You’re not a being till you attend the be-in

I’m about to make a confession: I deplore hippies. I think that not wearing deodorant is quite stinky, dreadlocks make me want to squirt shampoo onto these hair criminals, and honestly, if you hate the contemporary world then, please, go to your commune. I think it’s the dirt that causes these harsh feelings. I have had a huge dirt aversion since a young age. But my most un-secret love affair has made me change my tune a bit. Serenbe Playhouse produced Hair: An American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. I went, I saw, I loved, I sat in on the be-in and became one.

This is the kind of theatre that makes you leave all inhibition and hold-back far away in the city and open your mind to the full experience of the theatre. Because that is what Serenbe has created: a full world that is inviting, fun, and transcendental.  My love for what Serenbe Playhouse is doing under the direction of Brian Clowdus has reached that pivotal moment. It’s exciting to see a playhouse do theatre like this. And so this is my love song for Hair, my siren for hard work paying off, and a full blown gush fest for all things creation and creative.

First of all, and I have said this before, but after seeing the full Season of Change that Serenbe Playhouse put on, it is beyond clear that this is an engagement they don’t plan on breaking. When you go to a show at Serenbe, you are not simply directed to your seat, handed a ticket and program and left to small talk till the darkness comes. Nope, you leave your car and you enter the land of make-beleive that you treasured as a child and long for as an adult. You are allowed that few hours in a different setting, a different time, and meet some different characters.

Leaving your car and walking the path to the Wildflower Meadow meant greeting groovy characters, smelling the stenches of smoke-ables, and entering a land of tents, dirt, and people who are one with each other and the earth. It was the tie-dye moment. The era of sex, drugs and revolution fueled music. And even this hippie-hater was excited to be a part of such an outdoor experience as this.

Maybe it’s the outdoor setting of Serenbe, maybe it’s Brian Clowdus’ mind, maybe it’s a combination of both. But from the beginning till the end, this Woodstock-esque setting and show kept the energy alive, and kept audience members feeling the vibes. Never in my life have I seen or been a part of such a commitment to character and setting. The details and devotion that it takes to pull this off, not make it kitschy, and not make attendee’s feel on the spot pressure is obscenely perfect. From the cocktails to the ticket booth, Serenbe Playhouse made sure that Hair wasn’t just a show, it was theatre; it was an experience; it provoked thought for months to come.

There is a big reason why Serenbe Playhouse has already extended the closing date of Hair (now till August 18). The design is amazing, the direction made this broadway hit feel special to new Georgia audiences, and the cast through this rhythmic, high intensity, fast paced show, was trippy, in the very best way. Much like the impact and popularity of this show, the cast was huge and included the intern company at Serenbe Playhouse. All had their standout moments in the provocative 60’s play with balls. Galen Crawley’s (Crissy) General Lee during a mind-fuck of a scene was hilarious and showcased more than just her bigger-than-her-tiny-self voice. Liberty Cogen (Jeanie), who I saw in The Drowsy Chaperone, pulled free from her pretty exterior and nice and neat persona from the former play and jumped into the body of a knocked-up druggie who just wants a little air. Kylie Brown (Sheila), Maxim Gukhman (Berger), and Corey James Wright (Claude), lived out their boisterous three-way of free-love and fell on the line when it came to the casualties of war without ever lacking the desperation and loneliness that created such an environment. Kayce Grogan-Wallace (Ronny) and Dasie Thames (Dionne) by far had the most beloved songs of the show. Their voices brought everyone out of the haze and kept the emotion and energy high. But above all, and this is purely because I have a special place in my heart for character actors, Jeremiah Parker Hobbs’ Woof brought forth the silliness of a high, the absurdity of the lifestyle, and the fear of the realities of the world surrounding this era.

Hair falls into a category of musicals that isn’t all that populated. Much like the characters in this play, this show is a part of something separate, something edgy, something that is saying something and not just playing along (or playing by the rules). It’s a fun show, a show that anyone could go and see and enjoy. But unlike some of the other musicals of this time, as well as contemporary ventures, it is bringing to light issues that need to be addressed, thought about, and remembered. Due to the state of our nation, it is timely and harks back upon old worries that are anew. It’s about fighting the man, having a say, and bad decisions. It’s about love, loss, and loneliness. It will make you think and feel, and you will understand why such shows as this have such a following of fans.

Attend the be-in, become a being, and let your reality slip a bit at Serenbe.