Please be mindful of quick-changes and space backstage when choosing costumes and accessories. Ask yourself whether wearing an extra waist chain or string of pearls is really necessary. You can help yourself and help others limit chaos backstage and onstage by paring down your accessories into what is most essential. The audience isn’t looking at all the details of your costume, especially when there’s ten other people onstage. Stick to what will make the biggest impact for the back row.

Please do not eat or drink anything besides water while in your costume. Use a robe, a towel, or some kind of coverup over your costume pieces when you need to eat.

Please wear black during rehearsals when you are not wearing your costume. It makes it easier for us to visualize everyone in the show. Try to look put together and presentable, as we would like to get high quality behind the scenes content of show week. Look put together and presentable when arriving and departing the theatre.

Bring a robe or a slip for an easy cover-up. Bring a cabaret-coded robe or slip to cover up your costume when you may be seen offstage by audience members during the performance.

To prevent wardrobe malfunctions, wear pasties under your costumes whether or not you intend to show them off.

To prevent wardrobe malfunctions and/or to avoid shaving, wear waisted tights that match your skin tone. This will smooth things over, keep things tucked away even in the skimpiest outfits, and may make you feel more comfortable with being onstage in lingerie if you’re feeling shy. You can layer your fishnets or thigh-highs over your nude base layer.

Cut off all the tags on your costume pieces so you don’t have to worry about tucking them away and keeping them from slipping out when you are on stage. This will help you look more polished in your costume.

Feel free to use this list as a packing guide:

• Personal mirror (with lights recommended)

• Primer

• Foundation

• Concealer

• Highlighter

• Contour

• False lashes

• Lash glue

• Mascara

• Red lipstick

• Dark purple or black lipstick

• Lip liner

• Black liquid eyeliner

• Setting spray

• Makeup Wipes

• Tweezers

• Bobbi pins

• Safety pins

• Hair ties

• Hair spray

• Deodorant

• Nude undergarments

• Black undergarments

• Nude fishnets

• Black fishnets

• Nude pasties

• Black pasties

Recommendations:

• If you have multiple costumes, organize your costumes using ziploc bags or travel organizers. This will help you keep track of all your costume pieces and help you stay organized and contained backstage.

Makeup is essential when you are performing; people of all genders should be wearing makeup on stage. There are options for femme and masc styles, you may draw inspiration from whatever suits you best.

Stage makeup needs to be much more pronounced than everyday makeup, and is not quite like a regular “full face” either. It is meant to ensure your face and your features stand out to the farthest audience member under the bright stage lights.

Bright and colorful stage lights will wash your skin out and blend your features together. This means you don’t have to be an expert at applying or blending makeup or to spend hours working on delicate designs because the lights will blur out fine details and mistakes.

Being backstage and dancing on stage under the lights, you will be hot and sweaty, so your makeup needs to be fixed on well. Go for a fully matte look (except for glitter).

If you aren’t used to wearing makeup, you might feel unsure about how jarring stage makeup looks on your face. I promise you don’t look ridiculous. You’re just not used to looking like this. In fact you probably need to put on more makeup.Ask the people around you for affirmation. Practice your makeup so you get more used to seeing yourself that way, and so you can test your makeup under stage lights before the performance.

Here’s some tips going step by step to help you get your face on and keep it there:

1. Skin Prep Preparing your skin for your makeup will help your makeup look better and last longer.

   1. Make sure your skin is clean and well-hydrated before you apply makeup. On performance days, I drench my face in moisturizer in the morning and again 15 minutes before I start my makeup.

   2. Use a primer under your base makeup suited for your skin type. This creates a smooth and grippy base for makeup and helps it last through performances.

2. Foundation and Base Makeup Stage lights wash you out. You need foundation!

   1. Use a long-lasting, full coverage cream or liquid foundation that matches your skin tone. It’s better to go a shade darker than to go a shade lighter than your skin tone under stage lights

   2. Use a concealer brighter than your skin tone to highlight the 3D planes of your face like your cheekbones, jawline, nose, and forehead.

   3. Use loose, translucent powder to set all your cream base products to help fix them in place.

   4. I like to layer on cream foundation, contour, blush, concealer, and highlight in that order under my setting powder. Then I do powder versions of each product. I use setting spray after my skin prep, before my setting powder,, after my powder products, and again after I’m completely done with makeup.

3. Contour and Highlight These add more dimension to your face. Stage lights will flatten out your natural features and you need contour and highlight to make your face look three-dimensional.

   1. Blend a cool toned contour a couple shades darker than your skin tone to define your cheekbones, jawline, temples, and nose.

   2. Use a shimmery or luminous highlighter on the peak points of your face including your cheekbones, nose, and brow bone.

4. Blush Will easily get lost under stage lights. Achieve clown status with your blush to bring life to your face. Use a pigmented, matte blush.

5. Eye Makeup You need your eyes to stand out onstage. They are the window to your soul and the avenue through which the audience will make a personal connection to your self-expression

   1. Define your crease and the corners of your eyes. Line your eyes with black. Refer to the inspiration board. Choose something that suits your natural features.

   2. False lashes are highly recommended. Choose the pair that looks bold and costumey, not the ones that look natural. Lashes with spikes rather than wispiness will look the most defined on stage. Blend your own lashes into your fake lashes with a light layer of mascara.

   3. Wait for 60 seconds after applying lash glue to your eye lash before trying to put it on. It will make doing your lashes a million times easier. I use black tinted lash glue which is less beginner-friendly, but you can go over ‘clear’ lash glue with black eyeliner as well.

6. Brows Define your eyebrows. They should be bolder and crisper than your everyday look. Fine details in feathery brows won’t be read by the audience.

7. Lips

   1. Line your lips with a lip liner slightly darker than your lipstick. This will help your lips be visible and defined on stage.

   2. Matte and liquid lipsticks are going to last much longer than gloss. Lip gloss is not ideal for dancing or for stage makeup.

   3. You can get away with overdrawing your lips a lot more on stage than in your everyday makeup.

8. Final Checks

   1. Check your makeup under multiple lighting options if possible.

   2. You can use blotting paper, reapply powder, and reapply setting spray if you start getting sweaty.

9. Body Makeup Make sure any skin that will be showing on stage has been moisturized at minimum. Body bronzers, body shimmers, and body oils are a great polishing touch. Just be careful of getting it on your costume.

Everyone’s hair should be noticeably styled in order to present a professional and polished performance.

If you don’t have practice styling your hair, 

1. Consider Your Costume

• Balance with Costume: Your hair should also complement your costume and not detract from it. For example, a sleek updo can pair well with an elaborate costume, while loose waves might fit a more casual or flowing outfit. Ensure your hair doesn't interfere with costume changes, hats, or accessories like headpieces.

2. Prep Your Hair Before Styling

• Start with Clean Hair: Clean hair holds styles better and prevents your scalp from becoming itchy or uncomfortable during the performance. Wash your hair the day before the show, not the day of, as slightly dirty hair often holds styles more effectively.

• Add Texture: If your hair is too clean and slippery, it may not hold styles well. Use a texturizing spray or dry shampoo to add grip to your hair before styling, especially if you’re doing an updo or need volume. If you have the right tools, crimping can add texture and volume.

3. Use Heat Protectant and Proper Tools

• Heat Protectant: Since stage hair often involves curling or straightening, always apply a heat protectant spray or serum to avoid damage from high temperatures. This is especially important if you’re performing multiple times.

• Quality Styling Tools: Use high-quality tools like curling irons, straighteners, and blow dryers that have temperature control. Stage hair needs to hold up through sweat and movement, so using the right tools at the right temperature will help keep your hair looking polished and reduce the risk of heat damage.

4. Hairspray is Your Best Friend

• Set with Strong-Hold Hairspray: Once your hair is styled, lock it in place with a strong-hold hairspray. Opt for one that provides long-lasting hold but isn’t overly stiff, so your hair still has some movement.

• Layering Hairspray: Instead of spraying a massive amount at once, apply hairspray in layers. Lightly mist your hair after each step of styling to ensure it holds together without feeling crunchy.

5. Secure Your Hair Properly

• Bobby Pins and Clips: Use plenty of bobby pins, clips, or hair elastics to secure your hair in place. For updos, criss-cross your bobby pins for extra hold. Make sure pins match your hair color for a seamless look.

• Use Hair Nets or Mesh: If you’re wearing a bun or updo, especially for dance or intense performances, use a hair net or mesh that matches your hair color to keep flyaways in place. This is a common trick for ballet and professional stage performances.

6. Add Volume for Visibility

• Backcomb/Tease: Stage lights can flatten your appearance, so add volume to your hair to make it more visible from the audience. Backcomb or tease the crown area before smoothing the outer layer to give the illusion of fuller hair.

• Volumizing Products: Use volumizing mousse or root-lifting spray before blow-drying to give your hair extra body. These products are particularly useful if you’re styling big, bold hair for stage presence.

7. Manage Frizz and Flyaways

• Anti-Frizz Serum: Apply an anti-frizz serum or cream to your hair to keep it smooth under hot stage lights. Focus on the ends and areas prone to frizz, but avoid applying too much product near the roots to prevent greasiness.

• Tame Flyaways: After styling, use a toothbrush or small comb sprayed with hairspray to smooth down flyaways and baby hairs around your hairline. This keeps your look neat and polished.

8. Plan for Style Changes

• Easy to Adjust: If you have quick changes between acts, opt for hairstyles that can be modified easily, like a ponytail that can be transformed into a bun or braids that can be pinned up. Use elastics and pins that are easy to undo quickly.

• Have Backup Products Ready: Keep essentials like hairspray, bobby pins, and a brush or comb in your backstage area for last-minute touch-ups.

9. Practice Before the Performance

• Do a Trial Run: Just like with makeup, practice your hairstyle before the actual performance to ensure it works with your costume, character, and movement. This helps you identify potential issues, such as discomfort or instability.

• Test Durability: If you’ll be moving a lot on stage, test how well your hairstyle holds up to vigorous movement. Shake your head, jump, and move around to ensure everything stays in place.

10. Post-Performance Hair Care

• Gentle Removal: After the performance, gently remove bobby pins, hair elastics, and hairpieces to avoid breakage. If you used a lot of hairspray or styling products, detangle your hair carefully with a wide-tooth comb.

• Deep Conditioning: Stage hair often involves heavy use of heat tools and styling products. Give your hair some love after performances by using a deep conditioning treatment or hair mask to restore moisture and prevent damage.

• Preserving hair overnight: Sometimes when I’m performing over multiple, depending on the hairstyle, I will try to preserve the style overnight to save time getting ready. If you have a satin bonnet and you don’t roll around when you sleep, this might work for you. Just refresh your hairstyle before the show and you’re good to go.

11. Your castmates are an excellent resource.

• Share tips on products and styles with each other. Ask for help if you have any questions.

• Have someone help you style the back of your hair and double check it. It’s nearly impossible to accurately see the back of your own head. Have someone help you with the back to make sure you look polished from both the front and the back.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY_rTcbKlkQj5yRoYlNqmSuwnLOu9rQXh