Beads, flowers, freedom and happiness:
One ex-hippie's memory of the amphitheater

In May 1994, "a haggle of hippies" converged upon the quiet amphitheater at Montclair State University. They came to sing, dance and protest the Vietnam conflict, and make love, not war. These ambitious, young college students weren't stuck in a time warp; they were performing a free production of "Hair," presented by the Student Government Association and Players.

I had the privilege of being part of the 45-member "tribe," and it is hands down my fondest memory of the amphitheater. If you happened to be one of the 3,000 audience members who attended the three performances, you know it was quite a show. There's something special about performing in front of a live audience, outdoors, with planes flying overhead, a cool spring breeze blowing and the occasional ringing of the College Hall carillon. Audience members, dressed in tie-dye, wrapped in blankets and singing along to "Good Morning Sunshine," were also truly something to see from the stage.

Being outdoors gave a genuine earthy feel to the overall show and helped everyone jump into character. After an open casting call, and once rehearsals began, the show's director had a difficult time getting the cast to blend. Although many of us didn't know each other, we knew it was our job to create a communion to pull the show off. It wasn't an easy task. With most of us born after 1968, what did we know about burning draft cards or Timothy Leary? It took some time to understand why people were truly protesting the war, why people were expressing free love and why the hot topics of the day were love, war, sex and drugs. We all did our part to dedicate ourselves to "Hair," and to allow the audience to understand and take part in the experience as well. One cast member even tattooed the first bar of music on his arm. Talk about dedication!

Once the curtain (invisible in our case) comes down, most casts go their separate ways. I've never been in a show wit h such a special group of people where the cast and crew have remained so close. In fact, we couldn't even bear to part with each other. Cast parties lasted for years after the final curtain call, and some of the best friendships we established while rehearsing in
J-126 of the Student Center or in the quad still exist today. Perhaps a "Hair" reunion party will be in the making.

What made the group unique is that we came from different disciplines including English, business, communications and psychology. We came together to express ourselves in song and dance because we loved the '60s, the music and, inevitably in the end, each other.

"Hair" was a groovy experience for everyone involved. It had been quite some time since a major production including a full stage and lighting was presented in the amphitheater.

I have fond memories of walking up the stairs and telling the crowd to "come to the be-in," hiding under a parachute while we all got "naked," shining our cars' headlights upon the stage during late-night rehearsals and not wanting the umpteenth a cappella verse of "Let the Sun Shine In" to ever end.

"Hair" holds a special place in my heart, but it was the amphitheater that made it most memorable. Although many of us have gone our separate ways, the memories we created at the amphitheater will keep us connected forever.

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