This is Your Wardrobe Crew, Tweeting Live!

I just finished a two week run of our production of The Piano Lesson, working backstage on Wardrobe Crew. This is the third show I’ve worked on this year that was set in the 1930s and I just love the costumes from this era. I’d wear those hats and stockings any day!

As a wardrobe crew member, I have to keep inventory: making sure that all the costumes pieces are accounted for before and after each show; do any laundry that needs to be done in case an actor gets makeup or blood on their costume; quick fixes during show and repairing costumes during the day. I volunteered to be the backstage member, the one who sits in a dark corner for the whole show, giving all the actors a once-over to make sure that they remember their hats and that they aren’t wearing their own jewelry, that zippers and buttoned and shoelaces are fixed. I’m also on hand to help the actor playing Lymon do his quick change into his silk suit during Act 2, Scene 1.

It seems like a lot, but most of time, I was sitting around and doing “backstage tweets” pre-show and during intermission. Here are the adventures of wardrobe crew, in a 140 characters!

• Bad pre-show music choices: video killed the radio star. Aargh!
• Opening night for The Piano Lesson! I’m about to go sit backstage for 3 hours and do that one costume change. @theTheatreDork This is the life we chose! HAHAHA
• RT: Packed house for the opening night of “The Piano Lesson”
• and I got through opening night with only three panic attacks.
• Wardrobe Crew insults: “I hope you get covered in sweat that you can’t wipe off!” #wardrobecrew
• I’ve found grey in my hair. I’m not sure if it’s stress or stage makeup but either way, I blame this show.
• It took me nine years, but I figured out how to tie a tie #wardrobecrew
• In 50 years, students will learn the College Theatre Dork form of dance, in which rotten fruit is thrown at audience. It’s post-post-modernism.
• #StageShotSunday ? Try taking a photocall after this three hour show with a double cast.
• ASM: White hair is sexy. (actor overhears) Actor: Does anyone have any dye?
• Crying baby in the house. Okay people, could you at least give your kids sleep medicine before bringing them to the theatre?
• Director brings actors KFC to eat (in costume) between matinee and photocall. Technicians starve. #wardrobecrew
• RT: “Oh you’re in theatre? Do you know _____?” Ya. I got them naked every night for a week #costumecrew @eatsleeptheatre @Techie_Problems
• I’m waiting for one actor’s sock to dry… #wardrobecrew #TheatreMajorProblems
• The wardrobe crew is addicted to lollipops, but not the blue or brown ones. We’re also easily entertained by Black Swan impressions.
• a week later but #HouseManagerAW (House Manager Appreciation Week) because someone has to pull the audience off the set and the hell away from the piano #ThePianoLesson
• I’d like to thank the inventors of the backstage bite-lite and advil. #wardrobecrew #TheatreMajorProblems
• Act one finale, black out. An audience member says “Oh shit.” actor drags himself offstage doubled over in laughter.
• “You have to stop doing LSD before shows!” “Yeah, why didn’t you bring some to share?” #overheardbackstage #wardrobecrew
• “Remember when you were a science major?” “I was a science major.” “Remember when I was a science major?” #TheatreMajorProblems
• “You are the baggie for my intimates” #wardrobecrew #overheardbackstage
• Strike for The Piano Lesson and then going straight to a production mtg for Stop the World. #oneshowendsanotherbegins #theatremajorproblems

So there you have it, folks. My adventures in costuming have come to an end and I’m already immediately off and running to my next show—I’m going to be an actor again!