I tested for you… the job of dresser

For her new immersion, Ingrid Pohu put herself in the costume of dresser Clothilde Fortin. It was during a performance of “Once upon a time… the show”, at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris.

This Sunday morning, I put on jeans and a black t-shirt on the advice of dresser Clothilde Fortin. “The public should not see us, we remain in the shadows, very discreet behind the stage.” Its main missions? “Taking care of the costumes and the troupe of actors.”

Two hours before the curtain rises, Clothilde is busy. She checks, adjusts the main character’s white-haired costume. She straightens a bow tie, mends all the costumes if necessary. Sometimes at the very last minute. On the courtyard and garden side of the stage, behind the scenes, she carefully arranges and prepares the various accessories: hats, belts, shoes, etc. Each costume has its story, its actor, its potential urgency.

Along with the manager, the dresser is a bit like the guardian, the psychologist behind the scenes. Between two hems, Clothilde reassures an actor, readjusts a collar, puts away the clothes and anticipates the next quick change: a “quick change”as they say in the business. It’s like a choreography, except that behind the scenes we don’t count our steps. We always stay on the lookout for the comings and goings of the actors. We whisper, our eyes fixed on the conductor, where all the costume changes are noted chronologically.

I help the character of Christopher Columbus to put on his jacket. It doesn’t seem like anything, it’s heavy! I unzip some boots to make them easier to put on in the middle of a rush. On all fours, Clotilde and I place the skulls on the side so that the actors can easily grab them while playing. Also comes the moment when the dresser throws a cloth at the neck of another actor. In all discretion, she participates in the scene!

At the end of the show, Clothilde tidies up, folds, hangs up, notes the alterations for the next performance. She takes care of the washing. For costumes that are too fragile to go in the washing machine, Clothilde has her trick: spray them with vodka! “It’s odorless and purifies”she confides. The public saw nothing.

IN PRACTICE

Adapted from Albert Barillé’s television series “Once upon a time…”, “Once upon a time… the show” is being performed at the Théâtre de la Renaissance. From Christopher Columbus to prehistoric man, including the interior of the human body, the public discovers lots of visual surprises!

Address : 20, boulevard Saint-Martin, Paris (10th).