Professor analyzes play's impact with class

English Professor Deborah Banner teaches a literature class
titled “Rocket’s Red Glare: 20th Century American War
narrative.” Her syllabus includes the tribal rock musical
“Hair.”

Daily Bruin: Why are people today still so wildly interested
in seeing “Hair”? Deborah Banner: It’s part
of the whole ’60s nostalgia. People look back at culture from
the ’60s and the belief of anti-war protesters that they
would have a tangible effect on state policy ““ it’s
sort of a touching naivete. It’s almost an archaeological
interest. People want to look back to anti-war songs or films and
experience that sort of belief in the power of popular protest
without actually participating in popular protest.

Bruin: How did “Hair” convey its protest against
the war differently than other works of its era? Banner:
“Hair” was one of the few anti-war spectacles
attracting huge audiences that was very sympathetic to the plight
of the individual soldier who thought he was doing the honorable
thing by joining the army. A lot of the Vietnam anti-war movements
were very hostile toward average P.I.s that had nothing to do with
policy, but I think the makers of “Hair” understood
that it wasn’t just a question of the evil military v. the
innocent civilians.

Bruin: How does that relate to the popular view of soldiers
today? Banner: One of the reasons why “Hair” is
seen as being relevant today is because it doesn’t simplify
things. It’s the same way that people who are anti-war or
strongly opposed going to war in Iraq were very careful to say that
they still supported the men and women who were going to war.

Bruin: Were the people who went to see “Hair” in
the ’60s largely against the war? Banner: It works on a
lot of different levels for a lot of different people. You
didn’t just have to believe that war was bad in order to
enjoy it. You could just want to go because of the music or just
because it was incredibly popular or because there were naked
people in it.

Bruin: Why do you choose to teach it in your class?
Banner: I chose to teach it in the class, first, because I really
enjoy it. It’s fun to talk about it with so many students who
have lots of different ideas about these issues. And because
it’s not the usual forum for addressing serious questions
about war and politics. I find it really unique that we’re
bringing in another genre to look at the way a musical changes some
of the questions we have and how we look at war.