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I'm in Community Theatre Costume Hell. How do I get these people to act like professionals?

I have visited your web site often. sometimes just to remember that there is a world where costuming matters. I can make tux coats out of satin, I can take scraps of material and make a evening gown, I research my material, I construct costume plots, I do renderings and even take the director a box of colors so I can add colors during production meetings. but I can't seem to get through to the people I work with. I am currently with a community theatre group. they do not seem to realize the importance of costuming.....They have ended up needing 248 costumes. they had only budgeted 1200.00 for the show. The board member in the show told me she already picked out her costumes and had a gown she would wear for her main dance. Well the young man standing outside the door listening told the director I had crawled up her butt and died. rather graphic, but accurate. Basically I am in costumer hell. The people here think you costume a show by every one going home and getting something out of their closet. I am already at the best facility in the area and costuming was important here once (the evidence is all around me) how can I bring them back?

Answer:

All community Theatre is costumer hell. There is a different mental attitude between people who self define as "actors' or "theatre students", and people who self define as butchers, bakers, bank clerks, etc. who "got a part in a show". The butchers, bakers, et al are genuinely and legitimately trying to help you by taking care of their own costumes. On a budget of 1200, they almost are.

You have two big problems in most community theatres. One is the lack of a theatre "culture" among the cast, crew, directors, etc. The group usually isn't a group, but a hasty assemblage of whoever can be grabbed. This inhibits both working together because the "group" never develops rules and traditions that help to support cooperation. It also is nearly impossible to convey the idea to all participants that what you are making is art.

About the only way that this can be avoided completely in a community theatre is by having people join the "group" on an annual basis, not a show-by show basis. This would mean that all actors in the shows would be selected from a pre-formed "company" and that auditions would be for inclusion into the company not the individual show. Ditto for other positions. Then you add to this format "classes" workshops and activities that help indoctrinate the group into the aesthetic of the company. A good charismatic, megalomaniac artistic director can do this. This will not stop the actors from volunteering clothes and suggestions, (if anything, it ideally will increase it) but it will make what they volunteer more in line with what is appropriate. It will also tend to make them more respectful of your contribution to the show. This method is used by small avant garde theatres that have no money but still create great theatre out of nothing by having an almost cult like structure.

Another less drastic way to help change their attitude is much simpler, but requires you get a full set of renderings done before the first rehearsal. You just request that the director give you time to present your renderings to the cast at the first or second rehearsal, then you do a 5-10 minute spiel to the cast where you explain your costume concept and how it fits with the directors concept, then show them the drawings. This will generally get them to accept your authority en
masse, plus they will then often tell you "I have a suit like the one you drew, shall I bring it in?" which is actually helpful. If somebody has a problem with their rendering they will also usually tell you about it (timidly) right then, when it is not too late to make changes, rather than after you have the costume built.