RUNNING: Costuming the Crew

[centaura]

I was costumed once as running crew, and had a near-nasty accident because of the costume.  It was decided that since the costumes were for the crew, they didn't need to put any effort into them.  I ended up in a skirt that was literally four sizes too big for me and had to be wrapped around my waist and pinned.  I had to run backwards during one scene change and my shoe got caught up in the skirt fabric, I went down on my butt and thanks to our momentum, went 'skipping on my butt' across the stage.  While it was amusing to everyone else later, I was too busy at the time trying to stop the heavy table leg from dropping and crushing my neck.

Now, this might indicate that I am totally against crew in costume - which I'm not, but it would take a good reason why they need to be in costume to get my full support; as well as the costume taking the crew's needed movements into consideration.  I worked in a union house once where a hand was needed center stage to open up a set piece that rolled on, so they worked it out that one of the hands wore a costume and entered from inside the piece after it was wheeled on.  In that circumstance, it worked out.

BTW - he was also paid extra for wearing a costume, per the theatre's contract.

-Centaura

[LizH]

I think it's fine as long as the costumes don't interfere with crew duties.
In college I worked a jingju (Chinese opera) where the crew was dressed in tan kung-fu outfits and had to embody emotions while changing the set. The theatre I work at now alternates in how crew members are dressed. We've put the crew in black sweats for a show involving Irish gangsters, used black cover-alls for a show about a destitute Western family, and just use plain blacks for some shows. It depends on the amount of set changes and how much light they require. However, whatever we put crew in, the line is drawn if the costume would hamper people.

[ljh007]

Just an FYI: if your crew is IATSE, any costumed crew members will automatically, according to union regulations, need to be paid a higher rate each time they go into costume. And they will probably need to take a 4-hr minimum call for their fittings - but check with your rep about that.

[Libby]

I was ASMing a show that took place in a theatre in 1865. Not only was there a ton of furniture, but there also was also a fake proscenium arch that would pivot (with it's pivot point stage Center) around the stage. Thus, tons of crew moves. Since it was set in a theatre the director decided that all the crew should look like 19th century stage crews. The crew were all men, really basic wool pants/button up shirts, suspenders. The saving grace was them deciding that the women should just dress as men as well. Though they gave me a jacket to cover the unmanly bust line. Both myself, the other ASM, and the head crew had to wear headsets throughout the transitions (with so much moving there were times where we would be doing one thing onstage and have to wait for a clear to do the next thing). They costumed all three of us with newsboy hats (pulled down below our ears to cover the ear muff. Right before a transition we would push our mics right up against the brim of the hats. On top of that we would tape down our headset cords (from collar bone to ear) in a nude colored tape. 
A little extreme, but it worked and really kept the pace of the show going.