Dresser

Job Duties

A dresser is a key player in the wardrobe department of a show. They are responsible for maintaining the costumes worn by the actors in the production, ensuring they stay in good quality, and assessing any repair needs. The dresser must be on hand to assist cast members with quick changes during a performance by helping them in and out of clothing, shoes, and accessories before returning to the stage on time.

However, the duties of a dresser begin long before the first performance of a show. In the lead up to the final dress rehearsal, a dresser must meet with the wardrobe team and the director to discuss the finalized costumes for the production. Occasionally, if material or accessories are needed which are not in stock, a dresser may be given budget approval to purchase the required items. From then on, the dresser must ensure that the cast always have exactly the right costumes that they need in order to make sure the show runs smoothly. In addition to assisting with quick changes, they are also required to help out with urgent costume alterations in case of accidents during a show.

When a dresser arrives at the theatre, they will first sort out any laundry needed and make sure that it is delivered to the correct cast member. Pre-set, they will then organize each cast member’s quick-change costumes in order, ensuring that the clothes for the first scene are at the top and vice-versa. These costumes are then placed in a designated area backstage where the changes will take place. Occasionally, if quick changes are needed to be done onstage, they are hidden behind parts of the set.

During the show, the dresser will be ready and waiting to assist with the quick changes, working calmly and efficiently. When the curtain is down, the dresser will then collect all costumes from the quick change areas, ensuring they are left clean and tidy. Any items that need cleaning will be taken to wardrobe and other laundry items must be collected from the cast’s dressing rooms.

Large touring productions with big casts may have up to ten dressers who each follow their own plots and have designated cast members to change at specific moments. The dressers must all know their own tasks inside out, so that they do not hinder someone’s else’s quick change.

Terminology

• Backstage: The area of the theatre not accessible or visible to the audience.
• Costume Plot: A document that details the required costume pieces for each character in a production.
• Wardrobe: The team of designers and costume construction crew that creates the costumes.
• Wardrobe Maintenance: The crew person responsible for cleaning, pressing, repairing, and storing costumes.
• Wings: The spaces immediately offstage of the playing space, sometimes referred to by technicians as “the deck.”