Cremation of Care

The Cremation of Care is an annual ritual production written, produced, and performed by and for members of the Bohemian Club. It is staged at the Bohemian Grove near Monte Rio, California, in front of a 40-foot tall image of a Minervan owl, at a small artificial lake amid a private old-growth grove of Redwood trees.

The dramatic performance is presented on the first night of the annual encampment^[1] as an allegorical banishing of worldly cares for the club members and "to present symbolically the salvation of the trees by the club",^[2] but the secretive nature of the Bohemians and the political power of some of its members have been criticized.

History

In 1878, the

In the earliest productions of the Grove Play, several restrictions were imposed upon the Sire (host, chief planner, and master of ceremonies[8]) including that the stage setting be the natural forest backdrop and that the "malign character Care" be introduced in the plot, to wreak havoc with the characters and then be faced down and vanquished by the hero.^[2] In these early productions, the Cremation of Care immediately followed, and lasted until midnight.^[9] The end of the ceremony was signaled by a lively Jinks Band rendition of There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,^[10] and the club members sat down to a late dinner and revelry.^[11]

From 1913, the Cremation of Care was disengaged from the Grove Play, and rescheduled for the first night of the summer encampment.^[1] The Grove Play was set for the final weekend.^[1] A different Sire was appointed for the Cremation, and some concerns were raised in subsequent years that the Cremation of Care was growing into its own secondary Grove Play. Some Sires experimented with a satirical treatment, or topical themes such as a patriotic World War I treatment in 1918 and an unpopular Prohibition script in 1919. "Care" was not killed, let alone cremated, in the 1922 version. In response to member complaints about the unpredictable quality of the opening night fare, Charles K. Field was asked in 1923 to standardize the script for what became the basis for every subsequent Cremation of Care ceremony.^[12]

Staging

The ceremony involves the poling across a lake of a small boat containing an effigy of Care (called "Dull Care"). Dark, hooded figures receive from the ferryman the effigy which is placed on an altar, and, at the end of the ceremony, set on fire. This "cremation" symbolizes that members are banishing the "dull cares" of conscience.^[13] At the time the script was developed, the primary meaning of the word 'care' (< O.E. cearu, "anxiety, anguish") was synonymous with 'worry', having more negative connotations than in modern times when it tends to be associated more positively with compassion.^[14]

The ceremony takes place in front of the Owl Shrine, a 40-foot (12 m) hollow owl statue made of concrete over steel supports. The moss- and lichen-covered statue simulates a natural rock formation, yet holds electrical and audio equipment within it. During the ceremony, a recording is used as the voice of The Owl. For many years the recorded voice was club guest Walter Cronkite.^[15] Music and pyrotechnics accompany the ritual for dramatic effect.^{[16][17][18][19]}

Controversy

On July 15, 2000, radio host

Outside of the main entrance to the Bohemian Grove, protesters against club members and their guests have held a ceremony called the "Resurrection of Care", intended to symbolically reverse the effects of the Cremation of Care, to prevent the attendees from temporarily abandoning their cares.[15] The counter ceremony was first held in 1980, organized by Mary Moore, a former beauty queen turned left-wing activist. Moore was less concerned about the Cremation of Care ceremony than with the likelihood that club members with corporate interests would gain influence in government.^[21]

References

Notes