The Mountain Play

This past Sunday we went to see the Mt. Tamalpais Mountain Play production of Hair! It takes place at an amazing 4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater on the top of Mt. Tam in Marin County, CA.

It was a beautiful day, and we drove over to the Tam High School to catch the 30 minute school bus trip up the mountain. I was reflecting on the fact that it must have been 15 years I'd been in a real school bus, and either I've gotten bigger or the seats have gotten smaller.

Arriving at the theater was a breeze, and as we entered I was transported back 40 years to the summer of love, free spirited 60s. Golf carts were adorned with flower power symbols and some in attendance dressed the part to participate in a costume contest. A mix soundtrack of classic sixties tunes played over the PA as the crowd assembled, and the performance began promptly at 1pm.

As the ensemble ran through the musical numbers I couldn't help but think how much things change, they really do stay the same. Hair is a story of a war worn country battling the disparity between a free thinking movement and a senseless war. I was recently lamenting about the lack of total outrage that exists in our country lately, how why there aren't more public protests.

Hair reminded me why: The Draft.

The focal point of the play is one character (Claude)'s battle with his decision on whether or not to burn his draft card or go die fighting a senseless war in Vietnam. His peer-pressuring friends are all pushing him to let it go and live free and love, but Claude is torn with a certain sense of duty.

It was a great rendition of the classic musical, which I'd never actually seen live before (except for that one 'Head of the Class' episode). Yes, they swore a bunch. No, they didn't do the last scene nude (and left out the sodomy song). It was already a little more PG-13 than the Mt. Play is used to.

All in all, a wonderful day on the mountain. They had plenty of free buses to bring people back down to town, and we were home by 4:30 in time to look back on how far we've come in 40 years, and really how far we lave left to go.

"Let the sun shine in!"