Helping On Top Girls

Top Girls Program

A Soldier's tale is starting for it's performance in December but there are other AUCB shows in production at the moment. The first show this year is Top Girls written by Caryl Churchill in 1982. It is an all female cast, set in the 1980's and is being performed in the round. I was really interested in helping with this show to see how it was working back-stage and dressing. This was a large play with several costume changes and since it was being performed in the beginning of the term almost everything was sourced and then altered. I starting helping earlier than just the week before, by making a skirt for the production. It was for the character of Kit and was just a simple school girl skirt. I combined patterns from other projects and made it out of top fabric for their first fitting. The waistband didn't fit the actress but a simple solution was found to just take the waist-band off and face it. Taking up the hem a little was the only other alteration. I feel like this was successful project because I was able to produce it quickly and have it fit with only minor alterations. For a maker this was a good experience working on a live show and having to put something together promptly and independently.

Line Drawing for Kit Skirt.

Before the Show: After finishing my skirt I made I let the supervisor Ellen know that I was available if they needed help. I assisted on the first fitting, mostly to see my skirt but also to help assist in pining things and measuring them. There were many alterations after the first fitting but I think over-all it went well. I tried to help with some alterations over the next few days, while still working on my work. This was a tricky balancing act that in the end got the better of me. The immediacy of Top Girls made it feel like a priority for anyone helping and I think I wasn't able to divide my time evenly between my project and Top Girls. By the end of the week towards the first performance on Thursday I was mostly just helping on Top Girls doing alterations and being at most rehearsals to help with the quick changes. Thursday morning was very busy making a new tablecloth, altering an old one, and making new napkins. It taught me to always think on your feet during a live show and that you can't be prepared for everything but should strive to be so. 

Dressing: I really enjoyed being a dresser. I enjoyed the environment of excitement that comes with working backstage on a live theatre production. The core team of this production: Ellen (supervisor), Amy (buyer and assistant supervisor), and Zoey (designer) made it a very easy production to help on. They were organised backstage and knew the show and the characters thoroughly. I mostly helped with the quick changes back stage and doing some pre-setting before the show and ironing and prep for the next show afterwards. It only took a few dress rehearsals to get a good routine for the quick changes. 

I feel like the performances went very well and it was a strong show. 

Evaluation: Working on Top Girls was a valuable experience in working on a live show. It was unlike any experience I have had at AUCB because it was a fast get in, a mostly sourced show, and was more modern in setting and costumes. Making Kit's school skirt was a rewarding making project that gave me the chance to work quickly and creatively in terms of my pattern making. I think it fit in well with the rest of costumes. Helping with alterations and dress rehearsals was at times an overwhelming experience. Although I don't think I balanced my time well between Top Girls and my own work, I was glad I could help on Top Girls. Since my hand-in is later I will be able to make up that time over the next few weeks to catch back up with my time-plan. I enjoyed dressing for the show and working as a team for each performance. Just like being prepared when making a costume with fabric and patterns and tools, the supervisor and dressers had to be prepared and organized for quick changes back-stage and to be attentive for any alterations or prepping before and after each performance. I think as a costume team we all worked really well together and that helped make every performance a success.