Besides donning costume and makeup, what do actors do in the dressing room?

 

The actors’ dressing rooms can take on a sort of family atmosphere. The people there are living in close quarters and sharing a unique experience. And, as in most families there are all kinds of personalities, behaviors, cooperation, and conflict.

 

There are some ‘types’ that are often present in dressing rooms. In addition to being faithful to the production at hand, actors must often put up with the idiosyncrasies of others in the cast and in the dressing room.

 

One might find a ‘fragrance obsessive’ actor. This person seems compelled to apply one of the market’s many body spray products heavily and often. Meanwhile, the fragrance-allergic dressing room mates cough and sneeze. Oh yes, often the offender will step out of the room to do the actual spraying out of consideration for others but returns with an overpowering amount of scent they applied.

 

There is the “Oh yes, I’ve done that…” actor who seems to have done every show ever written, been highly successful in each role and has an anecdote about every one of them,  each anecdote less interesting than the one before. The designated listener often chooses to arrive at call time (no earlier) and leaves immediately after the show.

 

It seems there is almost always a self-appointed “facilities manager”. This is the person who feels that they should control the temperature, lighting, conversation, and personal habits of others. “It’s too cold in here, turn off the fan.” “Please don’t chew gum, it bothers me.” “Could you turn the lights up/down/on/off it’s too bright/dark/cold/warm.” 

 

Occasionally one will encounter a ‘space alien”. This is the actor who ‘needs’ lots of space in a crowded dressing room somehow manages to spread out while others find less and less space available to them each day. Often this space usurper has no recognition of the space needs of their fellow actors while others will joke about how much space they ‘need’ without trying to adjust to parity. 

 

Fortunately, these bothersome dressing room mates are generally in the minority and can be endured. Most often one finds kindred souls who make the experience most enjoyable. The others – well, in truth they give observant actors more material to draw from when approaching a new character.

 

Here’s to diversity.