REBECCA HALE
Reverb Editor
“Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical” opened on April 10 in Marvel Theatre, and those who have seen it have been blown away. “Hair” is a theatrical beast that the Department of Theatre and Dance tackled full-force, and the result was a show that was powerful, sensual and full of love.
Upon entry into Marvel, audience members were openly greeted by actors clad in bright, flowy clothes and given flowers. The “third wall,” or the invisible wall the separates the actors from the audience, aspect was completely abolished, and the stage had been stripped of its curtains and traditional features. Instead, the stage was littered with rugs and tapestries, upon which the hippie “tribe” was milling about, conversing, dancing and performing meditation-like rituals.
The cement walls of the backstage area were visible, along with the wings and ropes. There were also boxes lined up parallel to the front of the stage, which extended the stage further toward the audience and allowed for closer audience-actor interaction.
The set was simple and involved a few moving ladders and scaffolding on which the actors climbed and hung throughout the show. The band was set up at the rear of the stage, as well.
One of the most prominent aspects of “Hair” was the constant movement. There were few static moments, and my eyes were constantly being pulled from one actor to the next. Not only did the actors move about constantly, but the music made me want to dance out of my seat to join them. The actors also incorporated a lot of motion; in fact, they often carried each other, piggybacked on each other and performed various other acrobatic movements.
With the “third wall” broken, it was easier to connect with the actors. The audience was frequently addressed directly, and many actors interacted with audience members physically, as well. In one instance, a Tribe member stood on the armrests of a woman’s seat, with his legs straddling her head. At another point, the character Berger (played by David Rivera) removed his shorts and asked a woman in the front row if she would hold onto them.
“Hair” is an extremely sensual show, and from seeing the actors interact, it was clear that they are an extremely tight-knit cast. The actors all touched each other as if they were truly lovers, whether the nature of the sexual encounters were homosexual or heterosexual. There was an air of love surrounding the Tribe that made the sexual interactions comfortable, and maybe even comforting to watch.
There were also controversial portions of “Hair” including nudity and drug use. I found neither to be offensive, and thought the portrayal of the drug use was done well. Throughout the musical, scenes unfolded in which the main character, Claude (played by Mark Montondo), experienced various hallucinations.
These hallucinations were bizarre and disconcerting, involving war scenes, strange large Pink Floyd-esque faces and even one which inexplicably involved a horse head and some astronauts. These scenes were sometimes over-the-top, but presumably purposefully so, since they were, in fact, hallucinations.
The nude scene was not entirely shocking, either. It was clear that it was coming when a large translucent parachute was hung across the stage, and the actors’ silhouettes could be seen undressing. When the veil was dropped, every actor was entirely nude, but the way the lighting was designed, it was difficult to see their faces and features. The scene was also very brief, serving its purpose for no longer than necessary.
The acting itself was remarkable, as well as the singing. I was impressed, as usual, with the talent of Fredonia’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Though “Hair” was a long show, I never found myself tiring of watching. Each scene moved into the next seamlessly and did not drag. I could feel the love in “Hair” building throughout the musical, as well as the desperation of the actors building up to the shattering ending.
The final night of “Hair” was reminiscent of the closing night of last year’s production of “RENT,” with the performance held for an hour while the Rockefeller Arts Center was evacuated due to a glitch in the sprinkler system. The Tribe did not allow this to stop their “Be In,” however, as they roamed around the outside of RAC, milling with audience members and joining hands as they sang songs from the 1960s in the sunset.
If you didn’t get the chance to see “Hair” here, I would recommend seeing it at some point elsewhere, should that opportunity arise. I applaud every individual involved for putting together such a successful and enjoyable musical experience.