It's a great day! I finally got a part in an off-off-off Broadway show! I'd been trying for months to land a part. I don't care what part I get, just to be able to act on stage is my dream. The future of theatre has been in jeopardy for the last twenty years, so time was growing short to get on stage.
The part I got is in a revamped and sexy restaging of "Hair," updated for the 150th anniversary of the original production in October of 1967. The music will be the same, but singers will be paired with the latest technology in theatre today, robots. Great strides have been made in theatrical robots and often their abilities exceed the humans involved.
The day has arrived and I'm meeting the rest of the cast at the grooming salon. I guess it's where we get styled for the production, costumes, wigs, etc. The cast is even-steven, four men and four women, with two robots.
The grooming salon door looms over me. Looks like a warehouse, but when I walk in, I'm amazed. It's very posh inside. White walls with beige carpeting. The color in the room is provided by red desks and chairs. There is a set of bubbled purple glass doors. I stop at the desk, and introduce myself.
"Hi. I'm Dora. I'm with the cast of Hair."
"Oh, yes, miss. You're the last member to arrive. They are in Suite Four. Through those doors and take a right. It's at the end of the corridor."
I thank her and make my way. The suites must be sound proof as it's so quiet you could hear a pin drop. I get to the end and open the door.
"There she is now. Hey, Roberto, the last one is here. We can get started."
I drop my things on one of the chairs by the desk and join the others standing around the director, Hank.
"Most of you don't know your cast-mates as well as you're going to. In order to help you all become comfortable with each other before we start rehearsing, we will be groom each other. The end result will be your costume, or lack of, for the production. Roberto here has done this with other theatre groups and found that by the end of this exercise, everyone is friendly with everyone else and there's no embarrassment. We need no shy school girls here. Roberto, they're all yours."
"Thanks, Hank."
Roberto steps forward and speaks to us, giving us instructions.
"Because you auditioned for this show, you know how intimate it will become. You need to get comfortable not only with yourself, but with others as well. We will start this exercise by disrobing in a group. Now there's no need to be embarrassed if you get excited at first. Remember, it's worse for the men. By the end of the exercise, you won't even notice the others."
There are a few titters and nervous laughter, but Roberto goes on.
"Make a circle, boy girl boy girl."
We move into position.
"That's it. Now, on the count of three, you will undress, starting with tops and ending with bottoms. Just drop your clothes. And yes, they ALL come off. One...two... three."
We all unbutton, some slower than others, or pull over our heads our shirts and blouses. Some guys wear undershirts and they take them off while we girls take our bras off. I find I'm not nervous even though I haven't had a lover since moving to this town six years ago. But I can see others are. No one wants to go further.
"Come now, you've done this before with your lovers. Bottoms off, now."
We reluctantly push and pull off skirts and pants, and various underwear.
"I know, I know, you're all nervous, but I want you to look at each other from head to toe. It's okay and safe to check each other out."