Post by Ozhair on Jul 1, 2003 10:08:36 GMT 11
Just to boost my number of posts, since I'm new here, I thought I'd post this article which I wrote a while back which some of you might find interesting. It's about performing the infamous nude scene in the musical "HAiR". 
STANDING NAKED ON STAGE
“I just want to say from the start that the nude scene is not compulsory,” is what the director told us on the first day of rehearsals.
That was a relief. It wasn’t one of the reasons why I’d auditioned for the show.
“In fact, if not enough people are willing to do it, we’ll eliminate it entirely. So, hands up how many here are certain they’ll do the nude scene?” Five hands among the cast of thirty shot up immediately. Easy decision for them, they were all young, taught and trim.
“How many think they MIGHT do it, but need time to think about it?” A lot more hands went up.
“And how many are absolutely certain that they won’t do it?” The last half-dozen hands go up, mine included.
“Alright then, at this stage we’ll say that the nude scene is in.”
Terrific. Just don’t expect me to be in it.
I’d auditioned for a role in “Hair” because I liked the music. I’d heard there was nudity in the show, but having never seen a production I wasn’t sure in what context it occurred. I’d done quite a few shows over the years, but nothing quite like this. But from the start the producers had stressed that going nude was entirely voluntary, no-one would be pressured into it. Which was just as well. I don’t have a body shape that would exactly fall into the “trim and taught” category. Not really fat, mind you, just… flabby.
It was decided that the nude scene, which lasts about a minute and occurs right at the end of the first act, would be approached gradually. The first few times through that segment was done with clothes on, as if it were just another scene. In the meantime, as well as standard rehearsals, we were also doing acting exercises aimed and getting everyone to feel comfortable, to achieve the tribal feel of the “Tribal Love-Rock Musical”.
In the final couple of weeks those that felt comfortable enough began stripping down to their underwear for the scene. I surprised myself by participating in this step. It was about this time that I decided that I would at least try to do the scene, as a challenge to myself. I’ve always been quite self-conscious about my body, I don’t even like wearing shorts and exposing my legs. So this would be a fairly extreme way of trying to overcome those feelings.
The first night of the underwear stage was a little disconcerting. As blocked, the guys were the first to undress during the song, the girls undressing about a verse later. Well, the guys stripped, we stood as we were supposed, and then heard one of the girls behind us start laughing so hard she was rolling on the floor. Not exactly an ego-building occurrence, but we discovered later that, after standing, every single guy had reached behind him and “adjusted” his underwear in what looked to the girl to be a choreographed move. That made us feel a little better.
We had agreed amongst ourselves that no-one would actually go completely nude until we had moved from the rehearsal hall into the actual theatre, five days before opening. On that day we were scheduled to rehearse all day, with three full runs of the show. We would try the nude scene on the final run.
The day was quite warm, and it was our first time running the show under lights. By the time we reached the third run-through, we were all hot, tired and sweaty. By the time we reached the end of the first act on that run, most of us had the attitude of “let’s just get it over with”.
The song started. I tried not to think about was I was about to do. I pulled off my shirt. Sat on the floor, struggled out of my pants and underwear. Threw them aside. I stood. I sang. I danced. Oh my god! I was naked! But the overwhelming feeling at the time was “Oh my god! That breeze feels SO good”. It was a relief to be naked. I was barely paying attention to the others on the stage.
At the end of the song we gathered up our clothes and ran off stage as we were supposed to. About three quarters of the cast had gone completely naked, and the general sense was “That wasn’t so hard!” Over the next few nights of rehearsal, everyone participated in the nude scene at least once.
Then came the moment of truth. Opening night. Being naked in front of a group of people who are also naked is one thing. But for rehearsals our only audience had been the small production crew. Now there were three hundred and fifty people out there.
I needn’t have worried. By the time we got to the end of the first act the audience were right into the show. We could feel the support the audience were giving us. We did the scene. We did it well. We did it naked. We left the stage to thunderous applause.
Out of the twelve performances, I went naked in every single one, as did most of the cast. It was amazingly easy after the first time. Once the taboo had been broken, you wondered what all the fuss was about.
Does this mean I would do it again? That I would rush out and join a nudist colony? That I would start exposing myself in public places? I think I can safely answer “no” to the last two. But would I do it again…?
I guess that’ll be another challenge.
STANDING NAKED ON STAGE
“I just want to say from the start that the nude scene is not compulsory,” is what the director told us on the first day of rehearsals.
That was a relief. It wasn’t one of the reasons why I’d auditioned for the show.
“In fact, if not enough people are willing to do it, we’ll eliminate it entirely. So, hands up how many here are certain they’ll do the nude scene?” Five hands among the cast of thirty shot up immediately. Easy decision for them, they were all young, taught and trim.
“How many think they MIGHT do it, but need time to think about it?” A lot more hands went up.
“And how many are absolutely certain that they won’t do it?” The last half-dozen hands go up, mine included.
“Alright then, at this stage we’ll say that the nude scene is in.”
Terrific. Just don’t expect me to be in it.
I’d auditioned for a role in “Hair” because I liked the music. I’d heard there was nudity in the show, but having never seen a production I wasn’t sure in what context it occurred. I’d done quite a few shows over the years, but nothing quite like this. But from the start the producers had stressed that going nude was entirely voluntary, no-one would be pressured into it. Which was just as well. I don’t have a body shape that would exactly fall into the “trim and taught” category. Not really fat, mind you, just… flabby.
It was decided that the nude scene, which lasts about a minute and occurs right at the end of the first act, would be approached gradually. The first few times through that segment was done with clothes on, as if it were just another scene. In the meantime, as well as standard rehearsals, we were also doing acting exercises aimed and getting everyone to feel comfortable, to achieve the tribal feel of the “Tribal Love-Rock Musical”.
In the final couple of weeks those that felt comfortable enough began stripping down to their underwear for the scene. I surprised myself by participating in this step. It was about this time that I decided that I would at least try to do the scene, as a challenge to myself. I’ve always been quite self-conscious about my body, I don’t even like wearing shorts and exposing my legs. So this would be a fairly extreme way of trying to overcome those feelings.
The first night of the underwear stage was a little disconcerting. As blocked, the guys were the first to undress during the song, the girls undressing about a verse later. Well, the guys stripped, we stood as we were supposed, and then heard one of the girls behind us start laughing so hard she was rolling on the floor. Not exactly an ego-building occurrence, but we discovered later that, after standing, every single guy had reached behind him and “adjusted” his underwear in what looked to the girl to be a choreographed move. That made us feel a little better.
We had agreed amongst ourselves that no-one would actually go completely nude until we had moved from the rehearsal hall into the actual theatre, five days before opening. On that day we were scheduled to rehearse all day, with three full runs of the show. We would try the nude scene on the final run.
The day was quite warm, and it was our first time running the show under lights. By the time we reached the third run-through, we were all hot, tired and sweaty. By the time we reached the end of the first act on that run, most of us had the attitude of “let’s just get it over with”.
The song started. I tried not to think about was I was about to do. I pulled off my shirt. Sat on the floor, struggled out of my pants and underwear. Threw them aside. I stood. I sang. I danced. Oh my god! I was naked! But the overwhelming feeling at the time was “Oh my god! That breeze feels SO good”. It was a relief to be naked. I was barely paying attention to the others on the stage.
At the end of the song we gathered up our clothes and ran off stage as we were supposed to. About three quarters of the cast had gone completely naked, and the general sense was “That wasn’t so hard!” Over the next few nights of rehearsal, everyone participated in the nude scene at least once.
Then came the moment of truth. Opening night. Being naked in front of a group of people who are also naked is one thing. But for rehearsals our only audience had been the small production crew. Now there were three hundred and fifty people out there.
I needn’t have worried. By the time we got to the end of the first act the audience were right into the show. We could feel the support the audience were giving us. We did the scene. We did it well. We did it naked. We left the stage to thunderous applause.
Out of the twelve performances, I went naked in every single one, as did most of the cast. It was amazingly easy after the first time. Once the taboo had been broken, you wondered what all the fuss was about.
Does this mean I would do it again? That I would rush out and join a nudist colony? That I would start exposing myself in public places? I think I can safely answer “no” to the last two. But would I do it again…?
I guess that’ll be another challenge.
