Sunday, June 7, 2020

144. EARTHLIGHT. From my (unpublished) ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE NEW YORK STAGE, 1970-1975

Earthlight ensemble.
For background on this series and a list of previous entries, click here.


EARTHLIGHT [Revue] B: Allan Mann and the Earthlight Ensemble; M: Pure Love and Pleasure; D: Allan Mann; CH: Peggy Chieriska; S: Ron Tannis; L: Jim Gaine; P: Garrick Productions; T: Garrick Theatre (OB); 1/11/71-3/21/71 (56)

One of several revue-like, New Age, post-Hair potpourri shows of the early 70s celebrating the joys of hippie youthdom and rock music, with considerable audience participation. The longhaired, unisex-jumpsuited, energetic young company performed to the rhythms of the Pure Love and Pleasure band in fragmentary sketches with much “mime and movement,” and a bit of obligatory nudity. The laughs came from generation-gap themes and word play.

The audience sat on bleachers and pillows spread around on the floor. At the end, everyone—cast and spectators—joined in a rhythmic love embrace and a sharing of orange slices.

Earthlight had first been seen Off-Off Broadway in November 1970, although it had an earlier life, beginning in 1969. When it moved to this Off-Broadway version, the nudity was cut and Howard Thompson called the result “thoroughly enjoyable.” Dick Brukenfeld said it was “an innocent, pleasing little rock musical revue.”

The show’s chief creative force, Allan Mann wrote a piece online several years ago, describing the show’s evolution in detail, mentioning the influence of Hair, Jerzy Grotowski, the Living Theatre, and so on—all touchstones of experimental theatre at the time. He mentions with considerable displeasure the show’s being badly mocked in Ang Lee and James Schamus’s movie, Taking Woodstock. And he writes about his desire to revise the show for a new production. Those interested in theatrical developments of the late 60s and early 70s will find it an interesting take, regardless of Mann’s quixotic dream of reviving Earthlight.