"How do you do a quick change?"
This was asked of me by a friend I've known for years recently. At first, I didn't know how to answer him. I've been taking people's clothes off and putting them back on them since college, it's second nature to me now. I don't think through the logistics of the transaction anymore.
But how do we transform them from one scene to the next in just the space of a black out? Sometimes putting on complicated three piece suits with accessories, sometimes going from street urchin to focus of the scene in a matter of moments.
The first step to a successful quick change is a quick rigged costume. We sew velcro into places where the fabric needs to tear apart quickly, or more preferably snaps. We use a lot of velcro and snaps. We change out the cufflinks on dress shirts with ones rigged with elastic. We also use elastic in place of shoe laces almost always, so they can slip their feet right out of a tennis shoe.
Once you have the costume rigged for success, you talk through the steps of the change with the actor. Sometimes the performer will underdress parts of the next costume under their current one to make the change go faster, this must be discussed in advance, so they know to start the show with three pairs of pants on.
Every actor is different and even the best rigging can't save an actor who panics during their change. I've met people who can do any change on the first try, and many more who require a lot of patience and practice before we get it right.
The next most important part of the change is the preset. I have spent many, many hours of my life presetting costumes for changes. Mostly this means that everything must always be in exactly the same place so that no matter what else is happening, we both, the actor and I, know exactly where everything is. Pooling dresses on the floor with the shoes in the middle is commonplace. This way the performer can step right into their shoes, someone can pull the dress up, they can do whatever else they need to with their hair or accessories, while I zip them up from behind, and perhaps bend down to buckle their shoes.
Though, to be clear, I will nine times out of ten find any other way to facilitate a change than have to buckle someone else's shoe on for them. It's too risky; an undone or loose buckle can lead to career ending broken ankles and I never want that kind of pressure. If there's a way for them to do it themselves, I always prefer a performer to secure their own shoe.
Above all of this preparation for a quick change, the only thing that honestly makes things quick is practice. I need time to learn the actors habits and needs. They need time to be familiar with the costume. We need time together to learn how to move our bodies around each other in tight quarters. The more rehearsal time devoted to our changes, the better they will be on opening night.
On my most recent show I had one full costume change in 30 seconds for the finale. We became so practiced at it after several months that we started having a thumb war backstage before he would enter for the end of the show. This is the ultimate sign of success, when the performer has time to take a breath, a drink, a moment, before entering again to do the next thing.
The things that are happening behind the scenes, in little alcoves with low light, are just as rehearsed as the choreography going on in front of the curtain, but no one gets to witness that magic except me and my cast.
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