IN THE WARDROBE DEPARTMENT

When the theatregoer arrives in the auditorium he or she expects something perhaps not phenomenal but nevertheless dazzling and beautiful. And no-one in the audience gives a thought about the vast number of people behind the curtain who have put their efforts, energy, knowledge and practical experience into ensuring that the show goes on. During the performance on stage the audience sees the results of the common efforts of various workshops. We have already spoken about the props and scenery workshops, and now it is the turn of the wardrobe departments.

So what's so special about them? It's an area where costumes are stored - men's and women's separately - and where people look after these costumes, keep them clean, repair them and, if necessary, stitch them and iron them, etc. And then when the time comes they provide the actor with the costume he requires and take him to the make-up room two hours before the start of the performance. These people are called wardrobe mistresses. This means they not only have to ensure that the costume is hygienic and undamaged but they also help the actor to put it on. If necessary they help with fastening a difficult buckle (this particularly applies to women's period costumes with clasps at the back!), straightening unnecessary creases, fixing a hat on a head-dress, and so on. All kinds of subtle things like that, of which there may be many.

The role of the wardrobe mistress is a very important one, because a great deal depends on this person's personal creative skills, their understanding of the theatrical process and love for their job. Take, for example, the mood of an actor or actress as they prepare to go out on stage. It is very important that the costume provided for them is in perfect order. For an actor's onstage costume is not just their dress, but also shoes, headgear and accessories such as gloves, beads, jewellery, and so on. Experienced and concerned people realize that actors - irrespective of sex or age - need attention, care and love. They must be offered hot tea when they want it, given a wrap behind the scenes where it can sometimes be quite cold and take back a costume or shoe for repair, and sometimes for laundering or dry-cleaning.

If an actor or actress has a sore throat or a headache, they must be offered a tablet or strong tea with lemon. Actors value this a great deal and, as a rule, attach themselves to these people and a trustworthy, professional relationship develops between them. And quite often they ask the wardrobe mistress for their opinion because they can assess an actor's performance in a professional way.

Such people are part of the theatre's history. They are remembered and stories about them are passed on and they become legends. And as this is a two-way thing, the wardrobe mistresses become the guardians not only of the actors' costumes and his good mood, but also of their personal secrets. Because actors are not simply idols, but people with human emotions. They become idols for many but live the lives of ordinary people, with all their woes and resentments, infatuations and disappointments, highs and lows. But the wardrobe mistresses, like guardian angels, know how to keep actors' secrets. And there are enough secrets to fill more than one bestseller! 

Here is People's Artiste Lyudmila Dukhovnaya: "The wardrobe mistress is an important and vital person in the life of any actress or actor. Rana Haciyeva has been working for me for over ten years now and we have built up a wonderful human relationship! We are not friends as such, but we have an excellent, professional mutual understanding. Rana is always there to see that my costumes are clean and all the little things are in place. I have a habit of taking small things like handkerchiefs or underwear home for cleaning. That's the way I am. There are some things I have to wash myself. So Rana always calls me and checks that I haven't left anything at home. You might think that a handkerchief is such a small thing, but it isn't. A handkerchief is an important costume detail. And if that handkerchief is not there - not the right colour, material or size - then that is detrimental to my perception of an actress playing a certain part. Take, for example, Mavra Tarasovna in the play "Truth is good but happiness is better" based on A.N.Ostrovskiy's book. There was a white handkerchief in it which was rather large with a frilly edging. I was working with it in the whole play and at certain times it fulfilled various functions. It could not be replaced by another one. And that's not all. A cup of tea offered at the right time, or things correctly and precisely set out in the make-up department to go out on stage - these are important moments in creating a positive aura and an atmosphere of common creativity."

It is usually women who have a love for the theatre and artistes and who idealize their idols, even in spite of their complex characters, who come into this profession. At first glance the work seems tedious. But where is the creativity part? Arranging and hanging the costumes on different handrails, checking that they have been cleaned, pressed and sent to make-up in time. Then helping the actors to put on those costumes which the artist has come up with under the director's guidance. And if unforeseen circumstances arise - for example, a split glove - this problem must be sorted out immediately. Where is the creativity? Technically speaking, there isn't any. But the point is that the theatre is not for the half-hearted.  Those who simply want to do a job of work will not linger here. The theatre is not for the pragmatic.  Everyone here is always stretched to the limit emotionally. And it doesn't matter if you love it or you hate it, it is always strong, vivid and emotionally draining. Therefore, every costume taken from the sewing shops is not just a piece of inventory but part of a life story. First of the actor who is playing the part, and then the character in whose "skin" the actor "climbs".

Not so long ago the costumes of Rakhil Ginzburg, Vera Chirier and Anatoliy Falkovich were inspired "characters" in the wardrobe department… Then they changed the place of their "certificate of domicile" and moved to the exhibition hall of the National Museum of the History of Theatrical Art. Here on the rails of the wardrobe department, which was presided over by Arifa Mammadova, the costumes of the new idols of our audiences in plays such as "Fedra", "The Brothers Karamazov", "Oh, it's Anna!", "With a wave of the wand", "Wolves and sheep", "My wife Maurice", and others "took up residence". The boss of this kingdom, reflecting the styles and colourful predilections of the era, was a caring individual. The costumes are kept in a clean and orderly manner. Everything is neatly arranged. "At one time," Arifa recalls, "looking after the costumes was a little more complicated. One had to go to the dry-cleaner's, take some things home to wash, but now everything is much easier and more convenient. There is a washing machine and a place to do your own washing. It's very convenient because I can do this at the theatre. My thanks to our director who understands how important it is that actors' costumes should always be clean. A mere trifle, you think? No.

It's nice when an actor puts on a clean costume, because then he is going on stage in a good mood! And that means the audience will see him give a good performance and it will be a good play all round." And so the outcome is that in the theatre everything is linked. The actors and all the workshops. Because success is the result of joint creative work, and not the creative work of people taken separately. Therefore the real pros understand this and know how to respect and value the work and efforts of others. And in understanding and appreciating this, the flowers received at a premier in recognition of the performance are handed to the wardrobe mistresses. For a path travelled together to produce a play, in recognition of their creative involvement and their tolerance and care for the process in which each individual is important.