Over the past two weekends, LMU theatre arts and production students put on the classic musical Hair for the whole LMU community to enjoy. For those who do not know, Hair is about a group of teenagers, also known as “The Tribe,” who live in the Vietnam War era. These teenagers are living as politically active hippies and fight against the enlistment of the Vietnam War. As the musical progresses, the audience can see the complications and challenges that the main character Claude, his friends Berger and Sheila, and the rest of the group go through. Some of these challenges include balancing their love lives, sexual revelations, and rebellions against their conservative parents and the conversative United States.
Overall, the play was a magical experience, as I personally felt as though I was in the musical with the cast! I would highly encourage all LMU students to attend the productions that the theatre students put on because it is truly amazing to see the talent and passion that our fellow student body has in the performing and studio arts. The entire cast and crew are extremely gifted, and it was amazing to see.
One of the cast members, Uche Nwokike, is a good friend of mine and sat down with me to discuss her experience throughout the preparation process of the musical and her overall adjustment from high school theatre to college level theatre productions.
1. First, who did you play in Hair, and what was the significance in your role/s?
Uche: I played Suzanna, who was a part of the tribe, and I also played Abraham Lincoln in a scene. As a tribe member my significance was to be apart of the community and show that we are truly one big happy family and we care deeply for one another.
2. What was the preparation/rehearsal process like? Were there any challenges that the cast came across?
Uche: Overall, the rehearsal process was rigorous and tiring. We spent 4 hours everyday, working systematically on each scene and song. Some challenges that we came across were doing the lifts because it was a very new concept for all of us and our bodies were not used to holding people up for long periods of time. During the show, the entire cast had to make sure our energy was up because we wanted to make sure that the audience was staying consistently engaged with the show.
3. What is your favorite memory from being in Hair?
Uche: My favorite memory is getting ready before every show in the dressing room, blasting music with the rest of the cast. These small moments were huge bonding experiences for everyone. This is also when I realized how much I love everyone in the cast and how close we all have gotten through the course of the show.
4. How was this musical different from prior musicals that you have done before?
Uche: This is the most sexual show I have ever done. This show definitely pushed me to new heights and really helped me become more comfortable with my body and myself. Compared to high school shows, this was much more of a time commitment and more exhausting on my body, in general. Rehearsals were more intense, yet the rewarding feeling of putting on a great show is even bigger accomplishment in the college level of theatre.
5. Are you planning on acting in more shows/musicals in the future?
Uche: Of course! I am a theatre arts major and really enjoy doing all types of musicals for fun. I really love to get myself involved in the theatre community both on and off campus!
Uche and the rest of the cast of Hair blew the minds of the LMU community by their talented acting and singing skills. If you did not get the opportunity to see the show, you should definley look out for the next theatre production that LMU puts on!