Wardrobe Mistress – Job Description Anna Brown Basic outline As the Wardrobe Mistress it is my job to organize and acquire any costumes that are needed for the performance. Like any job within Production Arts Events/Productions there is a distinct process a Wardrobe Mistress must follow in order to maintain and implement their role. It runs from Pre Production right through to Post Production and the show has completely finished. In the following essay I am going to discuss the process, skills and requirements needed to be an efficient and skilled Wardrobe Mistress. Key Skills Previous experience of the role, preferably within a similar-sized venue or production company Demonstrable ability to perform the duties listed above Proficient in the use of sewing machines Competent in hand-sewing An organised yet flexible approach and calm under pressure Demonstrable ability to work as part of a team and under your own initiative Ability to be creative and resourceful in problem solving Pre-Production Acquire Costumes In the planning stages of any production it is important first to familiarise yourself with the context and content of the Production. If there is a script or play book it would be good to read and make notes from this so you can understand and prepare fully for the exact types of costumes you will need to source. It may also be necessary to discuss the director’s requirements for costume as they may have their own personal preference as to what they want the costumes to be. They may want the time period of the costumes to change. For example they could be doing a Shakespeare play which is usually set 100 years ago and they may want to present the play as a modern day piece. Hiring the right costumes can be a time consuming process as the finest detail could alter the meaning or style of the characters expression or mood. Therefore it is important to have an acute eye for detail and also a distinct creative flare for creating costumes that reflect the characteristics of every character.
Transcript
Wardrobe Mistress – Job Description
Anna Brown
Basic outline
As the Wardrobe Mistress it is my job to organize and acquire any costumes that are needed for the performance. Like any job within Production Arts Events/Productions there is a distinct process a Wardrobe Mistress must follow in order to maintain and implement their role. It runs from Pre Production right through to Post Production and the show has completely finished. In the following essay I am going to discuss the process, skills and requirements needed to be an efficient and skilled Wardrobe Mistress.
Key Skills
Previous experience of the role, preferably within a similar-sized venue or production company Demonstrable ability to perform the duties listed above Proficient in the use of sewing machines Competent in hand-sewing An organised yet flexible approach and calm under pressure Demonstrable ability to work as part of a team and under your own initiative Ability to be creative and resourceful in problem solving
Pre-Production
Acquire Costumes
In the planning stages of any production it is important first to familiarise yourself with the context and content of the Production. If there is a script or play book it would be good to read and make notes from this so you can understand and prepare fully for the exact types of costumes you will need to source. It may also be necessary to discuss the director’s requirements for costume as they may have their own personal preference as to what they want the costumes to be. They may want the time period of the costumes to change. For example they could be doing a Shakespeare play which is usually set 100 years ago and they may want to present the play as a modern day piece. Hiring the right costumes can be a time consuming process as the finest detail could alter the meaning or style of the characters expression or mood. Therefore it is important to have an acute eye for detail and also a distinct creative flare for creating costumes that reflect the characteristics of every character.
Before hiring the costumes it may be necessary to measure the actors for their costumes. You will need to keep a register of these measurements as you may need to refer back to them at a later date. As a Wardrobe Mistress you will need to know how to measure your actors properly so you are able to get accurate measurements which will ensure that mistakes aren't made in the crafting or hiring of the costumes which in turn could result in mismanagement of the budget.
Examples on how to measure correctly
It is also important to have knowledge of where you can hire costumes and accessories. For example you may need to hire out costumes from other theatre companies which would require signing maintenance forms that ensure you will look after the costume and what the implications would be if anything were to happen to the costumes while they were in your care.
These may include;
o Rental Agreement
Example from Theatrical Costume Hire.com
Bookings are not considered to be confirmed until we receive a signed booking form and the agreed security deposit.
Customers should be advised that we require both measurements and exact costume requirements well in advance of a show or event.
Failure to supply the required information with ample time to spare may result in the order not being undertaken by us or an excess charge being applied due to the limited timescale.
In addition to this the Wardrobe Mistress will receive a budget from the Stage/Event Manager or the Finance department or your production company. You will then need to manage this budget, which will require experience in working with spread sheets so you can keep track of what you can spend on each characters costume.
It also may be necessary to ensure that you maintain and launder the costumes during any dress rehearsals that take place as clothes may become dirty or need mending. Therefore you will need to have competent skills in sewing or may need to know how to use a sewing machine to repair the costumes.
In the lead up to the show you will need to make a note of when the dress rehearsal will be so you can rehearse your costume changes with your dressers. This is an essential part of the process and you will need to make sure you're able to cope efficiently in a stressful environment such as this will be. For example you will have to manage your dressers and make sure they have a clear understanding of what they are required to do for the show. Therefore the dress rehearsal is essential in preparing for this.
A distinct requirement for being a Wardrobe Mistress is organisation. Every second in the performance must be planned meticulously in terms of costume changes and maintenance.
You will need to create a highly detailed plan of every costume change or alteration that takes place before and during the performance. This is done so you are organised and have a plan of what you’re going to do on the night and what order this will go in. There are a number of ways to do this depending on your own personal preference to how you will be able to best manage your team/dressers. So I have attached some examples of running orders.
Example of a Running Order for The King and I.
You will also need to have skills in team management as a Wardrobe Mistress will usually be in charge of a number of dressers to aid them in their maintenance of the costumes on the night. A Dresser or stage-hand is involved with maintaining costume quality at each performance. They are hired by the director. They report directly to the wardrobe supervisor or stage manager. Dressers are responsible for assisting cast members with costume changes backstage, when necessary. They are often used to assist primarily with quick costume changes, where a character exits and must enter again very quickly wearing a different costume. You will need to hold meetings with your team so you can go through and discuss the running order of the costume changes with them and delegate who will be in charge of what change and how each one will differ from the next. This will be very important as you will need to time each costume change as you may have a matter of seconds to change the actors costume before they are on stage again. It will be the Wardrobe Mistresses job to oversee and control manage the team on the night so they know the running order for the costumes that are needed and the precise time they are needed in the performance. This part of the Wardrobe Mistresses job can be extremely stressful as many changes can be happening at one time and backstage must be kept clear at all times to prevent any health and safety regulations being broken.
Communication is a considerably important skill to have for a Wardrobe Mistress as you will have to communicate with your team/dressers and the Director/Event Managers effectively so you can arrange and negotiate on concepts and role delegations.
Post Production
Post production is also a very important part of the WM job role as you will now have to clean or repair all of the costumes and return any costumes that you have hired in the condition they came in. This part of the job will require you to be extremely organised and well planned as there could be a number of ways that you will need to return the costumes like in the post or take them back yourself.
