Character guide
Woof
from Hair
Woof is a member of the tribe in Hair, the 1968 rock musical with music by Galt MacDermot.
- Show
- Hair
- Broadway premiere
- 1968
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Galt MacDermot
Woof on stage vs screen
Broadway compared with the 1979 film
On stage, Woof is the tribe member with a crush on Mick Jagger, thrilled when Claude gives him a Jagger poster, and he leads the song Sodomy with the tribe. Steve Curry created the role on Broadway in 1968.
In the 1979 film, he becomes Woof Dachshund, played by Donnie Dacus, and his defining moment changes: after the tribe is arrested, he resists having his hair cut. The film was one of several changes to the tribe that Hair's writers, Gerome Ragni and James Rado, objected to, saying the film failed to capture the essence of their show.
Who is Woof?
Woof is one of the tribe's more openly curious and playful members, known for his fascination with sexuality and his admiration for rock stars of the era. He embodies much of the show's loose, uninhibited attitude toward sex and self expression, delivered with a sense of humor rather than defiance.
While he does not carry major plot weight the way Claude or Berger do, Woof's easygoing presence helps establish the tribe's communal, anything goes atmosphere in the show's earlier scenes.
Woof's role in Hair
Woof is a supporting role who contributes comic energy and some of the show's more playful musical moments within the tribe's ensemble numbers. The part suits a performer comfortable with the show's frank, lighthearted approach to sexuality and its loose, communal staging style.
Steve Curry originated the role in early productions of Hair. Though a smaller part than the show's central trio, Woof adds texture to the tribe and helps convey the breadth of attitudes within the counterculture the show depicts.
Woof: frequently asked questions
What show is Woof from?
Woof is a supporting character in Hair, which opened on Broadway in 1968.
Is Woof a lead or supporting role?
Woof is a supporting role within the tribe of hippies.
Who wrote the music for Hair?
Galt MacDermot composed the music, with book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni.
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