OCT
10

Quick-Change Artistry in 10 Easy Steps

By Christina Hamlett 

Former actress and director Christina Hamlett is an award-winning author whose credits to date include 48 books, 268 stage plays and squillions of articles on the performing arts.  www.authorhamlett.com. 

In 1974, I played the lead role in a children’s musical called Annabelle Broom, The Unhappy Witch.  The biggest fear I had during performances was that the beaky prosthetic nose I had spent an hour applying with liquid latex and powder would get knocked off during one of the lively dance numbers.  But this was a misguided worry.  What I should have stressed about more was that the zipper of my pink party dress for the final scene would get stuck at the worst possible moment!  “A zipper in a costume?!”  I thought.  “What was the designer possibly thinking?”

During the years and innumerous productions that have followed, I learned some tips and tricks for flawless costume changes.  I have also come to appreciate that what happens in the dressing rooms requires as much practice and discipline as what the audience sees on stage.

1. Zipper-free ensembles
   If anything can go wrong, it usually will, and zippers are often the culprit.  While they’re easy enough to navigate in your offstage life, costume changes not only require speed but are also often performed backstage in dim lighting.  Of course, that’s when those pesky teeth snag on fabric, the slider separates, or the pull becomes detached.  And the more frantic one becomes trying to find a remedy, the worse it gets.  Quick zipper fixes include wax paper, soap, WD-40, Vaseline, or a lead pencil, but a better strategy is to avoid zippers altogether.


2. The wonders of Velcro
   If a Swiss engineer hadn’t gone walking in the woods one day in 1941 and noticed how burrs were sticking to his trousers, the amazing invention which could temporarily stick two pieces of material together may never have come to be.  Today, it’s not only used as a zipper-less alternative for quickly getting in and out of costumes, but it has widespread application as well in athletic shoes, camping equipment, blood pressure cuffs, and airline seats.  In addition, it’s inexpensive and can be affixed to fabrics without sewing.  One downside, however, is that it doesn’t work with delicate materials such as lace, silk, chiffon, and low-density knits.  It’s also somewhat loud, so make sure any costume change involving Velcro happens far offstage.


3. Snap to it
   Snaps and magnets make for easy in-and-out costume changes, plus they can emulate the exterior look of fabric, wood, shell, and metal buttons.  I remember seeing a period play in which the Victorian-era ladies wore tops with leg o’ mutton sleeves sporting dozens of “pearl” buttons down each side.  It wasn’t until I had a peek in the costume room and discovered that every single sleeve effortlessly broke apart from the shoulder to the wrist without any buttons, buttonholes, or cloth loops at all.


4. Double duty
   Do actors who wear trousers really require multiple pairs of pants for each and every scene?  Interestingly, black pants are noticed the least by the audience and thus always serve as good double-duty costuming.  This saves both budget money and time, with costume changes focusing only on swapping out upper-body apparel.  For period pieces (i.e., Shakespeare), knit tights can serve as the base costume.


5. The layered look
   A popular strategy in snappy wardrobe changes involves under-dressing and over-dressing.  Heavier fabrics can be placed over lighter ones, the simplest being a long coat or cloak.  This can also be orchestrated in reverse, i.e., having a character start out in a tee-shirt and shorts or a body suit and gradually add a dress, sweater, skirt, baggy pants, and/or outerwear.  Other tricks include wearing a long skirt, or pants over shorter pants, using reversible aprons, vests, bibs, and jackets, incorporating detachable collars and cuffs, and accessorizing with scarves.


6. The ease of elastic
   Whether your actors are over-dressing or under-dressing, elastic waistbands and cuffs create a snug fit and bypass the need for belts and buttons.  Excessive use, however, will gradually cause elastic bands and inserts to stretch.  Keep an eye on these and replace them as necessary to avoid any embarrassing wardrobe malfunctions.


7. The floor pool
   Make it easy for your actors to literally step into their next outfit by pooling it on the floor with the opening at the top.  The only thing which is then needed is to pull it up to one’s waist or neck and fasten it to fit.  It goes without saying, of course, that there should be a blanket or sheet laid down underneath to keep costumes from getting dirty.


8. Watch the head!
   Wherever possible, try to avoid costumes which go on over an actor’s head unless the neck opening is an appropriately wide one.  It’s not going to be a time-saver if interim repairs need to be done to hairstyles or makeup gets all over the collar as a top is pulled on.  Consider as well whether your actors will be assisted or dressing themselves.  Anything which has to be fastened in the back instead of the front can pose a problem for solo costume changes.


9. What comes next?
   If an actor has multiple costume changes during a show, hang them on a rack in the order in which they’ll be needed.  This also goes for matching them up with correct footwear, wigs, hats, and accessories.  If a costume is only worn once, move it to a different place or at the end of the rack so it isn’t grabbed by mistake.  As part of your tech rehearsals, incorporate a costumes-only run in which your actors are put through the paces of seeing how quickly they can exchange one outfit for the next.


10. Dressers
    I was fortunate to work in community theatre productions where dressers were assigned to assist us between scenes.  For high schools which don’t have this luxury, consider using actors who are already backstage at the same time.  Another solution is to use parent volunteers.  If they’re offering to help, let them!  And, of course, thank them with a credit in the program and or even a small gift to reflect your appreciation.