{"id":155,"date":"2016-04-12T21:39:38","date_gmt":"2016-04-12T21:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/performerstuff.wpengine.com\/?p=155"},"modified":"2020-03-21T03:03:17","modified_gmt":"2020-03-21T03:03:17","slug":"the-actors-guide-to-quick-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/the-actors-guide-to-quick-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Actor’s Guide to Quick Changes"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Actor’s Guide to Quick Changes<\/h3>\n
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Written by Ashleigh Gardner
\nApril 7, 2016<\/p>\n

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Every actor dreads the two words that mean \u201chustle your butt\u201d: quick change. We\u2019ve all had one, or we\u2019ll have one eventually. Whether you\u2019ve got 2 minutes or 20 seconds to change, someone inevitably swears to Patti Lupone that \u201cthey\u2019ll go insane by the end of this show.\u201d
\nBut wait! Back it up. Take it from someone who\u2019s been both an actor (with a 9-second quick change) and <\/em>a dresser (who shed an actress of her apron, dress, corset, bloomers, underskirt, stockings, and unbraided her tightly wound hair\u2026only to redress her in a nightgown\u2026and cover her with blood\u2014in a matter of a minute). Enter the experience with grace and positivity, and everyone will be the better for it.<\/p>\n


Before every show: Check. Your. Costumes.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Make sure you have every costume piece you need, in the order you need it. There\u2019s nothing worse than not being able to find your shoes or your shirt when you need to be on stage in six seconds.<\/p>\n

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Have your bobby pins ready to go.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If you need to create an up-do during your quick change, make sure you give your dresser the bobby pins you want to use. Also, if you\u2019re wearing two differently colored wigs, make sure you have the bobby pins to match the hair color (they sell these at any drug store).<\/p>\n

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Stop. Take a breath. Smile.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Quick changes are stressful, so approach them as you would any situation that makes you feel like you might panic: stop and take a breath. And if you haven\u2019t got a moment in between your exit and your quick change, breathe in the middle of your transition.<\/p>\n

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Get ready to hustle. It\u2019s GO TIME.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When you\u2019ve finally met with your dresser backstage, understand that they are READY. Do your absolute best to match their preparedness. Be present and aware of their needs. Move quickly and efficiently.<\/p>\n

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Be nice to your dressers!<\/strong><\/h4>\n

They make you look good. They are (sometimes) your only mirror. Treat them with respect and know that they also have an important job. Their skill and speed make or break your next entrance, so be nice!<\/p>\n

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Stay positive, and refrain from complaining.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

As with any high-stress situation, negativity only makes things worse. If you don\u2019t like the way your dress hangs on your shoulders, or if you hate the color of your dress shirt, save your qualms for later. They don\u2019t help you or the dresser in the moment of the quick change. Keep it positive.<\/p>\n

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Ask your dresser, \u201cIs there anything I can do to help you?\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If there is, do your best to complete that task for your dresser; they\u2019re also under a lot of pressure! If there isn\u2019t, stand still so they can work their magic.<\/p>\n

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Listen to your dresser. LISTEN TO THEM.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

If your dresser tells you to stand still, do it. They may be pinning your dress so it doesn\u2019t fly open on stage. If your dresser tells you to stand up straight, do it! They\u2019re probably trying to make sure your Hamlet is the hottest dude in Denmark. A quick change should be a quiet, quick, efficient experience for all parties involved. Do what they tell you; you\u2019ll thank them for it later.<\/p>\n

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Say, \u201cThank you.\u201d<\/strong><\/h4>\n

You all just went through hell together, right? Tell your dresser how much you appreciate them and their skills by saying, \u201cThank you.\u201d If you\u2019re mic\u2019ed and you can\u2019t say anything, then mouth it. If you\u2019ve got no time, say it after the show.<\/p>\n

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Always shake their hand.<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Nothing means more in business than a good, honest handshake. It shows your dresser, and your fellow actors who may have helped you, that you respect their professionalism and efforts to make you look the best you can. Always end on a positive note at the end of the night, and leave the other person\/people better than they were before you saw them.<\/p>\n

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Ashleigh Gardner<\/strong> received her AA in\u00a0Theatre\/Drama\/Dramatic Arts\u00a0from Valencia College and\u00a0her Bachelor’s in English Literature and\u00a0Master’s in Literary, Cultural, and Textual Studies from\u00a0the University of Central Florida. She is a playwright and an actor.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" [...]","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[261,260,258],"tags":[12,27,321,21,320],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/performerstuff.com\/mgs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}