RUNNING: Wardrobe Runsheet

[SMeustace]

Is the SM (or ASM) responsible for making the wardrobe runsheet or Quick change plot for the run for the crew/dressers? If so how much input do you have regarding to where and when changes need to take place? Do you coordinate this with the wardrobe master or costumer or do they handle all of it (Q sheets,plots, etc.)?

Edited to add topic tag- Maribeth

[PSMKay]

Maybe it's the people I worked with, but I never knew a dresser who wouldn't bite your head off if you tried to give them run sheets.

The furthest I ever had to go was to get a list of entrances and exits to the wardrobe crew. I would give them some basic paperwork, 95% blank space, so that they could write down the process they use for each individual change for the sake of documentation and crew replacement. But I would not dictate when and where every single piece of clothing had to be placed on or removed from individual bodies.

[VSM]

I also find timings for quickchanges is welcomed by Wardrobe...

[mkristinect]

I haven't yet had the need to make a specific wardrobe runsheet.  But I do include all costume changes on my main run sheet for the deck crew.  The dressers (if there are any) can use it or not, but at least my crew will know what's going on.  If the actor needs assistance for a quick change, someone will know where they exit.  If an actor is late for an entrance after a longer change, someone will know to hunt them down in the dressing room. 

ETA:  Ditto on the timings!  Those can be so helpful.

[megf]

My experience is this answer will change for every Wardrobe Department. The team I've worked with most often, most recently, gave me the form they use, which is a simple entrance/exit form with columns set up in the following way:

Actor Name - Character/Part - Time & Location of Exit - OUT of X look INTO Y look - Time & Location of Entrance

In the column describing "OUT of/INTO," I typically give basic info. "OUT of Lost Boy INTO Blue Pirate look" is perfectly sufficient to tell the Wardrobe Supervisor about the change.

As far as determining where changes will be executed, of course, decisions will vary according to your team and venue. The rule of thumb that works for me, here, with this team, is that if the interval of time for a change is great than 4 minutes, it's done in a dressing room. If it's less than 4 minutes, we will do the change on deck, at the place most convenient to the actor's next entrance location.

In our current show, several actors wear flying harnesses, and several also have extensive makeup/wig changes. We've determined the best practice is to always treat harnesses as deck costume changes, so the designated flight captain can check them without leaving the backstage. Massive makeup changes are always in dressing rooms, often with dresser assistance.

[Maribeth]

It really depends where I'm working/who I'm working with. Usually, I make a general run sheet with entrances and exits, and mark when and where QCs happen, and what the change is. (I.e. Sarah ex SL1, QC from Villager to Soldier (3min), Ent SL3). Beyond that the dresser talks through exactly how each change will happen during tech with the actor, and writes their own notes on how the change is done. I like to get a copy of those notes, just for my own reference and to have a backup.

When I'm working with a company that doesn't have a large costume staff, I might be more involved in these decisions. But generally the locations can be determined based on how much time the actors have (if they have time to go back to the dressing room, or if they should make the change as close as possible to their next entrance.)

I usually provide the designer with a character/scene breakdown before the design run and a list of timings for quickchanges.

EDIT: Megf posted while I was writing my post, and brought up a good point about makeup and other factors that affect changes. My current show has extreme makeup changes that take place in the dressing room, for better access to light, sinks, and dressing stations.

[bex]

Ditto to what Maribeth and Megf said.

If I have a wardrobe crew, I provide timings, locations, and a basic out of/into, and leave it up to the dressers to determine everything specific. I will coordinate with the deck chief for placement of quick change booths and costume storage in the wings, if necessary. I always include that basic information on the run sheets that the rest of the crew are using, particularly since there may be prop hand-offs and such involved.

I'm currently working a show with no dressers, where the other ASM and I do all of the changes, so obviously I am making all the decisions with the actors involved.
I also did an opera that had one performance in DC with the KenCen house IATSE wardrobe crew and then toured to Jazz at Lincoln Center for one performance in NYC and used their house IATSE crew, with no dress rehearsal in NYC and a whole lot quick changes. The KenCen crew got a dress rehearsal and I took copious notes and made sure to have meticulous pieces lists for each of the looks, and then spent about an hour with the head of the wardrobe crew in NY, talking her through the paperwork I had created and showing her the pieces and pictures of each of the artists they would be changing. The NY crew was delighted with my paperwork, which made my meticulous stage manager self preen like a cockatiel.

SO basically what I'm saying is it can go from one extreme to the other, but usually the wardrobe crew makes most of the specific decisions for themselves, but appreciates general info.

[SMeustace]

Thank you very much.

My last question is do you typically make separate run sheets for different departments/crews OR have it all as one document sorta like a "master runsheet". (lets say you do have wardrobe crew, shift/props crew)

 

[PSMKay]

Both. The master stays in the prompt book, but in many cases it can be as long as the script itself, or longer. Individual tracks get printed for deck crew to carry with them. During tech the tracks have plenty of space for notes. Once open, the tracks are collected back, the notes transferred to the master, and all individual tracks reprinted in ultra compact, cheat sheet versions.

[ErgoCue]

For me, it really depends on the theatre.  At a smaller theatre, I provide a shift plot and entrance/exit plot for the dresser, with costume changes included on the shift plot.  At these venues, typically it's a very small crew backstage, so the dresser may help me page curtains occasionally and therefore needs a shift plot.  I've worked at some larger regional theatres with an established wardrobe department and sometimes the dressers love the shift plot and sometimes they absolutely refuse it.  I always offer it, but it's their decision whether or not to use it.

In any case, I always put costume changes on the shift plot for myself so I can be sure to be present for difficult quick changes.

[SMeustace]

Both. The master stays in the prompt book, but in many cases it can be as long as the script itself, or longer. Individual tracks get printed for deck crew to carry with them. During tech the tracks have plenty of space for notes. Once open, the tracks are collected back, the notes transferred to the master, and all individual tracks reprinted in ultra compact, cheat sheet versions.

Individual? individual as in each person has their list of only their assigned jobs or is it separated by department/crew; shift, wardrobe, deck lx, props etc.

[PSMKay]

Each deck member has their own track only. Replacement crew don't get put in rehearsals. You need to be able to just give them their path without any other extraneous stuff. Each post-opening track should be able to fit in a pocket.

[Mbalfour]

Individual? individual as in each person has their list of only their assigned jobs or is it separated by department/crew; shift, wardrobe, deck lx, props etc.

You can use the filter button in Excel to be able to filter the "who" column of your run sheet by person; makes it super simple to print out a run sheet specified per track.

The filter button also allows you to check multiple things; you can include all the wardrobe crew members on one run sheet. Also, you could select "blanks" which means if you have a row that's just a title (i.e Act I, or Scene 2) then you can include those as well.