman uses her ensuing struggle for acknowledgment of that fact as the basis for analyzing the subterfuge of erasing or stereotyping lesbian and gay identity in the larger context of mass media response and perception. It raises the question of how recent visibility is being manipulated and sold short all at the cost of searching for a wider, more accepting audience not only in theaters but in magazines, movies, and style.”" - Lesbian and Gay New York

"“What Schulman asks is simple: Must we continue sacrificing the memories of those who have died in this epidemic to hawk another album, a T-shirt, and a bottle of Absolut? Her answer in this powerful, provocative work is equally direct: Don’t lie about our lives.”" - Village Voice

"“Whether you are familiar with People in Trouble, Rent, or recent gay and AIDS plays on Broadway, Stagestruck is worth reading. The politics are progressive, the jokes give chuckles, and Schulman’s creative spirit flourishes throughout.”" - Bay Area Reporter