6F AUGUST 1996
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
1
LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD
From apathy to activism
Niven finds being director of 'Hair' ironic
A "squeaky clean" KU student in the 1960s is directing this fall's production of "Hair (Revised)."
Stevens
BY JAN BILES
JOURNAL-WORLD ARTS EDITOR
Kip Niven wasn't even close to being a radical during his years at Kansas University back in the 1960s.
He didn't go to political rallies; he wasn't even registered to vote. He didn't try to sabotage nuclear power plants. He didn't wear flowers in his hair or smoke dope.
Niven
"I was so squeaky clean and so boring," he said, with a laugh. "I drank my first can of beer in the Army. Not even a puff of marijuana. The most
political thing I did was sign a petition to save old Fraser Hall."
So it seems somewhat odd to him that he was picked by the University Theatre's staff to direct its production of the tribal love, rock musical "Hair (Revised)."
"It's ironic. I would have chosen a dozen other musicals as my first musical to direct than 'Hair,'" he said. "But now that I'm doing it, I'm really excited about it."
A hard lesson
Ironic. Well, maybe not.
As a KU theater student, Niven said his mind was totally on rehearsals. It wasn't until after his graduation and he found himself in Vietnam that his apathy morphed itself into awareness.
Niven said he knew he was going to be drafted into the war, so he enlisted. He went to Officer Candidate's School and then to Vietnam as an artillery officer. In the field, he worked as a forward observer.
"I was willing to do it," he said. "But in Vietnam, I became politically radicalized."
Niven said he realized that because of his apathy and lack of information he had backed himself into a life- and-death situation.
"For three years, death and destruction was my livelihood," he said. "Sometimes, in hindsight, I can't imagine
allowed that to happen."
His experiences in Vietnam turned him from being a wishy-washy-GOP-becausemy-parents-were to a leftist political activist. He became a picket line captain for the farm workers' movement in California and a driver for the McGovern presidential campaign. He became active in environmental, Equal Rights Amendment, Sierra Club, gun
control and civil rights efforts.
And he discovered "Hair" as a result of his military career.
"I was in the Army when 'Hair' was on Broadway," he said. "My last duty station was as assis.
In that capacity, he coordinated social activities for the troops, such as a performance by the road show of "Hair" at a Kansas City-area theater.
tant special services officer at Leaven-worth."
"Hair," the first rock musical to hit Broadway, was created by composer Galt MacDermot and lyricist-writers James Rado and Gerome Ragni. It was irreverent, revolutionary and anarchist. It contained profanity and nudity.
"I knew the music. I must have bought the record," he said. "It was a highly publicized event."
It was not the typical military fare.
"I was so squeaky clean and so boring.I drank my first can of beer in the Army.Not even a puff of marijuana.The most radical political thing I did was sign a petition to save old Fraser Hall."
"I remember being swept
Still, Niven doesn't remember much about the performance.
up with the enthusiasm of it," he said. "I'd call it an event. It was more than a play. It was a theatrical occasion. ... They took the audience and goosed them, smacked them and tickled them and then dragged them along for a while."
— Kip Niven, director and Kansas University alum
Putting it in context Niven hopes to capture the
to capture the theatricality of the rock musical in the KU production. Like its contemporary, "Rent," the musical is loose and energetic in its presentation style.
that throws a cream pie in the face of the audience's expectations," Niven said. "Gradually, the audience members leave their inhibitions in their seats and make a connection to those on the stage."
Although the cast doesn't know it yet, Niven said, he will use the production as a teaching opportunity to school today's students on what the '60s were all about. They'll listen to music, watch "Woodstock" and hear KU professors talk about the political, artistic and social influences of that time.
so much more celebratory and participatory than film."
"The rehearsal process will be very fluid and improvisational as the tribe interacts. There will be a lot of play in the rehearsal process," he said. "That's the reason I love to do theater. The process is
"Hair" has a cast of 35, with roles for men and women of diverse backgrounds — African Americans, Native Americans, Latinos, Asians and non-theater and non-music majors.
"It's an opportunity for the university community to participate even though they are not theater and music maiors." he said.
Auditions are slated for Aug. 22 and 23. Call backs are Aug. 24 and 25.
More than skin
The nudity and profanity of the Broadway show will be retained in the KU production, but Niven stressed that is a small part of the show.
"I hope people come to see it. I hope no one will stay away because of the nudity and profanity or because of its theatricality. I also hope no one comes for the nudity and profanity, to laugh at the dirty words or to snicker at naked bodies. It will be handled with taste.
"If someone is interested in seeing a wonderful theatrical event ... that has something to say about where we were in a point of history and a perspective of where we've come or not come, they will get their money's worth."
Niven said many of the dreams of the '60s haven't come true. Political talk became rhetoric. Activism's heroes joined the Establishment, and the times seemed to have returned to the '50s, as witnessed by the recent bombings of African-American churches in the South.
"The message of the '60s was one of hope, unity and coming together, of challenging and not taking anything for granted ... to investigate
The musical features the songs "Aquarius," "Easy to be Hard" and "Good Morning, Sunshine." The show contains nudity and profanity.
Tickets are available at Murphy Hall Box Office, 864-3982; Lied Center Box Office, 864- ARTS; or the Student Union Activities Box Office in the Kansas Union, 864-3477.
"Hair (Revised)" will be performed at 8 p.m. Nov.15-16,2:30 p.m. Nov.17 and 8 p.m.Nov. 21-23 in Crafton-Preyer Theatre in Murphy Hall.
because it's part of your personal journey," he said. "They've gotten plasticized and stucced over.
"It's a sadness that some of what was so hopeful then has become so banal now."
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