Theatre Kid Comes Home
A Love Letter to Finding A Way Backstage Again
As I said in my previous post, a LOT has happened in a very short amount of time. And one of those things is my new job and honestly new community I have found by being lucky enough to be hired by the Stratford Theatre Festival.
Some people were surprised by the news. I have worked in the TV/Film industry for over a decade (though not on the makeup/hair side) and despite having a flair for period styles, having a self-admitted big personality and a penchant for doing random dance moves and singing seemingly out of nowhere, they just didn’t think I had experience with theatre.
So let’s rewind a little bit. I AM a theatre kid or as much as you can be one in little ol’ Rhode Island. Don’t get me wrong, there IS actually a bit of a theatre scene in the Ocean state - you’ve got the Providence Performing Art Center (better known locally as PPAC, pronounced Pee-Pack) where touring shows still come to this day, Trinity Repertory Company (just called Trinity Rep) which is probably best known locally for its annual production of A Christmas Carol in Providence and Theater-by-the-Sea in South Kingstown which despite it being the closest in proximity to where I grew up, I didn’t get to as often. There’s even smaller communities theaters but these were the BIG ones during the 90’s and early 2000’s.
However, being the dual citizen that I am, a LOT of the shows I got to see were actually up in Toronto. I highly suspect my grandparents would send us to see some shows since I was basically in LOVE with watching live performances and my parents also took advantage of the exchange rate being more affordable to see them than back home at times. So before I was an adult, I had already seen quite a number of shows between Rhode Island and Toronto - Wicked (which for a long time was my FAVORITE; don’t get me started on the movie because that’s a WHOLE other nerdy discussion), Mama Mia!, Cats (my least favorite musical despite my love of cats), The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Annie, Beauty & The Beast, I could go on.
I wanted to live and breathe theater - as I mentioned, I already loved dressing up and playing with makeup so for a kid with a LOT of creativity and even more emotions, it felt like home. And so I did as much theatre as I could - every summer as a pre-teen, I was involved in some local recreational program that would do some kind of show (I remember being in “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” and “Pinocchio”) I even started going to the local Catholic private high school that had a stronger theater program before realizing that though I loved the theater, the rest of the religious curriculum and privileged mindsets of my private school classmates wasn’t for me and transferred back to the local public school where thankfully a new theater department was JUST getting started.
I LIVED in that high school theater and was there so late most days of the week (which I think my parents were only ok with because it was SO close to my house under teacher supervision) We were there so often, we all quickly got onto a first name basis with the janitors of the school (Butch and Jackie were AWESOME!). Not only was I in the shows, but I was involved in every part of backstage. I helped run the spotlight, attempted the sound board to very little success, built and moved sets (which I still credit for my ability to use power tools and move furniture the way I can today), found props, wrote skits, and of course - MAKEUP. It was the perfect excuse to be able to buy as much as I needed because, well, it technically was for school right? And you could be bold with it and it was fine - it was for theater!
Up until I started attending, there really was only the annual musical put on by the music department so the theater department really started building up and competing and trying to carve out a space for ourselves. We even started a chapter of the International Thespian Society (Troupe 6945!) and even traveled out to the festival in Nebraska one year (which I was able to do thanks to my Uncle Jim helping me with the cost - I still thank him for that to this day). We called the people who ONLY performed “thespians”, the people who ONLY worked backstage “techies” and those like me who did both were “bi-tech-uals” (yes, we thought we were very funny as immature high schoolers often do)
But it was around this point I was starting to look at universities and all I kept hearing was, just like with makeup, how unrealistic it was to be in theater in school and in life. So again, decided to go into the world of writing and television production while still studying and working in enough theatrical productions to still earn a minor in theater production. And with what little time I also had, would get student discount or rush tickets to see even MORE shows in NYC - Avenue Q, Book of Mormon, Chicago, etc.
I’m going to skip over what happened between then and my graduation from CMU because well, I’ve already said most of it but with the added element of doing productions where I could on the side (working at standup comedy clubs and helping run those shows, participating in 24 hour theater festivals, going to experimental shows and learning how they would create them, etc). Theater, like my makeup, was almost my little secret - something I truly enjoyed but didn’t think I could do professionally.
So after graduation from CMU, I was really lost on what I was going to do next and when talking to my relatives in Stratford, they had asked if I wanted to go back into theater again. I had explained that of course but theater departments were more focused on hair and even though I was interested, I thought I wouldn’t have enough experience with just my hairstyling course and makeup program completion to be able to be involved with Stratford.
My relatives ended up reaching out and through a friend of a friend of a friend’s sister (or something like that), an informational (aka not an interview but just a discussion to learn more about the person and what they do) was set up to meet with the head of the Wigs & Makeup Department at the Avon Theater. All I was told about them otherwise was that they were named Teddi. Like the little overachiever I am, I started digging to try to know as much about them as I could. And for all my sleuthing…. nothing. No pictures. No online presence. I couldn’t even tell if Teddi was going to be a guy or a girl or neither or both! I didn’t have a car, so I got up at some ungodly hour to take the TTC to Union Station, to get the Go Train to a station close to one of my girlfriends who drove me the rest of the way to Stratford (shout out to Lara for being an absolute doll for doing this)
So there I stood, outside the stage door, Lara giving me the thumbs up from up the street. I was having mini heart attacks each time a person came by until finally Teddi made HER appearance (yes, her). She was older than me and I was taller than her (especially in my heels I had decided to wear that day). Though her voice was gentle, you could tell she wasn’t someone who KNEW her shit and didn’t tolerate others’ (especially of the bull variety). Think a taller, less shouty Edna Mode with white hair instead of black - Teddi clearly knew what was up and had seen it all.
I don’t know what it was about this moment but despite having had a life back in the US, a full-fledged career with one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, and yes, being in my 30’s, suddenly I was feeling my high school self again - nervous and unsure. But I KNEW I wanted to be here especially as I stepped into the Wig room the first time. It was like magic again.
The Avon Theatre was doing the musical La Cage Aux Folles which more people may recognize the non-musical movie version called The Birdcage, starring Nathan Lane and my HERO Robin Williams (the musical did come first during the 80’s which was based on the French play from the 70’s but I digress).
It is one of my absolute favorite movies and stepping into the room was an explosion of color and styles. Teddi moved so nonchalantly to her desk while I must’ve looked bug-eyed at the combination of updos and curls and highlights and streaks of what must have been at least 50 wigs. I sat down across from her and she told me a little bit about the theater and the department and asked me what brought me here today.
And folks… I word vomited. I don’t even remember what I said - it was a flurry of talking about being done with school and being back in Canada but trying to figure out what I wanted to do next and all the things I had been told up to this point vs what I wanted to do. I know somewhere in that mess, I made some kind of talk of my love of theater and vintage things and how just looking at the room, I was so impressed and wanted to find my way here someday. I was SURE she was going to be annoyed with being talked AT the way I was rambling on but instead there was almost a twinkle in her eye. She pointed at one of the wigs and said, “Does that look familiar to you?” I looked and without thinking said, “Why do I want to say Joan Crawford-” and she beamed and went “YES!”
We ended up talking about a few of the wigs individually and about the specific styles. I confessed that I only had some basic hairstyling and more of my specialty was makeup and special effects but that I really wanted to learn. She asked if I had ever put a wig on someone before and I excitedly showed her my portfolio where I had indeed not only put someone in a wig but also had wig-knotted (aka individually knotted the hairs) of a mustache and used that as well.
What was supposed to be probably a 45-minute conversation ended up being close to 3 hours. By the end of it, Teddi had given me the email of the head of the union at Stratford and instructed me to not only apply online to be a permittee but also reach out and drop her name to let her know we had talked. I was so excited, I asked if I could hug her - she said no (cringe) but explained she is not a hugger but did thank me for asking and this actually would come into play later (foreshadowing for a later article)
And so then I immediately heard back and was offered a job right?
MONTHS went by with no word from anyone (I want to say close to 5 or 6?). I was still in Toronto, struggling to make ends meet, moved into what was going to be a horrible living situation and was applying to as many gigs as I could. So you can imagine my surprise when I was on a TTC bus listening to music when a call came in that LITERALLY said “IATSE”. I almost dropped the phone fumbling to pick it up quickly and it was the head of the union I had emailed. She quickly asked if I could interview via video tomorrow with a panel from Stratford and I agreed before having to backpedal and coordinate a time that ACTUALLY worked with Sephora (which ended up being in the evening). When the head asked me where I was because of a random noise, I confessed I was on the bus and they were like do you want to call me back? I IMMEDIATELY said no and this was very important to me which seemed to amuse them.
The next day I set up my laptop/camera RIGHT next to the Wifi router because it was so unreliable and indeed met with a panel of about 4 or 5 people, Teddi included. It was a pretty straightforward interview and this time I had more successful finds of understanding people’s backgrounds which were impressive in their own varied ways. It’s hard to say how I thought things were going but I think what might’ve helped was a question though where someone said something like, “We often work with period style makeup, hair and costumes. Is that something you feel you’d be interested in and comfortable doing?” I swear, Teddi had a little smile on her face as she sat back as though the word vomit again would hit her if I didn’t because yeah, I delivered. I remember giving a (thankfully brief) impassioned speech about not only would it be something I’m comfortable with but would thrive because not only do I enjoy it, but we see these types of influences all the time in fashion and how trends to repeat themselves in all industries. But, most importantly, makeup and hair is so vitally important in this because of how it helps us tell a story without outright telling it - a character trying to relive their youth may suddenly start styling themselves in a way to be modern but misses the mark because of their makeup is still reflective of another era or someone is so boldly strict and set in their ways, their hair is set SO tight and constrained from an era that would approve of this. I’m not sure if this helped or hurt my cause but I just knew if I wanted to be involved with this group, I wanted to bring as much of myself and my passion for makeup and theatre to the table and show as much as I could so I could say at least I TRIED.
And within the week, I was offered a job.
I began traveling back and forth between Toronto and Stratford despite not having a car (LOTS of rentals) and temporarily staying at my relatives’ home on nights that went late. They would end up offering to let me stay in their separate studio on the property for the season and I would pack up and move myself and Caboose shortly thereafter. I could start saving money and felt like I was in a position of housing and savings that I could JUST focus on my work. I began living and breathing the theater world again in a department that was so far up my alley it was ridiculous. When I say it was a homecoming, it really felt like a fish being dropped into water - I felt like I was IN my element and could more than just breathe, I was almost dizzy going so much with the flow. I began hearing feedback of how great an addition I was to the theater, so much that while I was initially only going to have one track (aka be permanently working on one show, following a specific path needed on that show to be done), I would be added to a second and then temporarily help cover a third (for a first season, this was taking on a LOT). But I was LOVING it and I guess it showed because seasoned crew were asking what theater in Toronto I had come from and saying that they had forgotten it was my first season here in Canada; it felt like I had been there for much longer.
But, just as I’m hitting all these incredible highs, I was dealt with a blow that came out of nowhere in a way even theatre people would say, “Well, THAT’S just ridiculous!”
Stop by next week for that update. Until then, remember it doesn’t matter WHEN you reach your dreams - sometimes it’s about the journey getting there and all the word vomit along the way.
