This year I once again took part in New Alexandra Theatre's Stage Experience, being part of the wardrobe team for West Side Story. It was great to be reunited with the team and to have the opportunity to work with them again. This year I wanted to learn more about how wardrobe is organised so I volunteered to do some of the paperwork, therefore my first job was making a costume plot for the show. Using my knowledge of doing the costume plots for the short films at uni and a template of how Jane Griffiths (Head of Wardrobe) does her costume plots I was able to read through the script and make a costume plot that matched the format she was used to working with. This also taught me how costume plots are different in film and theatre. We then matched outfits together from the rails and fitted them to actors as they came up during rehearsals.
This year it was very similar style wise as the era was the same as Grease but we were narrowed down by the colour schemes that separate the Jets and Sharks. They each had a dance outfit, a day outfit and a white dream outfit. We then set all the costumes in the dressing rooms ready for the dress rehearsals. I watched a rehearsal run through to get a feel of the pace of the story and made notes as I watched of who came on for which scenes from which sides (stage right or left). I could use these later to help work out where the actors would need to be at what time. This year we also had Makeup students from UCB helping us in wardrobe and helping actors with hair and makeup. I got to show them around backstage and explain the wardrobe process and tell them everything I had learned the year before. This made me realise how much I had gained from my experience last year and gave me more confidence that I know what I am doing in this role. I then used the costume plot I made earlier and filled it out with the costumes we had allocated. From this I worked out when the quick changes might be and met with the corresponding actors to discuss this with them. During the dress rehearsal I took charge of pre set and quick changes during the show. I pre set in the quick change area allocated under stage right, but during the first rehearsal we realised it took too long for the actors to change here then run to be onstage from stage left so for the second dress rehearsal I spoke to the CSM (company stage manager), DSM (deputy stage manager) and stage crew for stage left, claimed a spot in the stage left wings and did the quick changes from there and it worked a lot better. I also worked out from that which quick changes I would need help with.
For me shows started by pre setting quick change costumes in stage left (Anita's dance dress and accessories and Tony's day outfit), and pre setting Maria's dressing gown on the mirror used in 'I feel pretty' in act two. Then I would help man Company office from the half hour call to the beginner's call, ironing and repairing whatever needed it. At beginner's call I would head up to the stage left wings and watch the performance from side stage, helping Tony change during scene three into his dance suit, though this was not a quick change. My first quick change was at the end of scene three changing Anita from her bridal shop dress to her dance dress for 'Dance at the Gym', 'Mambo' and 'America'. Then while she was onstage I would take her bridal shop dress back to her dressing room. After this I would continue watching from stage left waiting for Tony's quick change from his suit to his day outfit between scenes six 'Cool' and seven 'One Hand One Heart'. For this change I had Jane to help because we only had the scene change to get him from a full suit and 'Jet black tie' to a t-shirt, jeans, denim jacket and converse. Our fastest time for this change was 37 seconds. I would them collect Bernardo's Sharks jacket when it was removed in the rumble scene. After this I would return Bernardo's jacket and Tony's suit to their dressing room.
In the interval I would collect Maria's finale dress and set it stage left ready. This is when Tony and Chino would change into ripped t-shirts and get bruising makeup done by the makeup girls. I would then head back up to stage left to watch the show until I needed to help Maria change into her finale dress. This change wasn't particularly quick but the fastening at the back of the dress was poppers and hook and bars so needed assistance. During the finale scene I would go and collect Maria's dance dress to pre set stage right for the next performance, and also collect all the clothes Tony changes out of stage right to pre set them either back in his dressing room or stage left for the next show.
I enjoyed this year even more than the last and felt a new connection to the story which I hadn't got from studying it at uni. I loved that I volunteered to increase my responsibilities and that this helped me learn even more about wardrobe's role in a show. I always treasure the support I get from the backstage team and especially Jane, and I'm so glad she was impressed with my work. I really enjoyed getting to know the actors and it was a pleasure to watch them perform. I really hope I can take part again next year after I graduate.
http://www.thereviewshub.com/west-side-story-new-alexandra-theatre-birmingham-2/
https://www.facebook.com/newalextheatre/
For me shows started by pre setting quick change costumes in stage left (Anita's dance dress and accessories and Tony's day outfit), and pre setting Maria's dressing gown on the mirror used in 'I feel pretty' in act two. Then I would help man Company office from the half hour call to the beginner's call, ironing and repairing whatever needed it. At beginner's call I would head up to the stage left wings and watch the performance from side stage, helping Tony change during scene three into his dance suit, though this was not a quick change. My first quick change was at the end of scene three changing Anita from her bridal shop dress to her dance dress for 'Dance at the Gym', 'Mambo' and 'America'. Then while she was onstage I would take her bridal shop dress back to her dressing room. After this I would continue watching from stage left waiting for Tony's quick change from his suit to his day outfit between scenes six 'Cool' and seven 'One Hand One Heart'. For this change I had Jane to help because we only had the scene change to get him from a full suit and 'Jet black tie' to a t-shirt, jeans, denim jacket and converse. Our fastest time for this change was 37 seconds. I would them collect Bernardo's Sharks jacket when it was removed in the rumble scene. After this I would return Bernardo's jacket and Tony's suit to their dressing room.
In the interval I would collect Maria's finale dress and set it stage left ready. This is when Tony and Chino would change into ripped t-shirts and get bruising makeup done by the makeup girls. I would then head back up to stage left to watch the show until I needed to help Maria change into her finale dress. This change wasn't particularly quick but the fastening at the back of the dress was poppers and hook and bars so needed assistance. During the finale scene I would go and collect Maria's dance dress to pre set stage right for the next performance, and also collect all the clothes Tony changes out of stage right to pre set them either back in his dressing room or stage left for the next show.
I enjoyed this year even more than the last and felt a new connection to the story which I hadn't got from studying it at uni. I loved that I volunteered to increase my responsibilities and that this helped me learn even more about wardrobe's role in a show. I always treasure the support I get from the backstage team and especially Jane, and I'm so glad she was impressed with my work. I really enjoyed getting to know the actors and it was a pleasure to watch them perform. I really hope I can take part again next year after I graduate.
http://www.thereviewshub.com/west-side-story-new-alexandra-theatre-birmingham-2/
https://www.facebook.com/newalextheatre/