Please read the following table in HTML format from a webpage and then answer the question in detail according to the table. Each table cell is defined by a <td> and a </td> tag. Each table row starts with a <tr> and ends with a </tr> tag. 'rowspan=m' and 'colspan=n' represents a cell spaning over 'm' rows and 'n' columns.

Webpage title:
Neil Patrick Harris
Table title:
Theater
Table:
<table id='hittask' contenteditable='False'>
<tr> <th colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Year </th><th colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Title </th><th colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Role </th><th colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Notes </th></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 1997 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Rent </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Mark Cohen </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > National Tour </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 1998 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Romeo and Juliet </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Romeo Montague </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Old Globe Theatre </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2001 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Sweeney Todd </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Tobias Ragg </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > San Francisco Symphony Orchestra concert version </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2002 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Proof </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Hal </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Manhattan Theatre Club </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2003 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Cabaret </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Emcee </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Stephen Sondheim Theatre </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2004 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > The Paris Letter </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Young Anton / Burt Sarris </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Roundabout Theatre </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2004 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Assassins </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Lee Harvey Oswald / The Balladeer </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Roundabout Theatre </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2005 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Tick, Tick... BOOM! </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Jon </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Menier Chocolate Factory </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2006 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > All My Sons </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Chris Keller </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Geffen Playhouse </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2006 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Amadeus </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Hollywood Bowl </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2010 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Rent </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > N/A </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Directed Hollywood Bowl </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2011 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Company </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Robert </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > New York Philharmonic Concert Version </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2011 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > A Snow White Christmas </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > The Magic Mirror </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > El Portal Theater </td></tr>
<tr> <td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2014 </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Nothing to Hide </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > N/A </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Director Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre </td></tr>
<tr> <td class="highlighted"  colspan=1 rowspan=1 > 2014 </td><td class="highlighted"  colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Hedwig and the Angry Inch </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Hedwig </td><td colspan=1 rowspan=1 > Belasco Theatre </td></tr>
</table>
Question:
What was Neil Patrick Harris' first theatre role?
Answer:
Harris appeared in Rent as Mark Cohen in 1997.