Setting the Record Straight .
Critically acclaimed .EARTHLIGHT
THEATER was the only theater
company to perform at the
original Woodstock Festival in
1969 and be seen in the
Directors cut of the
Documentary. They will reunite
after some 40 odd years at Bar
Drake in the Sir Francis Drake
Hotel at Post & Powell on
Saturday, October 16 from 4:30
until 7:00 PM. The press and
public are welcome to join in
this first stop in this reunion
celebration. EARTHLIGHT reveals
the true story of an era that
continues to fascinate. They
reunite to celebrate their work
and set the record straight.
Having been so misrepresented
and maligned in Ang Lee's 2009
"Taking Woodstock.", it should
have been called "Faking
Woodstock." The LAWeekly said
"As dumb a depiction of
avant-guard thespians as
something Jesse Helms might have
said." In truth, Earthlight was
one of the premiere avant-guard
groups in this country between
1969-72. They not only performed
at Woodstock but were
instrumental in bringing the
festival to Bethel, its ultimate
venue and setting the tone by
insisting Swami Satchidananda
open the festival. They were on
stage with him as well. They
were paid $1000 ($3500 by todays
standards). They were a group of
highly trained actors,
transforming time & space, and
audiences into new dimensions
and receiving ravereviews.**
"What Joyce or Pinter might have
done if they were born in this
country" Harvard Crimson, "The
best parts of Second City, The
Committee, Hair and The Living
Theater” the Daily Northwestern
and "Nothing less than pure
essential theatre" the LA Times
,"an unquestionable success"
Variety. They combined
theatrical and spiritual
principles and their work is as
relevant and needed today as it
was in the past. After Woodstock
Earthlight moved to CA and had
their own theater in Venice;
following that year a run
off-Broadway incorporating
Dunhill recording artists Pure
Love & Pleasure. They have
opened for Billy Preston, Taj
Mahal and worked with David
Bennet Cohen of CountryJoe and
the Fish. Berkeley based in 1971
they performed in Zellerbach
Hall at UC Berkeley and Project
Artaud in San Francisco and
prepared for the last of their
seven national and international
tours. The fabled blue bus they
travelled in exists in history
along with the buses of Ken
Keasey and the Hog Farm.
Co-founders,Director and Author
Allan Mann and celebrated Bay
Area Artist, Jane
Richardson-Mack join Author and
Healer, Barbara Wilder ,Swiss
Actor, Doug Fowley; African
Activist Wendy Blakely; the
fabulous sisters Diskin, Porscha
& Ellyn and others including
members of Pure Love & Pleasure
John, Rob, Jackie to celebrate
their past & future! A book,
documentary and stage revival
are in the works! Most of this
started on comic and foundng
member S. Rachel Lovey’s blog
http://woodstockandearthlightrevisited.blogspot.com.
where Earthlight members
continue to connect & find each
other. Who knows what's in store
for these "60's royalty?" A
book, doccumentary and revival
are in the works. Join them for
a toast October 16. They are
available for pictures and
interviews. Contact media
co-ordinator S. RACHEL
LOVEY(310) 926-5689