Showtime can be a stressful time for everyone involved in a production. Even with all the practice and preparation, mishaps can happen, mainly regarding costumes. Knowing the best suggestions for a quick costume change helps bypass any misfortune that comes your way.
Don’t Hurry
Costume changes during a show require swift action, but don’t rush it. Whenever we know that we need to do something quickly, we tend to stumble in our ways because we do it too quickly. Rushing causes panic, leading to unforced errors like ripping a zipper off its track. Try to avoid this situation altogether by remaining calm while you change, but if it does happen, rest assured that you can fix a broken zipper on a dress.
Stay Relaxed
When we are nervous about a performance, we tend to get in our heads. Feeling flustered opens the door for several costume mishaps, causing you to be late to your spot or maybe miss that portion entirely. Overthinking leads to additional mistakes, so the best suggestion is to stay calm. If your mind is already thinking about the next number, the odds are you aren’t paying attention to your wardrobe swap. Trust your intuition and stay calm, cool, and collected no matter what’s stressing you out.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask for Help
There’s no shame in asking for help if you’re struggling with something yourself. There should be several helping hands backstage to help you loosen a zipper or fix a button. Typically, each person will have a specific job, so you’ll know who to go to if something happens. They want the show to go on without any blips, just like you do. Thus, working toward that common goal guarantees that you can go on without a hitch.
Put Items in Order
Determine a nearby location where you can change, particularly if you don’t have the opportunity to return to a changing room. Then, set out your outfits in the sequence that you’ll have to slip them on. You can lay the items next to or on top of each other.
For instance, if you need to put on a dress first, then a separate pair of shoes, followed by jewelry and a wig, you should arrange the costume in that order. When you throw your ensemble into a pile, you can easily confuse it with someone else’s.