B AC K S TAG E
“I always think ‘wow, these people have no idea what everybody just went through to get this on the stage.’ And then I think that means we did our job.” —Colleen Grady, Theatre Under The Stars' costume shop manager/designer
HGO'S COSTUME DESIGN DEPARTMENT
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downtownhouston.org
For Houston Grand Opera’s production team, the challenges aren’t just tight deadlines but having to adjust to a new shop space. Norma Cortez, head of costumes, and Dottie Staker, wig and makeup department head, have both been with HGO for more than 10 years. Staker ensures that wigs are in good condition and styled according to costume design specifications. For their production of The Phoenix, Staker created 88 wigs. She notes that wigs are easier to work with than real hair. “I can control the wig better,” Stoker says. “If I’m dealing with a lot of people, it’s easier for me to go down the row and put on a bunch of wigs.” As head of costumes, it’s important to Cortez that the designer’s vision makes it to the stage. With a new production, planning typically starts a year in advance but that schedule has been hard to follow since 2017. “Because of everything with Harvey, moving to the new space, plus all of the productions we put on, time keeps running and there’s no way to stop it.” says Cortez. Cortez and Staker work closely together to ensure both have what they need to stay on top of things. “Opening night, that curtain goes up and everything had better be ready,” explains Staker. “We can’t tell 2,000 people ‘sorry, we’re not quite ready. Can we postpone?’” Once deadlines are set for a production team there’s very little room for excuses. A majority of the time they’re juggling numerous projects at once so they won’t fall behind on the start of a next project. “You have to be going on to the next project while you’ve still got three in the shop,” says Julian. “It doesn’t end, and you always have to be moving forward.” With the amount of time that goes into production, these teams are working long hours, putting in 70, 80, even 90 hours a week to make sure everything runs smoothly and that costumes look perfect when they hit the stage. “Trying to have a good work/life balance can be hard,” explains Lynch. “You can easily work a hundred hour week and have no life.”
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! Seeing costumes on stage never gets old for these teams. Season after season they still get overcome with joy when the curtains are drawn, and the spotlight hits their design. “Seeing your stuff onstage and then having the lights come on and hearing the audience gasp, oh my God, that’s fabulous!” explains Julian. The production industry has a tendency to burn people out. You can be the first to arrive and the last to leave, and at some point it becomes tough trying to balance both. But the reward at the end is what makes it all worth it. From the long hours, last-minute changes, to the crushing deadlines, when you see the result you can finally exhale and say it was all worth it. “I always think ‘wow, these people have no idea what everybody just went through to get this on the stage,’” says Grady. “And then I think that means we did our job.”
For a calendar of all the theater performances please visit www.downtownhouston.org/ district/theater/