THE EARTHLIGHT
THEATRE TROUPE
In an effort to try to win over the Bethel residents, Woodstock
Ventures sent out the Earthlight Theatre Ensemble - an
18-member,
politically motivated "street theater" troupe - to
entertain local groups. Their [Ventures] intent was to show
White Lake and Bethel residents that contemporary
arts could be
acceptable, and not perceived as a threat.
On August 7, Ventures staged, what Woodstock principals Joel
Rosenman and John Roberts referred to as, a "pre-festival
Festival". On a stage that was still
under construction, the
Bethel residents sat on the grass, expecting theater, but
Earthlight didn't do Shakespeare or Rodgers and Hammerstein,
but
a musical comedy called "Sex. Y'all Come" and stripped naked,
frequently.
The ensemble managed to offend the
assembled audience - stripping and screaming obscenities that
shocked the crowd, and confirm the locals
fears of the young,
long-haired hippies. "They went from being suspicious to being
convinced," Rosenman said.
They not only performed at Woodstock but claim to have been
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.
Reference:
Woodstock: An Encyclopedia of the Music and Arts Fair
By: James E Perone
How Woodstock Happened By:
Elliot Tiber
EARTHLIGHT ARRIVES IN BETHEL AT THE EL MONACO HOTEL
Photo Courtesy: Roy Arenella
Setting the Record Straight
