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Nudity on Stage

Written by J David Moeller (playing Frank Coin)

Today with the Hayes office of filmdom a memory in fewer and fewer minds, nudity in films has almost become an expected occurrence. But what about stage nudity? It’s not as common. But it is still controversial.

When the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical “Hair” first appeared in the late ‘60s some communities were aghast there was pronounced nudity on stage and many banned the production (It ran for almost 1,800 performances in New York).

“Scenes From the Big Picture” has a bit of short lived nudity presented well within the context of the production and in no way gratuitous or demeaning.

Director Scott Cummins states unequivocally that “Theater is to provoke, but only if the material is appropriate and true.” In “Scenes” it is both.
In the show, the character Connie is dancing and flirting with two young men in the street below her Belfast flat. They enthusiastically flirt back…egging her on to “show yer titties!”

She does. And dances away from the window giggling and full of the fun of the moment.

Lee Stark is the young actress playing Connie. She agrees with Director Cummins and continues, “Our standards are skewed toward violence these days and that’s ok. But nudity is ok as well.” She goes on, “Nudity has a place in theater as violence does, but it must have a reason to be there.”
Ms. Stark qualifies that she has no qualms about her nudity in the show and is quite comfortable and assured in her part. “Nudity’s never been a big thing with me”, she says.