In today's paper, Lesley Thulin talks about the production of HAIR that will be performed this week:
"Set in 1968, the musical follows a 'tribe' of 18- and 19-year-olds living in New York. The show’s protagonist, Claude (played by Ben Platt, CC ’16), is torn between the tribe world and the harsh reality of the Vietnam War.
"'It stresses everything, from political turmoil to unrequited love, to being unsure of one’s identity,' [Katie] Cacouris said."
I talked with Chloe Durkin, CC '15 and the assistant choreographer, and Zach Vargas-Sullivan, CC '14, who plays a tribe member, about their feelings going into HAIR, as well as what we should expect in this weekend's performance.
So I have to ask the question that's on everybody's mind: Are you all going to be nude in the play? If so, have you practiced the scene and what was it like adjusting to that?
Chloe: All the actors, with the exception of Ben Platt (Claude), will be nude during one scene.
They have rehearsed it with only the creative team in the room, and the actors were given the chance to experiment with how much nudity they were comfortable with. By the third run of the song, almost every actor was completely nude.
Watching the scene is incredibly emotional and you can tell just how much this cast trusts each other and is dedicated to the show. The vulnerability of that scene is overpowering.
Zach: The show features a brief display of full frontal nudity that lasts no more than one minute at the end of Act I.
