Yesterday I amazed even myself on a trip to the Mall of America.
Here is how I got conned into going to the Mega Mall.
Mom: Well I think I'm going to go into Goodwill* and see if I can find anything to wear to the wedding.*
Me: Mom, no. You are not going to find black tie at the Goodwill. We'll go to the mall when you come to visit.
Mom: Really? Are you sure? Do you think they'll have something?
Me: Yes. We'll go to Nordstom Rack and find you something really nice.
Mom: OK
So we go to The Rack. I got a little distracted by some Smart Wool socks but then I switched into costume girl mode and found a fabulous dress for my mom By Alex Evenings.
It was kind of magical that we found it and even the cashier was impressed with our find.
It is absolutely wonderful and after a little altering it will be perfect for the wedding.
I have to admit that I feel very skilled. Not only did I find my mom the perfect dress but I also altered it. So my dresser skills carry over into real life and have come in very handy during this summer's wedding season.
*Mom claims she said she was going to an upscale second hand store, not Goodwill.
*Wedding is Black Tie requested and is causing my parents stress and confusion as they try to figure out what is appropriate attire and come to grips with my step father buying a black suit that was made in this decade, not his grey suit from 1973.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The most successful
When I was in college one of the toughest things I had to do was to convince my parents that I really could work in theater and support myself.
The first summer I work in summer stock I worked crazy hours and made no money. My parents knew how much I worked because the theater was in the same town as my dad. That fall I needed some money for a car repair so I went to the bank of Mom and when the bank of Mom would not approve my loan I went to the bank of Dad. The Bank of Dad told me that he would give me this loan but it would be the last loan and that if I was going to work in theater I was going to have to figure out how to not ask him for money.
Since I was in my junior year I felt a little past the point of switching majors I decided that I would have to make it work.
Also by this time I loved what I was doing.
So I've worked hard over the years and been smart with my money and with work. Sometimes with work it is feast of famine meaning that there will be times when there is more work than I could ever handle followed by times when there is no work at all. But I think that this pressure to prove to my parents that my job is real and can support me has put me in a better financial state than my siblings who did not have to prove that nursing or engineering were good careers. My brother has yet to land a job in his field and my sister quit nursing after a couple years.
So as I pointed out to my dad a couple years ago, technically I'm his most successful kid.
The first summer I work in summer stock I worked crazy hours and made no money. My parents knew how much I worked because the theater was in the same town as my dad. That fall I needed some money for a car repair so I went to the bank of Mom and when the bank of Mom would not approve my loan I went to the bank of Dad. The Bank of Dad told me that he would give me this loan but it would be the last loan and that if I was going to work in theater I was going to have to figure out how to not ask him for money.
Since I was in my junior year I felt a little past the point of switching majors I decided that I would have to make it work.
Also by this time I loved what I was doing.
So I've worked hard over the years and been smart with my money and with work. Sometimes with work it is feast of famine meaning that there will be times when there is more work than I could ever handle followed by times when there is no work at all. But I think that this pressure to prove to my parents that my job is real and can support me has put me in a better financial state than my siblings who did not have to prove that nursing or engineering were good careers. My brother has yet to land a job in his field and my sister quit nursing after a couple years.
So as I pointed out to my dad a couple years ago, technically I'm his most successful kid.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Advice from Musical Theater
Yesterday was the official start of my part time gig in the costume shop.
The day started with the typical drama of theater when my cutter/draper called me the night before to see if I could give her a ride to work since her car had broken down. So out the window go my plans to run three miles before work and to stay a little later so I can leave early on Friday.
I started on lead boy pants as if I had never left and knew what I was doing. OK those men's pants with the flap front are hard but I survived. Then I put a new back on a vest and made a mock up for a skirt.
My favorite thing of being back in the shop is the musical selection. Oh how I have missed having access to every musical ever made.
After listening to MPR all morning which was really good and had a very confirming story on living adventurous lives from No map. No guide. No Limits I felt good about my decision to focus more on writing.
Yesterday's music was Wicked, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book and Gypsy the 2008 production with Patti LuPone.
The advice that I was able to get from musical theater yesterday was a gem from Gypsy "You gotta get a gimmick if you want to get ahead."
Ever since then I have been thinking, What is my gimmick? Is it my new found talent for hula hooping? Is it writing?
Probably half the fun in life is trying to find a gimmick.
The day started with the typical drama of theater when my cutter/draper called me the night before to see if I could give her a ride to work since her car had broken down. So out the window go my plans to run three miles before work and to stay a little later so I can leave early on Friday.
I started on lead boy pants as if I had never left and knew what I was doing. OK those men's pants with the flap front are hard but I survived. Then I put a new back on a vest and made a mock up for a skirt.
My favorite thing of being back in the shop is the musical selection. Oh how I have missed having access to every musical ever made.
After listening to MPR all morning which was really good and had a very confirming story on living adventurous lives from No map. No guide. No Limits I felt good about my decision to focus more on writing.
Yesterday's music was Wicked, Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Song Book and Gypsy the 2008 production with Patti LuPone.
The advice that I was able to get from musical theater yesterday was a gem from Gypsy "You gotta get a gimmick if you want to get ahead."
Ever since then I have been thinking, What is my gimmick? Is it my new found talent for hula hooping? Is it writing?
Probably half the fun in life is trying to find a gimmick.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Quick-Change Turrets
Yesterday I was reminded of a condition that I like to call Quick Change Turrets. No one I am working with right now has QCT. But I was reminded of the condition during a conversation yesterday and I thought it would make a good blog post.
Quick Change Turrets is when an actor comes off stage for a quick change and begins swearing. It should be noted that they aren't actually swearing at their dresser but just swearing in the stress of having to change a suit or dress in 30 seconds.
The pressure of changing an entire costume in 30 seconds causes this. They worry they will not make an entrance or that if they make the entrance it will be without some essential item like pants. So they begin a string of swear words that would make a sailor proud.
Not every actor is prone to QCT. Some actors use quick change time to worry about if the audience loves them or not. Some talk about other outside of work things. During a quick change the perfect actor will not try to "help". "Helping" can be defined as anything other than standing still and allowing other people to dress them. Perfect actors will stand still and resist the urge to help button or zip things. They will not reach for their shoes while you are trying to zip a bodice.
A wardrobe girl or quick change artist must have a tough skin. Sometimes we have to remember that an actor is not swearing at us but at the change or the suit or the fact that the playwright only gave them 30 seconds to change a costume.
It is important to remember that in two weeks the change will be so smooth and fast it will feel like you have tons of time. You and your actor will be joking about drinking cocktails or smoking cigarettes during the change because that is how much time they have. Quick Change Turrets will be a distant but funny memory.
Quick Change Turrets is when an actor comes off stage for a quick change and begins swearing. It should be noted that they aren't actually swearing at their dresser but just swearing in the stress of having to change a suit or dress in 30 seconds.
The pressure of changing an entire costume in 30 seconds causes this. They worry they will not make an entrance or that if they make the entrance it will be without some essential item like pants. So they begin a string of swear words that would make a sailor proud.
Not every actor is prone to QCT. Some actors use quick change time to worry about if the audience loves them or not. Some talk about other outside of work things. During a quick change the perfect actor will not try to "help". "Helping" can be defined as anything other than standing still and allowing other people to dress them. Perfect actors will stand still and resist the urge to help button or zip things. They will not reach for their shoes while you are trying to zip a bodice.
A wardrobe girl or quick change artist must have a tough skin. Sometimes we have to remember that an actor is not swearing at us but at the change or the suit or the fact that the playwright only gave them 30 seconds to change a costume.
It is important to remember that in two weeks the change will be so smooth and fast it will feel like you have tons of time. You and your actor will be joking about drinking cocktails or smoking cigarettes during the change because that is how much time they have. Quick Change Turrets will be a distant but funny memory.
Friday, August 14, 2009
I'm not Goth, I just wear a lot of black
Most of the summer has been below average, temperature wise. But this last week has been in the 90's.
That is great. Summer finally arrived.
But it isn't so awesome when most of your wardrobe is black.
People who work backstage wear black. This is so you will blend into the darkness of backstage instead of sticking out in a white shirt. It even gives this tip in the Backstage Handbook that I had in college.
The majority of my wardrobe is black. I have a drawer that is devoted to black jeans and another drawer that is devoted to black shirts and tops. I have a black hoodie for every day of the week. Sometimes despite the fact that I am a grown up people will think that I am still stuck in some high school goth phase. Despite my black converse they never think I am going through a ninja phase.
It has been 90 degrees for the last week. On really hot days like today I wish that I owned less black.
Today for example I went outside and set up the new hose hider for my condo. It was so hot out I nearly did not complete the task.
I also wish I owned less black when I am off from work. I long for different colors but standing in front of really cute tops that are not black I can't figure out when I would wear them.
The funny thing about wearing all this black in the heat is that once I get to work it is freezing cold. Seriously I wear a sweatshirt backstage and I am still cold. It is so cold that the actors don't even want to stand backstage when it is time for places.
That is great. Summer finally arrived.
But it isn't so awesome when most of your wardrobe is black.
People who work backstage wear black. This is so you will blend into the darkness of backstage instead of sticking out in a white shirt. It even gives this tip in the Backstage Handbook that I had in college.
The majority of my wardrobe is black. I have a drawer that is devoted to black jeans and another drawer that is devoted to black shirts and tops. I have a black hoodie for every day of the week. Sometimes despite the fact that I am a grown up people will think that I am still stuck in some high school goth phase. Despite my black converse they never think I am going through a ninja phase.
It has been 90 degrees for the last week. On really hot days like today I wish that I owned less black.
Today for example I went outside and set up the new hose hider for my condo. It was so hot out I nearly did not complete the task.
I also wish I owned less black when I am off from work. I long for different colors but standing in front of really cute tops that are not black I can't figure out when I would wear them.
The funny thing about wearing all this black in the heat is that once I get to work it is freezing cold. Seriously I wear a sweatshirt backstage and I am still cold. It is so cold that the actors don't even want to stand backstage when it is time for places.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Stitchin and Bitchin
Well Monday starts a seven week gig working in a costume shop.
I have worked at this costume shop for the last eight years and actually feel like I owe this costume shop my eternal gratitude for the job that I have right now. It was in this windowless costume shop where I first sat next to my current boss and she asked me if I had ever worked on wardrobe for a show before. Oh it turned out that I had and the rest is history.
The thing is that I happen to be really shy. I would never have applied at the theater I work at now because I would have been convinced that I did not have the experience to work there. So thank goodness for the costume shop where I met my boss and got my job.
But this loyalty to the shop led to burnout as I was working full time as a wardrobe girl at night and full time as a stitcher during the day.
A couple years ago I had one of those awakening moments where I realized what I wanted to do was be a writer. I mean I have always written and I have filled up journals for the last decade but I wanted other people to read what I wrote. This meant that one of the jobs had to go.
The economy sucks which meant a little creative planning.
So now I am returning as a part time stitcher for a build on my terms, two days a week. I'll still have time to write and I'll have a little extra money/work for a while.
I'm sure I will have great stories to tell from this experience.
Conversations in the shop often range from musicals to politics to who would play you in the Hollywood version of your life story. We often talk about the TV sitcom about our shop which would be called Shop Talk. So hopefully it will be a good experience.
I have worked at this costume shop for the last eight years and actually feel like I owe this costume shop my eternal gratitude for the job that I have right now. It was in this windowless costume shop where I first sat next to my current boss and she asked me if I had ever worked on wardrobe for a show before. Oh it turned out that I had and the rest is history.
The thing is that I happen to be really shy. I would never have applied at the theater I work at now because I would have been convinced that I did not have the experience to work there. So thank goodness for the costume shop where I met my boss and got my job.
But this loyalty to the shop led to burnout as I was working full time as a wardrobe girl at night and full time as a stitcher during the day.
A couple years ago I had one of those awakening moments where I realized what I wanted to do was be a writer. I mean I have always written and I have filled up journals for the last decade but I wanted other people to read what I wrote. This meant that one of the jobs had to go.
The economy sucks which meant a little creative planning.
So now I am returning as a part time stitcher for a build on my terms, two days a week. I'll still have time to write and I'll have a little extra money/work for a while.
I'm sure I will have great stories to tell from this experience.
Conversations in the shop often range from musicals to politics to who would play you in the Hollywood version of your life story. We often talk about the TV sitcom about our shop which would be called Shop Talk. So hopefully it will be a good experience.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
I want to be a Producer
Well I don't really want to be a producer but I sounded like one the other day.
The midwest is home to much severe weather and while it is unlikely that a tornado will make its way through downtown often the suburbs will experience a tornado touch down. This summer has not been full of much severe weather. It hasn't been hot meaning we haven't had the fronts moving through that would cause severe weather.
The other night we had some severe weather and the sirens were going off and there were tornados sighted in the suburbs so we had to go through what the protocol for severe weather was.
Basically it is to get everyone in one of the theaters as these are the safest spaces. So being the wonderful dresser I am I encouraged the cast to just keep singing/playing since they were already in the safest place they could be in.
Fortunately the storms went to the north of the city and we did not have to put my advice into action.
But I was told as I was giving my words of advice that I sounded like a producer.
The midwest is home to much severe weather and while it is unlikely that a tornado will make its way through downtown often the suburbs will experience a tornado touch down. This summer has not been full of much severe weather. It hasn't been hot meaning we haven't had the fronts moving through that would cause severe weather.
The other night we had some severe weather and the sirens were going off and there were tornados sighted in the suburbs so we had to go through what the protocol for severe weather was.
Basically it is to get everyone in one of the theaters as these are the safest spaces. So being the wonderful dresser I am I encouraged the cast to just keep singing/playing since they were already in the safest place they could be in.
Fortunately the storms went to the north of the city and we did not have to put my advice into action.
But I was told as I was giving my words of advice that I sounded like a producer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)