Barbara Weinberger, Executive Producer
This blog is for lovers of theatre, people in theatre, and the idle curious. For the next few weeks, I’ll blog about stories from our nearly 30 years of producing theatre. Some stories are funny, some are cautionary, a few are poignant. I hope you enjoy them all! Email us with your feedback!
You go to see a play and you inevitably start to wonder: What are these people like when they aren’t acting? Would I want to have a beer with them? Do they wear underwear?
This blog is for you. It answers these questions and more, demystifying the hidden life of actors. To be clear, we aren’t talking about Meryl Streep or Al Pacino here, both of whom I feel confident either wear underwear or pay someone to wear it for them. No, this is about your local or regional theatre and the actors who populate the stage.
Before we start, some notes about terminology. First, I will use the term “actor” regardless of gender. The term “actress”, while often used by the general public and the press, does not carry the same “gravitas” as “actor”, and this blog is crammed full of gravitas.
You may also notice this blog adopts the British spelling of “theatre”, with the R before the E, instead of the American spelling “theater”. This is because we all know the British are WAY classier than Americans, and this blog is nothing if not classy.
NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, all names in the blog have been changed to protect the privacy of everyone concerned.
Topic #1: Dressing Room Banter
While preparing for the show, or perhaps during a long scene, there is a time-honored tradition of passing the time with witty banter. Dressing room banter is a good news / bad news proposition.
The good news is that it can be a great way to relieve tension and create a tighter bond with fellow cast members. The bad news? Some cast members do not understand the meaning of “TMI” (Too Much Information).
Case #1 : Good Banter
Talk in the women’s dressing room is often about the men they (a) are dating, (b) used to be dating, or (c) hope to be dating. In one show someone made the analogy between dating someone and buying a new dress. The terminology stuck, much to the general amusement of the women in the show:
Actor #1: “So did you buy that new dress you had your eye on?”
Actor #2: “I was going to but then I heard that Jane bought the very same dress a few months ago.”
Actors #1/2: “Well, no one wants a used dress, now do they?” (Hilarity ensues.)
Next Time: When Dressing Room Banter Goes Bad