The Novice Artist

I'm currently in tech for the Theatre Department's play series entitled Grrl Parts. It's a collection of commissioned and contest-winning play premiers with dominant roles (parts..."Grrl Parts") for women. There are three in this year's festival. I am designing costumes for one of them entitled This Girl I Used to Know. It is a modern retelling of the Minerva and Arachne myth.

It's been an interesting process to say the least. Let me start by saying that it has been a LOT of fun and the incident I am about to describe in no way dampens the experience.

This is the first time I've designed costumes alone for a department show (I've done club shows a few times, and I've assisted a few more). The director is...well, a bit of a challenge. She has very strong opinions about the visual aspects of the show but is not particularly good at conveying those opinions in a way that can allow me to quickly and easily fix the problem. To top it off, though she has such strong opinions, she cannot visualize things in her head. So if I say "Ok, you don't like this shirt. Would you prefer something more like a (insert description)" she says something like "Oh why don't we try that tomorrow, I'd have to see it." I am about to go to the mall today for about the 10th time in search of yet ANOTHER shirt for one of my actresses because she has to SEE everything before she makes judgment. Did I mention, also, that she is about 8 months pregnant?

I understand that not everyone is a visually driven person so this doesn't bother me terribly much (aside from the Arundel Mills Mall eating my gas money). What bothers me most is that now the actress (a freshman) has decided to begin including her input as well. She actually went around telling me and the director that she doesn't like one of her shirts last night, that it doesn't fit with her character, and that we should get a new one. She walks into the costume shop to ask me something and then adds, "Oh yeah and Colette is gonna talk to you about this shirt, I mean I'll wear it today but I don't like it. It's not something my character would wear I don't think." For the record, I disagree with her. As do the others in the costume shop. I didn't say anything at the time because I couldn't think of something nice enough to say but here are some versions of what I would have said if I didn't care about niceties:

- Oh really? Did I miss the moment where the program note switched to (her name), costume designer?
- Except what you think about the shirt doesn't matter, BECAUSE I AM THE DESIGNER.
- Actually, this is a conversation for me and the director. You'll wear what I hand you.
- Oh? Tough shit.

Any of those would do. But see, it's never very nice to tell someone that their opinion doesn't matter. And on top of that - as a fellow student, I don't think I should have been the one to do it. There were two teachers standing right next to me. They should have said something. Which they did - when the girl walked out of the room. I also feel bad because this actress means well, really. She was trying to help in the same way that she was used to in high school or clubs where everyone collaborated on costumes and other technical elements of shows. She hasn't been introduced to the professional world yet where actors go to fittings and say nothing but "yes this fits" or "no, this is a bit loose/tight." So who am I to say that her opinion doesn't count when I'm only three years older than her?

In the production meeting after the run, it got to a point where the director was suggesting that we get the girl to bring in some of her own shirts to try. FINALLY the stand-in Costume Shop Supervisor (our real one is on sabatacle and NEVER would have let this happen) said, "I hate using actors clothes. First of all, theater has the ability to destroy things. Second of all, and most importantly, you are diminishing Monique's job. She is the designer. Let her design the show. Let her pick the shirt." The director felt really bad after that and I was a bit embarrassed but I think it had to be said. No one was trying to take my job on purpose but it was becoming a collaboration between too many people. The less people with their hands inside the wardrobe, the easier it is for everyone to agree, oddly enough, because people accept their place and move on.

As I said though, this really hasn't put a bad taste in my mouth. It's just a testament to my lack of experience. Should I have stuck up for myself? Am I still to young to do so? Everyone in the costume shop after the meeting seemed to be behind me and thanked Celestine for sticking up for me. I just feel like I'm so young, you know - too young to be telling people to back off my job. Though, if the department is trying to teach their students how to work in professional theater, then they should treat their students as professionals when they are in positions of power, yes?

Am I wrong?