What is a quick change?
A quick change in costumery is the act of changing an actor’s attire in a matter of 30 seconds or less by way of underdressing, quick-rigging, special effects, and more. Quick changes can be used both as a matter of practicality and a dazzling effect. If a script requires the actor to be one character in one scene, then immediately enter as a different character in another, a quick change is necessary. Alternatively, if the costume designer feels as if an on-stage change of costume during a particular scene is necessary, then they may make suggestions to the director.
WHy use a quick change instead of another effect?
The purpose of using a quick change rather than using projections or other effects that are not tangible is that a quick change is a real transformation in front of the audience’s eyes. It is not simply a computer trick, but true magic they see before them, leaving them bewildered.
Different kinds of quick changes
The modern quick change is an integral part of live theatre and has had heavy influence from both ancient and recent forms of performance alike. There are several ways to accomplish a quick change in live theatre, and costume technicians typically accomplish this in one of two ways: transformation garments or underdressing.
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Transformation garments are much more difficult to design and construct due to their intricate nature, but are incredibly mystifying to see on stage. Tools that are frequently utilized during a quick change are magnets, snap tape, velcro, bite lites, and fishing line, as well as special effects such as fog and trap doors that help mask the change
Examples in theatre
There are dozens of examples of quick changes in popular shows, but two of the most notable are in Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway and Disney’s Frozen on Broadway. In Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, costume designer William Ivey Long engineered a transformation dress for Cinderella that transformed her from rags to riches using fishing line, a spring loaded hoop skirt, and the actress’ careful choreography. In Disney’s Frozen, costume designer Christopher Oram designed a tear-away transformation dress for Elsa at the climax of the song “Let it Go” with the assistance of fog, fishing line, and a trap door. These are two examples in which there is a script requirement for an on-stage transformation dress and the costume designers took creative control in how these dresses would be executed.
History of quick changes
To the right is a detailed research paper on the history of quick changes as well as important information in regards to the origination of modern quick changes.
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