Jeffrey Seller

So the first thing about criticism is don't offer it till you're asked.

Right?

You got to wait until they say, what did you think?

And sitting at Diane's hamburgers on the Upper West Side, when he said, what do you think?

Then I really had to pause because I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

And I was afraid that he might reject me.

But you always start with praise.

And I talked about how great that opening song Rent was.

And I talked about how great the environment was.

And he said, yeah, but what else?

And that's when I said, I don't understand the story.

I don't get the characters.

Are you trying to write a play or are you trying to write a collage of life in the East Village?

And he looked at me and he was like, no, I'm trying to write a play.

And I said, well, then you have to bring forth the story because right now I'm not getting it.

He had visited two hospitals in the week before he ultimately died, and neither of them had diagnosed it properly.

Had he had health insurance and a doctor who was his personal advocate, would the outcome have been different?

I don't know.

But I know what it means to not have health insurance, and I know how scary that is.

I woke up that morning euphoric after the dress rehearsal.