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NYCCostumer2 karma

I have been toying with the idea of grad school for quite some time as well...and I've talked about it with basically everyone I have crossed in the industry, and the protips I have recieved are 1) Dont pay a penny for grad school. You will never be able to pay off the debt with a designer's salary. 2) If you are going to go to grad school (and figure out what you want to get out of it before you commit...) you need to go to a well known one--- because you are going there for the networking mainly...so where are people from that school working? will they be able to get you jobs? Honestly, many regional theatres do year long apprenticeships/internships, and I think if you are trying to get a foot in the door, it's an excellent way to do so! They will usually pay for your housing and give you a small weekly stipend, and you will work in the shops (Where, believe it or not, a lot of big name designers might pass through) and they will learn your names and you will get a ton of connections that way. At my current theatre, I have met many broadway designers who have talked to me/ given me tips/ told me who to email/give my resume to...I am booked for the next year, and half of my jobs have come from random connections I have made. Also, do summer stock!! It is a great way to get to know people and network... cuz everyone is away from home/looking to hang out/ working the same long hours you are...and it's also a lot of fun!

NYCCostumer2 karma

Umm... Well you typically don't have to mention it, because it is very likely that they already know, and you don't want to make them feel bad about themselves/their body...it is possible that between the first fitting and second fitting, you'll have to let somthing out a bit (And in a high energy musical, you'll often have to take stuff in, because they will have been dancing intensely for 8 hours a day for weeks) Actors are people too, acting is just their job... and everyone goes through periods in life. However, if you are working with equity actors, and the weight gain is extreme, I do believe that it is in their equity contracts that they have to maintain their appearance from the time they were cast in the role through closing (Unless told otherwise by the costume designer) This includes hair, facial hair, piercings, tattoos, etc...sometimes people do break these rules, however...and sometimes they get away with it...but it depends on how much the costume designer wants to raise a fuss about it as well...

NYCCostumer2 karma

Oh gosh...I love designing musicals...Big chorus numbers are kind of my thing...I love working with color...and I enjoy whimsical designs...

NYCCostumer2 karma

Lol yea...some people have very strong opinions about velcro... and magnets are alright...but they are expensive (one 1" magnet can be $14!!) and sometimes they stick to things they arent supposed to! lol

NYCCostumer2 karma

All of the above!! I strongly recommend internships because not only do they give you professional theatre experience, but the supervisors know you are there to learn. I did an internship at a large shakespeare festival, and one of my supervisors liked me so much that she just kept hooking me up with all of her professional friends, who also took a liking to me, and put me in contact with their professional friends..etc etc...this one connection is how I got a foot in the door in NYC, and it is also how I got my first staff position at a theatre. You never know where you'll meet someone. You never know who people will know. Theatre is a very small world. Just try your best to be the kind of person that people want to work with and, well, people will want to work with you! haha. Also, your school network doesn't hurt either. I went to a school who has very strong alums in NYC and at large theatre festivals like Williamstown, and people are more likely to want to hire someone with whom they share an alma mater with!