Behind the Seams: A Broadway Dresser

Episode 21 of Drama Mamas takes you behind the scenes of one of Broadway's most beloved shows, Wicked the Musical. Our guest, Tyler Lineberger, has worked as a dresser on several Broadway productions, including the hit musical Wicked. In this episode, Tyler shares his insider perspective on what it's like to work as a Broadway dresser, from handling quick costume changes to ensuring that every actor looks their best on stage.
Listen in as Tyler reveals the secrets behind the stunning costumes and wardrobe of Wicked, including some behind-the-scenes stories that have never been shared before. He also shares his tips for dressing for success in the fast-paced world of Broadway theatre, and how he keeps his cool during the most hectic moments backstage.

If you're a theatre lover or just curious about what goes on behind the curtain, this episode is a must-listen. Join us as we uncover the magic of stage wardrobe and the important role of a Broadway dresser in making a show come to life.

Tyler Lineberger: [00:00:00] Side note, I wore my, my lucky jacket today. This is actually my first show I ever worked on professionally. Oh. Oh, nice. It's old . It's a show called It Stream along with Mickey. I'll
Cathi Champino: introduce you later. Oh God, I love that. Oh yeah, back in his shirt.
Angela Shanks: Oh yeah,
Cathi Champino: sorry Todd. This is my daughter Gabby. Hi.
Hopefully will be a junior SES next year. Yeah.
Kristen Gillett: Yeah. She's young. She's a pretty.
Cathi Champino: Are we recording now?
Angela Shanks: Yes. Everything is recording now. Is this
Tyler Lineberger: acceptable or is this
Angela Shanks: fine? Yay. That should be
Kristen Gillett: fine. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll be good. So we, I know it's not like stock trick, you know, super high tech or anything.
We just tried to be like small and mobile, you know?
Cathi Champino: Yeah, of course. We have the big ones at
Angela Shanks: home, right? We
Tyler Lineberger: ambiance too. Yeah, we do. Yes. A criminal or a great,
Angela Shanks: who knows? It's the beauty of both. It's probably both. I
Tyler Lineberger: say Patrick's Parade is actually coming right over there, so,
Angela Shanks: yeah. Well we heard lots of
Kristen Gillett: cheering earlier and I was like, oh my God, they're coming.
I thought maybe we would be just far enough away. Then they went in Whole Foods and I was like, oh, well [00:01:00] that'll be fun for Whole Foods .
Angela Shanks: Oh actually really
Tyler Lineberger: nice Whole Foods if you've ever,
Angela Shanks: I haven't been in there. We gotta
Tyler Lineberger: go in there. Yeah, it's a nice city one because unfortunately there's not enough
Angela Shanks: talking too much.
No, you're like, no. Oh, okay.
Tyler Lineberger: Oh no. That Whole Foods is really great because, um, in the city, obviously, uh, retail space is extremely expensive. So it's two floors and it's compact just enough and it's quite nice. So yeah, it's what we have. We'll
Cathi Champino: be in there. My daughter's great. It's
Angela Shanks: what we have, so Yeah. Yeah.
Yes.
Kristen Gillett: Um, yeah, it's that for sure. Okay. Yeah, we've been in Target like four times since we got here. Like as if we don't have Target
Angela Shanks: at home. Well, they just don't.
Tyler Lineberger: One over on 42nd Street, I
Angela Shanks: believe. I think that's the
Kristen Gillett: one where brand new, like, I think that's the one we went in, we went on one 42nd. Yeah. When we first got here.
Well, we needed air mattresses for the hotel. Oh, so we had an Airbnb. Yeah, that was, that had like an outdoor patio and we were gonna like record our podcast there with you. Beautiful. Yeah, it was like really nice. Wow. Yeah. And then when we got there, uh, it was like just [00:02:00] littered with Whippets and What a whippet,
Cathi Champino: sorry.
Drug paraphernalia.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. Oh, drug. Okay. There. I don't have time to do drugs, time to do anything.
Angela Shanks: You're,
Kristen Gillett: so we should probably like start with some kind of intro because it's easy to just dive in and start
Angela Shanks: having a good time. Right. Legend of
Tyler Lineberger: star and scr. I'm kidding. ,
Angela Shanks: where are they? Where are they? exactly. So, um,
Kristen Gillett: where the drama mamas, I'm
Angela Shanks: Kristin. I'm Angela. And I'm
Kristen Gillett: Kathy. Yay. And today we have our very special guest that we are so honored to
Angela Shanks: have.
Yes, Tyler. That's me. Yeah. Yeah. Tyler
Cathi Champino: Tyler's. Not just
Angela Shanks: Tyler. Tyler. I, this Tyler
Cathi Champino: tell about himself a little bit. We met Tyler Kind, we went to your workshop two years in a row at um, junior State Besian, and we're just, first of all, couldn't believe how gracious and kind you were that you [00:03:00] would take your time to come talk to a bunch of bratty middle schoolers,
Angela Shanks: Oh no, I love that.
Cathi Champino: Um, and just so impressed with what you do. So introduce yourself. Tell us about your,
Angela Shanks: your
Tyler Lineberger: history. Oh gosh. Uh, we'll be here for five hours.
Angela Shanks: That's okay. So cameras are going?
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. . Oh, awesome. So, um, oh gosh. Uh oh. So I start off, um, we moved to Florida in middle school. Um, and that's kind of when I started getting, um, Involved in the middle school drama department and it was absolutely nothing.
I grew up in Citrus County. I don't know if any of you know where Citrus County is. Do County, so, oh, perfect. Yeah, so like, uh, so I grew up in Inverness, so then like Sure on the board of Inverness and Floral City and mm-hmm. , I was very, um, , uh, it was just inverness. That's all you can really say. It's unique.
It's one of a kind. Yeah. Uh, anyways, um, soon I went to middle school there and also high school, and that's kind of when my love for theater, my passion started brewing. Um, in high school we have some . [00:04:00] It's not, it's not New York without a little interruption. Um, no. Um, in high school I went through, um, Kristen Neander drama program.
Um, she was my high school drama teacher. And she gave me a lot of foundation, a lot of direction, and just a thirst for life that I never had before. Um, and it really changed my life. Um, fast forward, oh my God. I worked, I've worked at Disney World. Um, I did a little stint at, oh gosh, Ringling Brothers and Belly Circus
Nice. Very short. Very short. What did you do? I lived on a circus train. Um, I worked in wardrobe. Okay. I also did a short little stint on Barney Live in concert. Nice. Yes. Listen, Barney desperate, and when you're out, you're like,
Angela Shanks: yes, and absolutely wait. But they're
Kristen Gillett: bringing Barney back, aren't they?
Angela Shanks: Bringing Barney
Tyler Lineberger: back?
Oh, maybe. I don't know about the tour, but. Listen, we were in like Laredo, Texas on the border, , and across the, yeah, like stones from Mexico and two, two Americans just got kidnapped then. Yeah, many years ago. But anyways, here we are. [00:05:00] Safe and Sound. And then I took, I took a little break from theater. Um, I moved to Dubai.
I traveled the world as an international cabin crew with the world's best airline Emirates. Oh my God. Um, and then I came back to theater. Um, and now I worked on two date, 12 Broadway musicals, well, forgive me, 11 Broadway musicals, one play. Okay. Uh, very proud about my play. What was that? Uh, then yeah, here we are.
What play was it? Um, I worked on a play called Network. Okay. It's based on the, I believe it's 1964 or 1974. I always get the year wrong, but it's based on the movie with Howard Beal, where he's a news anchor and he basically screams, I'm mad as beep and I can't take it anymore. Mm-hmm. . and uh, yeah, no, on that production we had Tony Goldman, which she's fabulous.
Uh, we had Tatiana Melana, who is, was incredible. And now she's the She Hulk and she's everywhere ever. Yeah. And then we also had a little man named Brian Cranson, who is wonderful. So, but she's a super nice guy. Very happy about that. And then now that I've kind of [00:06:00] reached, kind of in my mind, the pinnacle of my career, I thought it was very important to me to go back and like, get back.
So I reached out to my high school drama teacher, Ms. Daner, and I said, how can I do that? Um, and she had encouraged me to apply to become a, um, judge and or a workshop presenter. Um, and I said, yes, uh, I said yes, and I was very interested. It, it, it there, I was interested in doing it before, but finally I was like, I'm going to do it.
I want to do it. Let's see what happens. Yeah. So,
Angela Shanks: and here
Cathi Champino: I am. Here you are. And you're currently working at Wicked?
Tyler Lineberger: Yes. Currently I'm working at Wicked. I dress the male ensemble. Um, there's four of us in the male ensemble. Um, and it's a lot of fun. So I take care of their costumes, um, during the show. So I dress and undress, um, actors, um, move stuff around, make the magic , but please, I'm only one person of like a massive wardrobe department that takes care of the entire show.
So it's, uh, quite [00:07:00] a exhausting process, but it's a, it's amazing. It's an amazing
Cathi Champino: process though. So you're doing like the quick changes and everything in the midst of
Tyler Lineberger: this show? Yes. So, um, understand a little better. So I have what's on as a track. What a track is, is it's basically a list of assignments mm-hmm.
to complete throughout the entire show. So, for instance, um, I'll do my preset for my costumes that I take care of at the top of the show. Mm-hmm. , and then they'll call places and then I'll, you know, begin my, my, my show presets. And then for instance, my first thing that I'll do is . Oh,
it's all I have to do is hit
Angela Shanks: autopilot. It's like muscle memory. Woo.
Tyler Lineberger: Um, and then, no, first thing is I dress, I quick change the father in the show, so I'll get that preset ready to go. He'll run off. We'll quick change him, he'll run on and we'll do a little of this, little of that. And then I'm carrying heavy baskets everywhere, um, around the theater.
So yes. So quick [00:08:00] changes
Angela Shanks: and, uh, baskets. Presets of a preset of a preset so that it just goes, what was your question? Baskets full of like
Tyler Lineberger: clothing. Uh, clothing. Uh, yeah. Uh, because I'm in wardrobe, I can only handle the costumes in the show. Okay. So no, no props or anything because we're all union. Right. So it's like there's a person to do that.
There's a person to do this. Okay. So yeah, you
Angela Shanks: never cross the line,
Kristen Gillett: like community theater where you like, I'm doing everything. Yeah. ,
Angela Shanks: no
Tyler Lineberger: crossing. I'm everything. Absolutely. Now. No, no, no. you have a thing, you have a, you have a lane and you stay in it. Wow. Yeah. Don't cross the streams.
Cathi Champino: Okay.
Kristen Gillett: Oh my God. So wait, how
Angela Shanks: long have you been doing Wicked.
Tyler Lineberger: Oh wow. Um, okay. So I moved back to America in December of 2016. And Wicked was my fifth show. I have to talk it out. Sorry. At the end. You're following your timeline. I think like March, April of 2017. Oh wow. Okay. Okay. So yeah. A few years then. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Well, minus Pandemic years, which that was a whole nother
Angela Shanks: world.
Oh yeah. Oh
Kristen Gillett: goodness. Was that tough? Did you like have a hard time getting through that work [00:09:00] wise? Yeah, because everything was
Angela Shanks: shut down, right? The Correct. So it was,
Tyler Lineberger: it was, uh, I think, I think I kind of speak for all of us on Broadway. Um, that it was a very depressing state for all of us. Mm-hmm. , um, because you have to understand, Broadway is six days a week.
We get one day off to do our food shopping, to do our laundry, to do any errands you need as a human being. You have one day. Yeah. You might have the morning, but come on, let's face it, you're tired and you wanna sleep in cuz you just worked until 11 o'clock, right? Um, Sonna it was, it was, it was very hard.
Um, and it wasn't like, , we could just work from home, everybody. Right? Let's do a, a professional Broadway production via Zoom. . Yeah. Can you see my
Angela Shanks: screen? ? No, we can't , you know,
Tyler Lineberger: lemme change my virtual background. Oh, look, I'm in the Emerald City. might not look like it, but it's green . Wait, it's red. It's red.
Oh, no, no, of course not. Yeah, exactly. So yeah, it was, it was very hard.
Cathi Champino: And I'm sure financially, right? That you feel that
Tyler Lineberger: impact. [00:10:00] Oh, it broke. It broke me. Yeah. I mean, I, I know that it broke a lot of other people, but Yeah. Yeah, it was, it was very devastating. And at the time, oh gosh. Um, ptsd, um, at the time I was working on a show, west Side Story, um, over at the Broadway Theater.
And, um, it was interesting. There was a lot of controversy, uh, you could read about it. Uh, and, uh, we were basically told throughout the entire pandemic, oh, you have a show to come back to. Uhhuh , it was a show to come back to. Or you have a show to come back. . Um, and then like as shows were starting to open back up, right?
We were like, oh, when, when are we gonna get the email? Yeah. When are we gonna go back to work? It's good. Yeah. I can't wait to get back to what I love more than anything. Yeah. Yeah. And then it was just like, oh look, every other Broadway show is opened up. , where's mine? Hello? I still got my deli ticket. Uh, and then we got the email that, hey, by oh, by the way, the show's closing and you're not coming back to work.
Oh, no. So we were only open for like one or two months and then Oh, wow.
Angela Shanks: [00:11:00] That sucks. That's
Tyler Lineberger: horrible. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, I'd hate to say like, that's that's the world, but like, but
Angela Shanks: that's the way it goes. That's the how that went. Yeah.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. It was just a shame that we were basically sh strung along for the longest time.
Yeah. Cause you could be looking for something instead of like, you know, have a little bit of a heart and just be like, you're cut, right? Like Yeah. Yeah. Just rip the bandaid off early. Of course. Yeah. No, of course. Uh, not to get too political. Yeah. But I'm very grateful that there was that extended like unemployment stuff.
Right. Mainly because like, . Yeah. I applied for like, other jobs and I, I, I was working, um, another job at the time. I was, I was working at CBS News, uh, doing CBS this morning, Saturday. So I had that, but that's one day a week of work and Right. Kid, I can't pay the mortgage. Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Not here. Not here. Anyway.
Lights off. No,
Tyler Lineberger: this is so expensive. But no, um, it's very expensive. Um, but I'm very grateful for that. Extended unemployment. I know a lot of people on Broadway were like applying for like grocery store jobs. Any other entry level position, I think they get in. Yeah. [00:12:00] And it's because everybody was applying for those, or, yeah, we, and then there was of course a limit on how many people could be in the store.
Right. So we're not gonna hire a a thousand, you know, grocery store employees and only didn't make sense one day a week. Mm-hmm. .
Angela Shanks: Mm-hmm. . It was very dramatic.
Tyler Lineberger: And, um, yeah. Very grateful for that because we were, our backs were in a corner mm-hmm. . Yeah. And we couldn't do anything and. This is the first time in my entire life I've ever collected unemployment.
Yeah. I didn't even know what to do. Who, what phone number do I call? What form do I submit? I don't know. Yeah. I have a job.
Cathi Champino: Ah, exactly. Yeah. So with the rest of America is trying to go through that process at the same
Angela Shanks: time. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Especially in
Tyler Lineberger: New York City where like, yeah, don't quote me. I think it's like anywhere between six and 8 million.
I, I forget the official number. Yeah. Doesn't Manhattan alone live here? Right. Um, so it's a
Angela Shanks: lot. That's
Kristen Gillett: a lot of competition for like,
Angela Shanks: couple of jobs. I wouldn't call.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. I would just hit like, you know, press two for Spanish .
Angela Shanks: Hi, can you help me? , [00:13:00] that's the Spanish line. Call back, say it. I
Cathi Champino: wanna talk to a
Kristen Gillett: person.
Angela Shanks: uh, I speak a little Japanese
Kristen Gillett: So like in that time period it was really hard to get a job, but is it normally really hard to get a job doing what you do?
Tyler Lineberger: Ooh, that's a complicated question. Yes, but no. Okay. Okay.
Angela Shanks: Oh, it's,
Kristen Gillett: do, tell, tell I'm ready for the rest of
Angela Shanks: that. I'm
Tyler Lineberger: revealing your scripts. I, my union. I'm gonna be banished, .
Angela Shanks: Oh, no I'm not.
We'll
Tyler Lineberger: work for food. I'm kidding. No. . We work now, you know how to get food. We work. We work.
Angela Shanks: I prefer to
Tyler Lineberger: work, but yes. Um, it'll bridge me for like a month. Uh, but no. Um, how do you get work regularly? Um, so I'm a part of what's, uh, I'm a part of a union, um, specifically, uh, ii it's an acronym. It's I
Angela Shanks: A T S E.
It's, uh,
Tyler Lineberger: uh, international Alliance of Theatrical State Chan [00:14:00] Employees. Okay. Um, and II covers believe North America, which would be, you know, of course, Canada, US and I think a little bit of Mexico, but primarily United States. And I'm in the local 7 64 in New York City, which is specifically for, um, wardrobe professionals.
Okay. now, um, on the other end, so we cover wardrobe and there's another union for hair and makeup. Mm-hmm. . And then there's another union in, or another local in New York for, um, props, carpentry, electrics, somebody else. Audio maybe. Technically audio is under electric electrics, but Okay. We're, we're splitting hairs.
But if you were to think about it, but to go back, um, II is kind of like, uh, girl Scouts. Okay. So there is Girl Scouts that span the entire United States and there's little troops underneath that. Yeah, sure. Exactly. So if you were to think in that, in that way, My little local 7 64 [00:15:00] is a troupe, so to speak, under it.
And this is our lane and we stick to it. So, and I think mainly Bec we're, I think one of the reasons why we're not a part of Local One, which I'd love to be a part of. Local One, if anybody's listening, I'd love to be a part of Local One.
Angela Shanks: Thank you. We'll help, we'll help get the word out. I'll, I'll, I'll help move
Tyler Lineberger: some props or, uh, anyways. No, but I love what I do. Yeah. Um, but, um, no, I think mainly because wardrobe people, our contracts are way more specific than maybe perhaps somebody in Carps or pop props or, or, you know, prop or, or carpentry.
Forgive me because like when you're moving set pieces, you don't need to change certain things out. Uh, for instance, if you know Alphabet isn't on right, you know, the wardrobe person has to switch out all of her clothing, switch out the presets in the ensemble, we need to switch things out. Whereas if you were to be carpentry or props.
You know, the grimy in Wicked is still the grimer no matter who's touching it. [00:16:00] Right. If that makes sense. Gotcha. Okay. So it's the same thing. So it's a little bit more, um, consistent, whereas our world is more Ah, right, right. Marketing part. Hope that explains like kind of that. So how do you get work? You, you join the union.
Okay. Specifically whatever local you want, you get into the union and then you get a lovely little list of who the wardrobe supervisors are on both tv, film, and Broadway. Okay. Okay. Okay. And then you send out your resume and you pray.
Kristen Gillett: All right. So there's no like weird audition processes that you have to do, like if you're, cuz we're familiar with our kids, you know, from the actor side of it.
Yeah. You know. Yeah. Um, but yeah, so like they have to do an auditioning process and all of. You don't have to do that. It's just solely resume. It's not like how
Angela Shanks: you do a quick change.
Tyler Lineberger: I wish I could, I wish I could lie. Be like, oh, I'm so
Angela Shanks: hard, , I get it. .
Tyler Lineberger: So there, there is, but there isn't. I, I love, I love all my answers.
They're not even like a yes or a no. [00:17:00] i'll.
Yeah.
Tyler Lineberger: So in the professional wardrobe world, a great way that the wardrobe supervisor can kind of, I don't wanna say try you out, but audition you maybe as the proper terminology Yeah. Is usually you'll be brought in for what's on his day work. Um, and you'll do day work.
And as long as you are saying, and. are not crazy. Um, generally, uh, it, it, it would be nice if you, as the day worker would say to the wardrobe seminars, oh, I'm interested in learning the show as what, as a wardrobe swing, which I'll get into it in just a second. Okay. And then you learn a few tracks. Okay. Run it.
And then that's how you, you know, kind of gain employment. Okay. On rare occasions, um, they might look at your resume and be like, whoa, here's a full-time job out of the gate. I would definitely say from my experience, it's quite rare that they would just pick you up and you'd be full-time. And the best part of the out being full-time is that, generally speaking, you have a job until the show closes.
Okay. Nice. That's nice. Yeah. So [00:18:00] like, if I were to stay at Wicked, or if I do choose to stay at Wicked, or if I do stay at Wick, Um, however I wanna phrase it. Um, I have the job until the show closes. Yeah. It's nice.
Cathi Champino: Yeah. Would your job ever change within Wicked? Would you ever switch? Are you,
Tyler Lineberger: once you're in that one spot?
No, generally speaking, once you're in your track, okay, it's yours forever. That's yours. Um, but you know, I, I know other dressers who will stay on a show for about one to two years, hop to another one, and that show closes. They'll hop to another big, huge show, and then they'll do that for two years and they'll just bop around.
Or there are other dressers who choose to just stay there and do the same thing. Because it's a paycheck, it's stable and, exactly. Yeah. And honestly, whenever you predictable, get older, um, yes,
Angela Shanks: stability is important. You have no,
Tyler Lineberger: you have, you have, stability is very important. If you wanna buy an apartment, if you wanna buy a house, if you wanna buy a condo, you need to have, you know, kind of regular employment.
Not only to prove it to the banks, but just to pay your bills, right? Yeah,
Angela Shanks: exactly. Exactly. So
Tyler Lineberger: it, it just, the beautiful thing about Broadway, specifically the wardrobe world, is that there is so many [00:19:00] opportunities. So if you wanna have that crazy life of hopping from show to show and have work on the biggest shows, that's something you can easily do.
If you wanna have something of more, of, a little bit more of a stable career, you can easily have that as well. I take you a little while to figure out, okay, which one? And, right, right. And how can I like put my money or, you know, use my free time to try to like network and mm-hmm. . Yeah. To get under like a Hamilton or a Wicked.
Cathi Champino: One of the things that we've learned, you know, kind of going through this process is it is very much who, you know, you know, connections that you might grow. Oh yeah. Yeah. So if, you know, if you get to know somebody and you're like, oh, hey, this is what I wanna do, and then they can say, oh, hey, I know somebody who's looking for somebody.
We'll get you in contact with this supervisor. Yeah. You know, and then word of mouth kind of helps out, I'm assuming in that world as well. Yeah.
Tyler Lineberger: Mm-hmm. . Um, so I'd actually like to share a story with you. Yeah. If that's okay. Absolutely. Um, this is my favorite, the love story time. This is my favorite life story, and you may have heard it, uh, when you came to my [00:20:00] workshop, but I'll share it again.
It's my favorite. So let's travel back in time when I was 18. No, 19. Forgive me. I, for whatever reason, I was working at Disney World at the time and I was like, oh my, and wicked was like the hottest thing I'd been around for, like, eh, I forget like 2, 3, 4 years, whatever. But they had two tours going and it was big and it was like, it was the thing, it was like the Hamilton back then.
It was like, and I don't know what came over me, but somehow I figured out who the wardrobe supervisor was on Wicked. And I sent my resume to the stage door at the Grocery and Theater in New York. Again, I was living in Florida at the time and I wrote this really, um, interesting, uh, uh, cover letter. I was like, hi, I'm Tyler.
Yeah. Um, I'd love to work on the tour with you or I'd love to be like an entry level position on the tour of Wicked. Um, should you need any help. I mean, if anything, Disney World taught me and I worked on many parades and shows there in the wardrobe department. They taught me that you could have your crew, but [00:21:00] then something can happen and you need somebody and you need somebody right now.
Yeah. Or you needed somebody yesterday and you're like, okay. Yeah. So, um, I sent my resume and, um, Alice Gilbert, who is the production wardrobe supervisor, which when the term production is added on to wardrobe supervisor, that means she's in charge of every production of Wickeds. Oh, wow. Oh, okay. She's the boss.
Wow. I gotcha. So I was like, Ugh. But you know what? Whatever. Who cares? Screw it. I'm gonna send her the, send her the letters. Send her my resume. Absolutely. I think that, I think that what's really important is that people, especially me, I was always so afraid of like setting my resume.
Kristen Gillett: What if they say no?
What
if
Angela Shanks: they hate you? Yeah. Them they
Tyler Lineberger: say no to my face. They'll just not message me back. But I'm gonna continue living my life cuz I gotta go to work and I won't even know about it. I won't even know that she said no. I won't be like, oh no, I'm heartbroken. I'll be heartbroken for a day and I'll get over it.
But that's not what happened. Yeah. What happened was literally, [00:22:00] Three hours after. Cause I sent it FedEx overnight. Oh my gosh. Uh, with a discount coupon code from a
Angela Shanks: job I was working on. Well, yeah, you gotta get a, everyone was working at Disney World please.
Tyler Lineberger: $6 and 79 cents an hour, please sling. Gosh. Ugh.
Anyways, um, , no, I used the coupon code, um, and I got it up there like overnight shipping and, you know, you could track it so I know when it like Yeah. You know it when arrive. Yeah. It was like, oh, did it arrive or was it lost in the mail? Who knows? And within three hours she emailed me back to my personal email.
Wow. Um, I forget what I said verbatim, but it basically said that, you know, currently our, I just received your resume confirmation. Um, you know, should you happen to be in New York City, I'd love to have a conversation with you. Um, and, uh, we don't have any positions on the tour. Right. They had just replaced their wardrobe supervisor, assistant head of wardrobe.
Um, I didn't know exactly what involved touring or what came with it. Right. Um, which is a whole nother story. [00:23:00] Uh, but on that production, there's only two positions, which is the wardrobe supervisor and the assistant wardrobe supervisor. I thought there could be like laundry person. Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Oh, oh man. I'll,
Tyler Lineberger: it'll the horse manure.
Anyways. Um, so now, so then, um, I knew that there was no positions available. I knew she was interested in having a conversation with me. Yeah. And I was like, I'd be stupid not to hitchhike to New York City. I kidding. I didn't hitchhike . Um, another random fact about me, I was working for Delta Airlines at the time as a gate and ticket agent in the Orlando International Airport.
Ooh. As Whitson is a ready reserve. So I have seasonal and I had free domestic travel.
Angela Shanks: Nice. Delta taste Fantastic.
Tyler Lineberger: Like that. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I, I, I think they're also really great to their employees as well. Mm-hmm. . Um, but I was gonna seasonal slash I work, you know, super part-time, but. I was like, oh my gosh, all the stars are aligning.
Why am I not doing this? Yeah. So literally the next week, which was I think the day after my birthday, um, I dressed as fancy and as nice as I possibly could, , [00:24:00] which wasn't great. But anyways, I tried,
Angela Shanks: I found a tie. The only tie I had. Got your best hoodie. Yeah, .
Tyler Lineberger: And, you know, I took a taxi. Ooh. Um, went to the Gwin Theater.
Um, oddly enough, standing outside the theater, Kevin Huck, who's assistant head of wardrobe, was outside the stage door. Now, of course, think about it, I was very young and I saw stage door and I was like, do I touch the handle? What do I do? Do I push the bell? What do I, hello? What do I, hello? Email is there.
What? What's behind the door? I don't know. . Yeah. Is there like a guard being like, oh, come back here. What's the house? No, exactly. Yeah. What's the handshake? I don't like? Do I touch the handle? Whoa. I was literally standing out there looking at the door handle for five minutes, being like, tight,
Angela Shanks: you on a camera somewhere?
Should we put him outta his misery? ?
Tyler Lineberger: No, let's lap for some more. Let's do an alarm. Kidding. And outside having a cigarette was Kevin Huck's wardrobe supervisor, and he was like, uh, cuz I finally mustered up the courage to speak to the only person that was outside the building [00:25:00] having a cigarette. I was like, hi.
You know, excuse me. You know my name's Tyler. I'm, you know, I'm here to see Alice Gilbert, she's the wardrobe teacher. Oh yeah. Al,
Angela Shanks: you're Tyler. Okay, we have your
Tyler Lineberger: resume, but whatever. Oh my gosh. Thank, thank you. God. Yeah, because I guess Alice had said, oh, I'm meeting this young kid. So then, um, then he brought me backstage.
He brought me up to the wardrobe room, sat me down. I'll never forget Alice was busy. She was running a little late cuz she was up Macy's buying bras. I was like, okay, cool. So it was a great opportunity to meet Christina and SNAs, who were two, two of the sisters back then at Wicked. Incredible people, wonderful human beings.
And then Kevin Huck was also there as well. And we all just kind of started chatting and Christina and Shana made me feel so welcome because I was so nervous. Oh my gosh. Please, I bet you kidding me. . I'm just a young backstage. I was like, yes, of course. And in the wardrobe room full of tons of boxes of trims, of laces, of zippers, of threads.
I was like,
Angela Shanks: do you feel like you walked into heaven? This is like .
Tyler Lineberger: [00:26:00] And and it was shocking cuz I was like, This is it? Like this is, this is the place. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Oh my. And I'm here out of body experience Completely. Yeah. Yeah, I bet. Surreal. So then Alice finally arrived. Um, she brought me into the male ensemble dressing room, which is where I work now, full circle.
But anyway, um, she brought me in there, she showed me a lot of costumes. I was like, can I touch the hat? And she was like, yeah. And I was like, oh, wow. . I bet she was like, it was just crazy kid.
Angela Shanks: No, I'm
Tyler Lineberger: kidding. . Yeah. I was like, whoa, come on. I know. In theater you don't touch anything. Yeah. So, of course. Is that your,
Angela Shanks: your prop, right?
Tyler Lineberger: Exactly. Mike. Chris, in the end of my high school drama teacher, she taught me while she was like, oh. Um, but no. Yeah. And then, um, stayed in touch. I, you know, wonderful interview. Mm-hmm. stayed in touch via email, Facebook friend request. always stayed in contact like, you're Merry Christmas, happy birthday, whatever.
Or, and then when I was flying for Emirates, every time I was in the city, I'd go have lunch with the wardrobe crew, hang out with, you know, they'd invite me backstage when I was, not even, when I was just a [00:27:00] flight attendant. . Um, and I'd hang out of course up until half hour and talking to Saz and Christina.
It's wonderful experience and yeah. Long-winded story by basically saying you never know what's gonna happen. If you don't ever take that risk. If you think that door handle is too much to touch, you know, just touch it. You know, or like send in your resume cuz you never know what's gonna happen. Yeah. If you don't ever try.
Um, uh, uh, there was a line in Priscilla, queen of the Desert, um, I think Bernadette's, uh, by the way, uh, Priscilla Queen of the Desert is the best Broadway musical for costumes because every single scene, it was like a whole new ridiculous costume. I bet the was crazy. Yeah. Oh it was. I didn't work on it. I saw, I was like, wow, this is a costume's delight.
Oh my god.
Angela Shanks: cupcakes
Tyler Lineberger: and this and head pieces. I
Angela Shanks: was like, this is ridiculous. And I'm here for it. You fun. Stand backstage and just watch it happen. Yeah. Right. Absolutely not. It's
Tyler Lineberger: crazy. Uh, but anyways, going back on topic. Um, no, uh, [00:28:00] Bernadette in an actress in the show, rather, the character on the show once said, you know, you, you never know if you don't ever give it a go.
And that's, it's a quote that really resonated with me because throw caution of the wind, who cares? What's important is that the person that you're sending your resume to or the person that you're trying to converse with is a human being. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Yeah. They used to be a nobody, sorry, . They used to be a kid in high school and look up and idolize somebody higher than them.
And you know, I think that's really important for people to understand that they're also human. They might also be extremely busy. So be respectful, but make those connections. Send those letters, send those emails. Maybe that's a little creepy. Send handwritten letter is nicer. Do whatever you want, but do it.
Right? Yeah. Don't sit around and say, well, I don't know. Don't you do know. Go try it. Yeah.
Angela Shanks: You know. Love it.
Cathi Champino: Well, that's what happened when, after we saw you and like, well, [00:29:00] he said to try so I'm gonna gonna try. So I was like, I was like, I would've written you a letter, but I don't need your address. So
Angela Shanks: quite also, that would've been very creepy.
That would've been creepy. Had a lot of
Tyler Lineberger: nail theft at my house, so probably would've never even come. Losers. Oh geez. . Anyway, here we are. Got a lockbox and everything and Oh my God. Seriously. Well, I mean, life in the theater, you're never home,
Angela Shanks: so, right.
Cathi Champino: Yeah. Yeah. So speaking of that, a day in the life, what does your day look like?
Wake up to
Angela Shanks: end.
Tyler Lineberger: Uh, okay. Um, on a day you're working. Oh, okay.
Angela Shanks: Um, which is what, every day. Lets, let's do it. Yeah. . .
Tyler Lineberger: Um, so we'll do like a Matine a day. So Matine a day. So, um, I'll get, I'll wake up, um, the last second, cause I'm lazy.
Angela Shanks: So what time would that be?
Tyler Lineberger: Um, , like nine o'clock. Nine o'clock. And then, um, I have to be at work at 1230 for a two show day.
Okay. 1230 and then that's, I believe for a two o'clock show. Mm-hmm. . [00:30:00] Okay. So it's hour before, half hour, which is confusing. But yeah, half hour is when everybody shows up and then we get an hour before that to prep if we need to maintain anything at the last second. Yeah. Switch outs, right. And then into the two o'clock.
Show. Run the show. We'll get out at about 5, 5, 5 o'clock maybe. Depends. Depends who's on. Mm-hmm. , sometimes five 30 or five 15. Okay. Other times earlier than that. Oh. . Cool. They're pressure washer. Sorry. That's fun. Um, and then we have anywhere between 30 minutes or an hour and a half to go out, grab food, come back to the theater, do the evening performance, and then go home at about maybe 11.
Okay. Okay. So, okay. It's
Angela Shanks: a long day. Yeah. It is a long day.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. It's a really long day. And, uh, in my workplace, there's no windows. So in between shows, I always make it a point to try to go out. Mm-hmm. Go outside and just get a, a breath of fresh air. Walk
Angela Shanks: around, stand in the
Kristen Gillett: sun for a hot second. Get some by I exist
Angela Shanks: Yeah. [00:31:00] What does the world look like today? . Wow. Bye. Okay. Yeah, yeah, exactly. We're back in my basement. And then
Cathi Champino: on top of that, you're doing, you're dressing for the.
Tyler Lineberger: Morning news. Um, I don't do that anymore. Oh, okay. Um, but primarily over, um, the, uh, pandemic and then a little bit before that. Okay. Um, I was able to fill in for the wardrobe supervisor who works there full-time whenever he needed to go on vacation.
Got it. Okay. Um, and then what else was there then? Like, um, I filled in and did a little bit on CBS Saturday, so. Okay. And that was quite crazy because, um, usually you'd get there at about maybe four o'clock in the morning. Woo. And then, well, it's morning news.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. Yeah. So
Tyler Lineberger: be ready to go. You'd get there.
Yeah. You'd get there at about four o'clock in the morning and then you would work, um, help the anchors pick out their clothing, or they would pick it up and just, you'd prep it. Mm-hmm. . Um, and then you would, um, they'd be inherent makeup for, I wanna say about maybe one to two hours. , um, God every day. Well, it's nice and [00:32:00] relaxing cuz you're just hanging out talking with people that you know, you know, and that you know, who are kind of in your inner circle.
Yeah, yeah, true, true. Um, of making you feel and look beautiful. Yeah. And you're getting pampered, so that's kind of Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And then, um, you go to sets in the studio and then you run the show. Um, every, obviously it's news, so every show is completely different. Yeah. Um, and by the end of my shift, my shift usually ended about 12 o'clock, but the show would go off there.
Maybe eight, nine. I forget, I might, you. Yeah, I haven't done it in a little while.
Angela Shanks: Um, and, uh,
Tyler Lineberger: yeah, the show would go off air and then they kind of, the, um, anchors would be on kind of standby until the evening news in DC were to enter the building just so that if any coverage needed to take place. Mm-hmm.
Okay. Um, they were in the building, so every time the show ended I was like, please, world don't implode. , please don't implode. I don't have time for somebody passing away or like a war to have started. I've been up since four o'clock in the morning. Yeah. I don't need breaking [00:33:00] news. No, please be normal. And it happens.
They're just
Angela Shanks: gonna wear the same thing
Tyler Lineberger: that they've wore this morning. , right? ? Well, no. Well then you gotta go in and like, make sure they look okay. Pass it again or whatever.
Cathi Champino: No,
Kristen Gillett: I'm just gonna stand there. I'm gonna steam you. So
Angela Shanks: like the world can,
Tyler Lineberger: I was like, the world can implode at
Angela Shanks: 1230 and go, yeah, you got the door,
Tyler Lineberger: then it can happen.
Yeah. No, but that, that was also really fun because that was a different side of the wardrobe world. Um, that I was able to experience.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. So that's very
Kristen Gillett: cool. Yeah, it is really cool. Yeah. Oh gosh. Okay, go ahead. What is, you've done like quick changing for like a long time, right? Yeah. What's the quickest one you've ever done?
I'm, I'm asking this because we have a friend that does quick changes at our community theater. Yeah. She's like, she wants to do what you do, and she wanted to be here, come and apply. But she wanted, but she also wanted to go see Spencer, the guy that we mentioned, uh, when you first sat down. Yeah. That broke his toes.
So she's down in Brooklyn visiting him today. Oh, right. But she's like kicking
Angela Shanks: herself. I know. Yeah. Well, Spencer ga soon. Hope you for, for Yes. [00:34:00] Might need to . Yeah. Yes.
Cathi Champino: Thank you. Yeah. It's like two weeks up,
Angela Shanks: I think. Uh, yeah. Yeah. He
Kristen Gillett: totally, he just did it on like Monday or something, so. Yeah. Yeah. Can't chase a cat through your apartment.
That's the lesson we've learned. I think . Yeah. He didn't even hurt it on the job. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. Crazy. Just doing, just doing stupid shit. Anyway. So she wanted, she sent me questions. She was like, you've gotta ask
Angela Shanks: him. Yeah. So that was her question. So what's my fastest pictures I've
Tyler Lineberger: ever done? Um, I don't know that I've ever timed it.
Maybe
Angela Shanks: the
Cathi Champino: most frantic, like, my gosh, she's
Angela Shanks: complicated. Yeah.
Tyler Lineberger: There's so many. Oh, oh, oh, okay. I got it. I got it. Here we go. All right. So I was working Hello Dolly. The most recent revival with Bette Bidler, Bernadette Peters, Victoria, Barbara. Okay. But, okay. So I was a swing, so I, which just means that I filled in for sickness or vacation.
Mm-hmm. . And then at the time I was covering for three weeks, um, I learned the show at the [00:35:00] tail end, so I don't know if you guys know, but, um, uh, Bette Midler started the show and then it switched to Bernadette Peters, and then I guess they couldn't find a dolly replacement. So, uh, Bette Midler decided to come back.
Okay. Okay. Okay. So I learned the show with Bette Midler on her, like second to last show. Oh, wow. Okay. Or, or second to last, or last show, whatever one it was. Um, and then I was doing it all by myself on the first night of Bette Bidler. I was like, wow. Um, I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy.
Angela Shanks: Oh my gosh. Yeah.
Tyler Lineberger: Was she cool?
Uh, well I never really ever interacted with either of them. I was too starstruck because listen, okay. That original Broadway cast of Into the Woods, um, the vhs, I had it, or, or I think Chris Leander my OME chat. I blew that stuff apart. , yes, I watched that nonstop. It was the best thing. And then to see her alive breathing next to me, Peter.
Kristen Gillett: Yes, I know, [00:36:00] I bet.
Angela Shanks: Ridiculous . Yes. Oh my gosh,
Tyler Lineberger: I've had so many out of body experiences. Uh, it's amazing. Um, and then, uh, at Bette Midler, oh my gosh. I watched Hocus Pocus on replay. And then to see her be like, anyways, so going back to the story, um, I had no idea. Nobody told me. It wasn't in the notes. the wardrobe supervisor, love him to death.
Douglas Je greatest wardrobe supervisor. He didn't tell me, nobody told me. Bernadette Peters does a slower show, ah, that Midler does a faster show. And I'm not talking like if you sect, I'm talking fast. Here I am. We got two quick changes coming up. A whole ensemble that's a little, this across the stage.
If you ever watch any, the slime tutorial that you should be watching ,
Angela Shanks: they do a little this across the stage. The
Tyler Lineberger: whole, the whole cast, whole ensemble. They're flying at you like a treadmill. And you're like, which 1:00 AM I? Which [00:37:00] one? Where am I? ? I'm picking up my kids from daycare. Which one are you ?
Angela Shanks: I need tags.
I have tie. I have a tie.
Tyler Lineberger: Where are you? ? I dunno what colors you. I don't know if your names. I just started .
Angela Shanks: Anyways.
Tyler Lineberger: Um, so here I am and I'm ready for my quick chain and all of a sudden, The, this, the, this music starts going across the stage, advanced terminology. They, they're coming across and it's like they're flying
It's like a highway going 90 . Here I am on a local country road when I'm learning this show they're flying. And I was like, oh no, my gosh, what am I doing? No, no, no, man. I had to learn quick. They made their entrance.
Angela Shanks: Oh,
Tyler Lineberger: wow. Yeah. I was like, you guys never told me we're on a treadmill about hundred miles an hour.
It was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. It was like, I need to perform. I need to go, oh my gosh, . And the actor was like, I was like,
so that was a really scary experience. I [00:38:00] know. Because quick changes are like nice calculated. Yeah. Steve was ever a factor, , because when you learn the show, it's like, okay, this is the show you're gonna be doing. Yeah. Not the case. Oh, now
Cathi Champino: not like rolling
Tyler Lineberger: it through. Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Burnette like Sam Marinate, go slower, Nancy. Which is beautiful and it's truly amazing. And then Bette is also truly amazing because and you heard it and you heard them before they came on, you were like, wait, why is it going faster? Why is it going faster? Why is it, why is it going faster? I thought I had more time.
And then everybody around me is like, oh yeah, this is bet's show. Oh,
Angela Shanks: didn't you tell me? Or like, oh, she's back.
Tyler Lineberger: And I'm like, yeah, yeah, but you could have told me the speed is the . Oh my. So I just had to like go super fast. I don't even know they were back there like laughing, like, look at Tyler. Oh, I have no
Angela Shanks: trying.
Good . I think also,
Tyler Lineberger: well, [00:39:00] I think also it's, it was a little bit of a shock for everybody else. It was like a Oh, wow. When you work on a show, it's just an easy switch to be like, oh, I just have to go faster. Okay, gotcha. Switch. Right, right, right. I didn't have the other side of the switch. ? No, it was like a, oh, I'm running.
Okay, here we go. .
Angela Shanks: Oh gosh.
Tyler Lineberger: That's one of my most memorable ones. I Wow.
Angela Shanks: Cause it was like a,
Kristen Gillett: I feel like I
Angela Shanks: can understand why, because also I wanted
Tyler Lineberger: to like appreciate her first night being like, this is a monumental moment in my life. Oh my gosh. Yeah. But also, yeah, it's a huge responsibility. What do I do?
What do I do? It's a huge
Angela Shanks: responsibility. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: Somebody gets the wrong color or the wrong, you know, they miss their
Tyler Lineberger: entrance. Well, thankfully with that quick change, we preset everything onto a chair and they just come to you. Okay. Yeah. But like, you wanna be ready, right? Yeah. And when the actor gets to you in that specific change, I believe you undo the.
but Oh my gosh. I'm like, well, which one are you? I don't know who, who am I doing? You know, who am I changing head
Cathi Champino: on? Yeah. you're seeing. That's crazy. So for us, it's part of, you know, we help, we dabble, right? Yeah. We just [00:40:00] dabble with our kids at our community theater. Yeah. We're learning help out. Mm-hmm.
and we're learning. And so total Noobs, we've done a few shows now, and so we have like, we've had our own experiences with quick changing and we've realized kids are more difficult than adults. Mm-hmm. . But,
Kristen Gillett: um, yeah, they don't help as much
Cathi Champino: or they work against, they work against you. Actually put the leg down.
Put the leg down, yeah. Yeah. Other foot first
Angela Shanks: doing business.
Cathi Champino: Yes. Yes. Or when you have to put a clown thing on and you get two arms and a leg and one hole. Oh my gosh. It's happened to us. We're not very good at it. It's, no, we're not. We're learning, you know, but luckily we have awesome mentors at the theater that we're at, like Ms.
Laura Beard, who is fantastic and, um, so talented and we could all see her doing this one day Yes. On Broadway. Like push her calendar.
Kristen Gillett: It's her dream. Um, 30. She's young to, uh, 37. 30 37. I believe so. Yeah. I think's right.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. Audrey's always hiring. I know. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: We're, we're trying
Kristen Gillett: to, I know [00:41:00] to encourage her.
She has, she has obstacles she'll put up in front of it that I don't think are real ones, . It's that fear thing. Talking about, I think
Angela Shanks: it's the fear
Tyler Lineberger: thing moving to New York City is not for the, I sorry to say this, but it's not for the week. Yeah. It's not for the fan of heart. New York City is, I hate to use the treadmill thing again, but it's like getting onto a treadmill.
Like the city goes super fast and you're either with it or you're not. And when you come here and you wanna work in theater Yeah. You need to be 100% sure that that is what you want. And if it's not, and if you find that theater's not what you're looking for, that's perfectly okay. But just know how to pivot quickly.
Right, right. Um, but yeah, when you, when you, when you come to New York and when you are interested in theater, just be focused on that, you know? Cause there's gonna be so many external things that are just gonna drag you down. And their first few years are usually really hard because nobody knows you. And you normally always have to say, [00:42:00] forgive me, you don't have to.
But usually I would recommend always say Yes to work. Yeah. Yeah. You know, oh, somebody calls you out of the blue offering you work. Right. Well, and you got one show on your resume and it's maybe some, somewhere outside of New York of a, you know, a, a community theater or a high school or a college, something like that type of a show.
Right. And you don't have like your first Broadway credits. Um, you, you generally should say yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Even if it's like, sorry, even if it's the crappiest production ever, just have something on your resume to show that Yes, I've done one. Yeah. Right. Um, or yes, I've done day work at a show or Right.
Angela Shanks: She said hundreds
Kristen Gillett: of the community theater things. Well, she has hundreds professionally, she's ready to go. You know, I, I mean, yeah. I think she's ready for the next. It's this scary, it's
Angela Shanks: scary to make that plunge.
Tyler Lineberger: It, it is the scariest thing ever because you don't, you never know. And, and a lot of wardrobe supervisors on Broadway, rather, I don't even know a single wardrobe supervisor that would give a job to somebody who does not live in New York.
[00:43:00] Wow. Right. There's no like, get a job before you come here. Absolutely not. You have to be here to get the job. Yeah. To be like, I'm here, I'm ready to go. I committee. Yeah. That's a hell of a plan P amount. Mm-hmm. , which is scary. Yeah. Yeah. To gamble and risk at all. Yeah,
Cathi Champino: it's true. And then you have to become, as you were talking before, part of the union.
Yes. So is there, like, do you have to already have work to show, to become part of the union or a certain amount
Tyler Lineberger: of hours also? Um, so I'll explain my journey and then kind of explain like the regular person journey. Okay. I have a little bit of a weird jour. Uh, my life is very interesting, uh, sometimes. Um, so I started at Disney World, uh, back when I was in intern and then Icontinue to stay on with them as part-time.
Well, part-time, um, allowed me to be a part of the II Union, but the local in Orlando. Okay. That covered theme parks. Okay. I forget the number off the top of my head. It'll probably come to me in like an hour and be like, oh, that was a number. But anyways, there's a local, in Orlando, there's two, [00:44:00] I believe one is specifically for theme parks.
And then, um, I wasn't stupid. I knew what a great opportunity being a part of II was. Um, I continued to pay my dues. Um, and then finally when it was time for me to work on Broadway and moved to New York and like have that experience or try to have that experience. Yeah, yeah. Um, I just called up to my local in Orlando and said I'd like to, I didn't know what to do, so I was like, hi, when I moved to New York and work on Broadway, how on earth do I do that?
And they were very gracious and they said basically what you need to do is call up to that local. And ask what their transfer procedures are. And all I did was basically transfer from the Orlando local to my, I transferred my membership from there to the New York local. Okay. And it was, was quite seamless.
Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Wow.
Tyler Lineberger: And you do have to pay, I think the going, I think the price at the time was a thousand dollars to transfer into the New York local. Um, I was broke at the time. I worked Disney cast ver. Yeah. So [00:45:00] that's a hard hurdle. Yeah, exactly. That's a lot of hours. But, um, again, I talked to the, the, I believe the treasury, uh, person at, uh, the New York local, and I was like, Hi, I am a Disney theme bar cast member.
I don't have a lot of money, or this is what I'm kind of coming from. Or at the time I was working for the airline, so I was like, I don't have a lot of money. Um, do you have scholarships? What can I like, like anything? How can I plan something? I, I would, this is my dream and I want to make this happen. How can I, you know, should I save up?
Can I, you know, what do I do? She goes, oh, no problem. Um, we can make, we can come up with a payment plan. Wow. And I
Angela Shanks: was like, oh, nice. So, so ba and basically, again, another example of
Tyler Lineberger: calling and asking. Exactly. Yes. Um, so I called up and then they were like this. And then, but what was really great was that my transfer would've already taken place and then I'd be working on Broadway and just paying off my transfer fee.
Nice. Perfect. Nice. So yeah, if that is a hurdle, You know what they might say no. Mm-hmm. . [00:46:00] Yeah. But just try. Mm-hmm. , I think maybe because I was already in ii, that has something to do with it. Um, that I've already kind of established that I can work at the professional level at a theme park, but professional level, right.
Uh, in that realm. Right. Um, I don't know, but call, ask. Yeah. Write a letter. Ask, write an email. Do it. Um, so then, yeah, then that's how I kind of got started in that.
Angela Shanks: So. Nice. And that's not the normal path.
Tyler Lineberger: No. Forgive me. So the normal path, um, if you wanted to join Iasi cold Turkey from New York, what you could do is you have to go through an application process.
I believe one of the stipulations is that you have to live in New York for a period of time. Okay. Um, and then you will then go into, if you are approved, I believe you go into a probationary period where you have to find 30 days of work. Okay. See if you send your resume around and basically say, Please help me, you know, please hire me, give me a shot.
Mm-hmm. . Um, and then, you know, if you are able to [00:47:00] get, or when you get your 30 days, then you go through the initiation process, you get sworn in, and then you're officially a member of the, of the local. Okay. Okay. Gotcha. So now becoming a member of the II local, specifically 7 64, that does not guarantee you work.
Mm-hmm. ? Sure. It just gives you a little card that says, I'm qualified to work at the professional level. Mm-hmm. being qualified doesn't equal, like, oh, here's a golden path to endless career opportunities. Absolutely not. Pick your theater. No ab no. Yeah, exactly. You have to prove yourself. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. You have to get those Broadway credits on your resume.
You have to mm-hmm. , you know, be in the trenches and just find that person, or find that wardrobe supervisor that will give you a shot to have you come in at an entry level or. And you know, be kind, be respectful, be nice. Mm-hmm. , be human. Mm-hmm. . Um, it could be a hard day at the theater, but you coming in and just saying good morning might just be a wonderful addition.
Mm-hmm. Yeah. And you just set yourself [00:48:00] apart. Yeah. And it sounds so simple and so basic, but as somebody who like, you know, we do five show weekends, we do 16 shows in a row. Me, I don't, but um, cuz it's way too much. But cuz I always ask for a day off. Uh, but you know, there are people who do 16 shows in a row and it's very hard.
Yeah. 16 shows in a row without a day off. Uh, there's a loophole that producers get around, which I'm not a fan of, but it's what the computer algorithm says, makes money for the show. And here we are. Interesting. I'm not grumpy or .
Angela Shanks: I'm not jaded. What you talking about? This old tag? I'm.
Tyler Lineberger: No, but you know, so everybody is tired, everybody's exhausted.
So for you to just come in and just say, hi, everybody, question. Yeah. How's your day? That little thing can really set you apart when you're new or just when you've been around for a little while. So yeah, that's kind of the trajectory of how to join it, you know, kind of cold Turkey or kind of like off the street, so to speak.
And that's why in the junior thespian workshop, um, I try to [00:49:00] push the students and also kind of the parents that come to sh to kind of show them the wealth of opportunities that are in, in Florida. Mm-hmm. and specifically in Orlando with Disney World. Mm-hmm. . Um, yes, you get paid dirt. Yeah, dirt. You get paid nothing.
It is slave labor. I think they were requesting for another raise, and Disney was like, ha, , here's a discount to the Disney Star Wars hotel experience. That's like five,
Angela Shanks: $6,000
Tyler Lineberger: plus the sale of a kidney . And I'm like, oh, cool. So they're making like a hundred dollars a week and you're trying to picture them that they get a discount?
Yeah. Off the hotel. I'm like, mm-hmm. . Yeah. Where do you get your mba? Don't
Angela Shanks: send me there,
Tyler Lineberger: please. No, thank you. I can do numbers and that doesn't add up. No, but Disney is great for two groups of people, um, older people who retire and want to have that Disney experience, and then younger people. Um, in my opinion, please, if you're middle-aged and you wanna go work at Disney World, please [00:50:00] go.
It's great experience. That's your dream. You might not own, you know, you might, you might not own a million dollar car or a million dollar house and, but you'll have a great working experience. My name is not for me, . No. It's great for young people to go in and get that foundation. You know, while I was working at Disney World, um, I worked on so many different shows and so many different parades that taught me so many techniques, so many details.
Um, and truly the foundation of the wardrobe craft. Mm-hmm. . Right. Okay. Um, and without that, I would not be here today. Yeah. Um, also without my high school drama teacher that I love more than anything, I would also not be here today. . Yeah. But specifically the Disney, um, experience. There are so many different things that I did there and that I learned there that I still use to this day on Broadway.
Mm-hmm. little things like how to hang a garment. Well, which way does it hang? , there's a proper way and an improper way.
Angela Shanks: Ah, okay. Okay. Yeah, it's interesting. I haven't been doing that [00:51:00] long.
Tyler Lineberger: We're very, um, vulgar on Broadway. So let me think about another
Angela Shanks: way. See. Oh, you can say it. She's
Kristen Gillett: all, yeah, it's about it.
I'm
Angela Shanks: holding way back, sorry.
Tyler Lineberger: Oh, of course. Okay, cool. Perfect. Then on Broadway, we hang everything kits to the left. Okay. There you go. Perfect. Okay. Kits to the left. So when you're looking at the rack, tits, go to the left. Okay. Um, well, I've got that one, um, or chest to the left.
Angela Shanks: Uh, but that's how I hang things in my
Tyler Lineberger: closet.
Oh, there you go. And, and then also, um, another, I don't call it that,
Kristen Gillett: but that's how's done .
Tyler Lineberger: Well, well,
Kristen Gillett: yeah. I will
Tyler Lineberger: also, we also hang things in show order. Okay. And in garment order. Okay. So, for instance, top of show will always go to the far left. Okay. Okay. And then within that category, you're gonna put shirt, pant, vest, jackets.
Okay. Mm-hmm. Um, and it's, it's mainly because we read left or right. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, totally makes sense. So, but those little things makes sense. Um, on, on the professional level [00:52:00] really, really sh like stand out. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Like when I'm treating somebody and they don't know that, it's like, oh, I see it.
I don't have to say anything. Yeah. And automatically I know what their education level is. You Well, no, no. I don't wanna be rude or insulting. Yeah. But No, but like I know you don't know this uhhuh key aspect of the wardrobe world. Mm-hmm. That doesn't mean you're a useless stressor though. Right. Gotcha.
Maybe, but
Cathi Champino: I'm kidding. , maybe they just have a gap in their knowledge and Exactly. They
Tyler Lineberger: didn't learn, you know, but if you were to do this Uhhuh , you would impress me immediately. And I'm just a regular dresser ensemble. Here I am over here. Yeah. But like to a wardrobe supervisor, they could easily see that from afar and be like, they know what they're doing.
Right. Gotcha. And if you can complete enough of those little things when you're first starting out and show that you've got. Those little things. It, you blend in. Mm-hmm. and blending in makes you stand out, blending in and being a part of the community. [00:53:00] Mm-hmm. will really catapult you and catapult your career and really get you started faster.
Yeah. Nice. Gotcha. That's great secret to you. Yeah. I like that blending in makes you stand out. Yeah. Oh, of course. Because you're new, but then it's also like, right. You know what you're doing, you belong here. What? Yeah. Whatcha are you talking about?
Cathi Champino: Yeah. It's like you've always been here, right?
Angela Shanks: Oh, now
Tyler Lineberger: I gotta go home and fix the, you don't wanna stand out because as
Angela Shanks: a sits are on the right.
Oh yeah. I gotta fix my closet. I can think about .
Tyler Lineberger: Sorry, go ahead. Um, no, I was gonna say another thing is that, um, as a swing dresser, um, so there's the full-time dressers who go in every single. Now, of course as a full-time dresser, you want days off, you want vacation, you kind of want to have a life , um, or like you might have to go to the doctor, whatever.
Um, you'll take the day off. Well, who's gonna cover for you? Well, with there are wardrobe people called swings who are either between work or just really love to swing, which I love to swing. Um, who come in and cover for sickness or vacation as a swing. You don't get paid when you're not working. [00:54:00] Mm-hmm.
So you really are counting on those days that the full-time, uh, dress take off. Sure. As a, as a wardrobe swing when you're doing the roles and responsibilities and the track, as I had previously explained, when you're doing the track, um, you wanna blend in. You don't wanna stand out. No. You don't wanna reinvent and put the quick change all the way over there when it's there.
Mm-hmm. , because we're. Mm. We all like, uh, regular. Yeah. Things like, or, or rather we like tax routine. Routine. Thank you. Yeah. We like our routine. Yeah. Routine and organization, so Oh yeah, yeah. You know, well sometimes, yeah. Yeah. Sometimes go crazy like, hello Dolly . Like, ah, bless your organization. It's all a fire.
I'm not a firefighter.
Kristen Gillett: That's community
Tyler Lineberger: theater. . Yeah. Well, kind of, yeah.
Angela Shanks: And our experience. Do you like swing because it's more challenging.
Tyler Lineberger: Cause it's something different. Oh, listen. Uh, swinging is, um, especially when you're first starting out. Mm-hmm. , it is the best because going back to the concept of [00:55:00] networking mm-hmm.
you are able to connect with so many different people, um, with passing out your resume. Oh. Because, no, that's nice. Uh, going back to kind of, uh, entry, entry level stuff or like when you first joined the union. Um, day work, as I said, that's kind of where they try out. Mm-hmm. , well, day working can consist of shoe repairs slash shoe painting.
That could be in rare cases like military work or like hat repair work, which doesn't really happen that much, um, because it gets absorbed into other areas. Um, there's like dressing room calls where you'll go in, you'll check for hem, you'll check for zippers, you'll check for snaps. You'll basically put your hands on every single costume piece and just make sure that it's show ready.
Um, and then you'll have, uh, laundry calls where you come in and do the laundry. There's somebody who gets paid a professional salary for just doing laundry. And when I say just doing laundry, it's a really huge job. Yeah, yeah. Because you're dealing with the entire cast of [00:56:00] principles and ensemble. You're talking about bras, underwear, socks, specialty pieces, gloves, specialty shirts, other shirts, collared
Kristen Gillett: shirts.
Right. You're not just taking that, throwing it in a wax either. Probably
Tyler Lineberger: it is. No. Uh, well, uh, sometimes yes, but then also some of those items have to be hand dried or, or hung dried. Others have to be dryer dried. A specific setting. There's delicate, there's some Exactly. Blacks and whites, and sometimes our washers are not of the super high professional level.
A lot of times the washers are like household washers. Mm-hmm. , which is something that was like, eh, . Broadway is done in this LG washer. All right. If it's good enough for Broadway, it's good enough for my house anyways. Yeah, exactly. Nice. So, no, so there's, there's the laundry and then there's also, um, more specialized, um, wardrobe professionals who, uh, specifically handle like the more advanced tailoring or the advanced, um, sewing.
Mm-hmm. . So if there's a massive rip or if a lot, oh, excuse me. If a [00:57:00] lining needs to be reattached or a more complicated task needs to happen, yeah. There are those people that are there. So there's so many opportunities. So going back to your question of swinging, um, Day working is great because you're able to network and get around.
Swinging is the exact same thing at one point. Oh my gosh, my brain hurt. At one point I did, I think it was 14 dressing tracks at Lion King. Wow. Wow. Which, um, I think there's maybe, uh, I had been there a long time and I think there was like 16 dressers there, which just basically means that at any given time during my, when I was working there as a swing, um, I could hop into any of the tracks mm-hmm.
um, and use my little notes, but perform the duties mm-hmm. as if the full-time dresser was there and blend in. But sometimes when you have a hyena, a giraffe and a rhinoceros as a quick change or what do I do? Lip steel cage over somebody. [00:58:00] Um, Ooh, we got the cheetah change. All right. Whatever that is. Let's go
So it was weird, but it was so cool. And then also on top of that, 14 tracks over there. I think at the time I was also maybe working at Anastasia, the Musical, which I believe I covered two tracks there, I think. I think two tracks, and then, uh, a few other Wicked, of course. Yeah. And then also one other show.
So my mind was mush, but mm-hmm. . The best part about it was that every single show is a little kinda ecosystem. Mm-hmm. or it's a little social circle. Yeah. So when you get into that social circle, you get to meet all the dressers. You get to meet all the other day workers, and you get to meet the wardrobe supervisor.
And then maybe when that show closes, that wardrobe supervisor will go over here, I remember you. Po Well, possibly. Possibly, yeah. Mm-hmm. , um, or a dresser on that show might go to another show over here, and then they're in that social circle, and then they know that you love doing, you know, a certain kind of day work.
And then they'll say, oh, you're looking for day worker. Oh, my friend Tyler's really great. He's looking for, he's looking for day [00:59:00] work. Yes. And then boom, you know, you might turn in your resume and then the wardrobe supervisor might select you or, or ask you in. Um, and then you start working down on that show.
Okay. And then it's just that, that tree of like, oh, well, you know, this person and then your, that's when your career kind of like slowly takes off. Mm-hmm. . So that's why I love swinging is because you could be, you could have your hands in so many different pots mm-hmm. and always have some kind of income coming in.
Even if it's one day at a show over here mm-hmm. , if all of your other jobs dry up, you can easily grow to that wardrobe supervisor and be like, Hey, I'm looking for extra day work. Hey, I'm looking for swing work. Mm-hmm. . And they could be like, oh, perfect. Thank you. Come on.
Cathi Champino: Yeah. Nice. That's awesome. Oh, that works out great.
So do you have any aspirations to become a wardrobe supervisor one day? Um, for me, no. Or do you
Tyler Lineberger: kinda like what you're doing? I really like what I'm doing right now. Okay. To be a wardrobe supervisor is taking on a lot of responsibility. Yes. Um, and you, um, you crossed the [01:00:00] threshold when you crossed the threshold from dresser to like assistant head of wardrobe and then wardrobe supervisor.
Mm-hmm. . Um, you have to devote more time. Mm-hmm. . Um, and, um, I like, I like my life right now. I love kind of the, the little bit of balance that I do have. I, I enjoy it. Yeah. Nice. Good. Um, so
Cathi Champino: yeah, that's like with any kind of sort of leadership, right? Like go from
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. Well, because then when like new cast members come in, I mean mm-hmm.
you're like, you're, it, you know, you've gotta then figure out, you know, where are we gonna get the clothing? I mean, yeah, there are the creative side of the wardrobe world and the designers. And the associate designers, but then like, you know, when they come in, are they gonna be using something from. Just the logistics are just, I'm okay.
Yeah. While overseeing the main operation length. Right? Yeah. You're like, no, I applaud every person who's a wardrobe supervisor. I applaud everyone who's the assistant head of wardrobe. Uh, not for me though. gotcha.
Kristen Gillett: Perfectly to understand that they're just different.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's a lot.
You have to want it. Yeah. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: True. [01:01:00] Yeah. Um, are you responsible for making, like, tweaks to the words, so let's say you're quick change someone and they lose a button, like do you have to share that button button back on? Like, is that your job to maintain
Tyler Lineberger: the Good, good question. So it, that really depends.
Um, okay. If it is like, you know, integral and I need the button for like the next scene, or if the button needs to be there, of course I'll go to our emergency stash mid show and I'll, I'll, I'll sell the. If it can wait or if the piece of clothing is what's in is dead. Okay. Or if the piece of clothing is not going to be used anymore in the show, it can wait.
Okay. Gotcha. It can wait, um, for the day workers the next morning. Okay. And I'll just write it on the day worker's notes of, Hey, this person's shirt needs the button, or whatever, and then they'll either source a new button or if I can find the button, put it with me. Here's the button. Ok. And there you go.
Okay, cool. So that's exciting.
Kristen Gillett: Yeah. Little
Tyler Lineberger: yes.
Cathi Champino: One second. We'll just wait a second.
Angela Shanks: Real [01:02:00]
Tyler Lineberger: well, they're going to lunch. .
Kristen Gillett: That's the secret, right?
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. Yeah. Well, I'm well
Kristen Gillett: go. I mean, you gotta find your way through the traffic somehow, right? Somehow. Right. . Yeah, it's been interesting here. It's a lot of hustle
Tyler Lineberger: and bustle.
Yeah. Very different. The energy. Yeah, the energy is quite crazy. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Yeah. It's exciting though, but very much so. We love it. When I go home, I just close the door and I'm like, ah, I'm home. , do you live far from Um, I live about maybe 30 minutes away. Okay. So it's not too bad by a train, so yeah. Okay.
But it's nice. Easily accessible. Mm-hmm. ,
Angela Shanks: it's kind, chill out on the train. We've been doing the subway a lot, so it's kind of
Tyler Lineberger: chilling. Well, no, now that they have the, the apple pay, it's really use. Yeah. Oops. Hop right on. You get in and out really quickly, so
Kristen Gillett: Yeah. Our kids use their phones too. Yeah.
Technology. Yeah. Technology.
Cathi Champino: 80 grand . Yes. When it
Tyler Lineberger: works. All right. So are your, are your, are your [01:03:00] kids, um, going to continue on? Where are they? Are they all in middle school? So, mine is
Kristen Gillett: the oldest of our, our current. group, I guess. Well, no, cuz I mean, you have Stella. Stella. Mm-hmm. . Um, so you have the oldest? I have the second oldest.
She's coming out of, um, middle school now and going into high school now. Wow. And we're waiting cuz next week. That's incredible. Period. Yes. Next week is when news comes down about whether or not she's going to Harrison or not, which is, um, it's a, a high school that's for the
Tyler Lineberger: arts. Oh, so it's like a mag?
What do you call, what do you consider it a magnet school? Well, it's
Kristen Gillett: probably a magnet. Said you have to audition. No, you have to audition. Oh, okay. Yeah. I'm not sure. It is a public school. It's a school choice. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Choice school or, I don't know. I get 'em all mixed up. Cause like, then there's, I don't know.
So she auditioned and now we're supposed to get a news next week on the 24th. Yay. So we'll see if she gets in. But they, it's only like a few, she auditioned for musical theater and I think they're taking like six girls, six boys, something to that effect. Yeah. Usually around 12 kids in all of Polk County.
[01:04:00] Oh wow. Yeah. So, Hold my breath. And you can apply out of county too. Yes, you can. And we had a couple of people all over apply that live over in Hillsboro County that applied. Yeah. So, yeah, we're, you know, anxious and, yeah, biting our nails, waiting for that news next week, which will come now via email. And it's a great
Cathi Champino: school, so, you know, it is a great school.
They produce people that go to the Jimmy's and it's a big deal. Yeah. Yeah. So
Tyler Lineberger: we're, we gotta, so they've, they've, they've got a good reputation.
Kristen Gillett: They do. There's some people that have very come outta that and gone to Broadway. Spencer's one of them. Yeah. Um, and then, uh, there's a couple other guys, like, one's about to go on tour with MJ and, um, one's in MJ isn't inj.
The, the, there's, well there's two and I think one is in MJ now, and then the other one is about to go on the tour of mj. He was in something else, but he's done with that. Now I. I have a really hard time with like names of things, so she's not my forte. We always move
Tyler Lineberger: around Broadway house . Yeah. Where are you now,
Yeah.
Angela Shanks: My other daughter is seventh grade, so she's got one when you're in middle school. Oh, nice. [01:05:00] Gabby. I'm
Cathi Champino: going into middle school. Yeah. Gabby's in fifth grade right now. So she's pulling up the rear. Yeah. Yeah. .
Angela Shanks: But we got into this because like you were saying earlier, theater has changed their lives in our lives.
Aw. Yeah. So we wanna do what we can to help other families Yeah. Have their lives changed. So
Kristen Gillett: we Well, cause it's easy to get in there as a parent and be completely lost. Yeah. And you're just like, Hey, I'd love to help my kid be better at this thing that they love, but you're just lost. Yeah. You know, and there's not, uh, there's not as many resources for the parents as you would think.
So we met each other through theater, through the, the community theater and the kids always, you know, getting. In similar enough roles that we were always together waiting outside cause we're not allowed in callbacks. Oh really? Oh my gosh. Just like four hours. You just sit in this lounge together, just waiting.
Yeah. Um, and then the comes, the kids always come out crying. . That's how callbacks
Angela Shanks: are. Every time. I was horrible.
Tyler Lineberger: Every time. Oh God.
Kristen Gillett: No, it's not, it's not that like [01:06:00] they're, they're always really positive, but the kids are, the kids, they're really hard on themselves. So then they come out crying and they're, I didn't do so well and they cut me and now I'm gone.
And then they get cast. So it's fine in the end. Yeah. You'd think they'd remember that. But every time it's always same. Rollercoaster. Rollercoaster
Cathi Champino: and we ride it with
Tyler Lineberger: them. Yep. I guess it's a, I guess it's a double-edged sword. Mm-hmm. in that it's good that they are learning to continue to push themselves mm-hmm.
Yeah. And to not mm-hmm. . Not kind of gain an ego and I'll say, oh, I'm not, they're very, but then on the other end of the side you're like, oh, you know, oh, I'm not good enough or whatever. Yeah. Which, no, you are good enough. Right. But, you know, yeah. So I guess that's a very, as a parent, yeah. Yes. So like
Kristen Gillett: it's an, it's a hard ride.
Yeah. .
Cathi Champino: It is. And it's so funny because we've have done so many shows together. Like we just did a show and went through audition and called back and I didn't have my other
Kristen Gillett: drama name. I know we went to Into the Woods and she went to Chi Chitty Bang. Yeah. Two different
Cathi Champino: community theaters. [01:07:00] Yes. And then Gabby auditioned for Mary Poppins at a, at the other theater.
And so I'm sitting there and I'm waiting and normally it's like a wonderful, awesome experience for me. She's having a great time. She's up there doing her thing. Yeah. And I'm like sitting here alone. I don't know anybody. Yeah. It was crazy. Me people. Yeah, I did.
Kristen Gillett: I was like, she was sending so many texts.
Cathi Champino: I'm like, now they're singing, now they're dancing. now she just got called for this. Like, you know, it's crazy. So theater has done so much for us. Yeah. Not only for our children, but for our fa like we're all here with all of our families.
Kristen Gillett: Yeah, yeah. Um, we try to find ways to like get involved too. So like we're there with them and can kind of learn about all of this stuff.
Cuz I'm a band nerd and you know, you guys have done a lot of other things too. Athletics courses and. Academia and all of that, but like never theater. And so we're just coming at this from a very, very novice level. Yeah. And trying to learn. And so we, we tech backstage all the time, you know, pushing, set pieces [01:08:00] out or um, you know, doing strike or I started stage managing and doing that and that's been fun.
That's hard as shit. And, uh, . Oh yeah. Yeah. They, yeah. And they, they do, I've never done quick change. Not a single one, but they have both been learning with Laura how to do the quick changes. Laura also taught me how to stage manage, cuz she does all of that. But at community theater you kind of like learn how to do as much as possible.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. because you know, there's not as many abilities to just be focused on one thing. Right. You know, you kind of have to be versatile, I think. Yeah. Doing it there. But yeah, it's been an interesting learning experience for us, I think. And so, Even though we don't know anything, we figured we would start a podcast where we try to help people learn shit
Yeah. We're learning
Tyler Lineberger: as we go.
Cathi Champino: Yeah. We're learning as we go. We entertain, we wanna support, we love to have fabulous people who are super knowledgeable like you. Yes. Yeah. Us. And share your experiences and share cuz everybody's journey is different. Yeah. Oh, very much so. [01:09:00] Um, and a huge theme is that like how we talked about earlier, is never give up.
Chase it, go for it. Cuz you don't know what can happen. You might actually step right into it. Yeah. You know, you just don't know. And we're hearing that from everybody that we talk to. Yeah. Yeah.
Tyler Lineberger: Um, so never know what's a great thing, what will happen also. Yeah. Um, uh, acting is great, but being behind the scenes is, uh, such a, a wonderful opportunity.
Yeah. So yeah.
Angela Shanks: Were you, did you ever act or you always have done kind of the behind scenes once. What show was that? ,
Tyler Lineberger: um, uh, oh gosh. I forget exactly what it was called. Not right now. No. Thank you. Thanks. Yeah. Um. I forget what the show was called, but, um, it was a one act. We, um, the show itself went to state.
Oh wow. Nice. And I had like one line in the whole show. High school state. Yeah. And I'll never forget it, uh, Chris, in the end of my drama teacher, she had me strapped to, uh, Dolly, and this guy [01:10:00] ran me across the stage. I said, my line, and that was it. And I was like, I'm glad. No thank you, . No, I was able to. But, uh, but with, with, you know, technical theater, I was able to kind of find ways to express myself.
Mm-hmm. , Uhhuh, and be as creative as possible. Yeah. So for those kids and for those parents out there with a truly creative kid who maybe acting isn't their, their kind of, their, their focus technical theater has a wealth of opportunities. And I always say that there's, in my opinion, there's more jobs as a, um, technic.
Than there is as an actor. Sure. Because I can't be Annie, but I could dress her . Exactly. I love that stability.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. Yeah. This is helpful for us cuz we tend to see things from the actor's point of view. Cause that's what our kids are. So this is really helpful to hear, you know, the, well,
Kristen Gillett: I mean, we experience it from the technical side too, you know, A little bit.
Yeah. But yeah, I, I also feel like, you know, we find mentors like you, like Yeah. For ourselves. Just so that we can, cuz we want to do the best job that we can do while we're [01:11:00] doing this. Yeah. Yeah. You know, we're not getting paid for it, we're doing it just out of love for doing it. Yeah, yeah. And you know, and the community that we've found ourselves in and the friends we've made and all of that.
But like, yeah, it having a mentor be like, you know, somebody like you that's awesome and come on and talk to us and tell us all these cool tips. I'm so using the, the, um, the trick that you said at the very top about the card stop. Yeah. With the card. With the card. Stop. Oh, , I'm sorry. Doing that going forward.
Cause that's, Angela and Kathy both have had this problem cuz I, I don't know, I'd guess I'd choose different necks. Yeah. On all my shirts. But we've gotta get that, you know, that's jerkiness nice and sturdy and that's too bad today. Oh, that's totally gonna, that, that's TV magic. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. All these trips and uh, tips and tricks.
Yeah. They're incredibly valuable for us. Noobs. Thank you very much. So
Tyler Lineberger: thanks. Thank you for taking it Doesn't sound like you guys are that new. You should, uh, elevate Crush. Don't doubt yourselves. , listen,
Cathi Champino: we took this ourselves on the road. We tried.
Tyler Lineberger: I You're on, I know you're on scene here in Bright . [01:12:00] Let's see.
Patrick's Day on,
Kristen Gillett: I know with a rain pressure washing and I think I have grain somewhere and pressure washing. Yes.
Cathi Champino: Yes. We're doing our thing. So we're trying. And thank you for taking time outta of your
Kristen Gillett: very business. Oh yes. We really, really appreciate it. I'm so fortunate. Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. It's perfect. It worked
Cathi Champino: out great.
Yeah. All, we definitely plan to be back. Yeah. And so we do, we will lick you up. , what are you working on?
Kristen Gillett: Come say hi. We get a drink or something if the schedule permits.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. You know, well, um, I hope to, I. Uh, to go to the junior thespians next year and I hope to maybe go to the State Thespian Festival next year and I hope to continue to do it.
Yes. Because giving back is the most rewarding thing I kind of have ever done in my life. Wow. Because again, I attended the high school festival, not the junior festival mm-hmm. , but I attended the high school festival as a student and I competed in the category of costume design. So I've been on that other mm-hmm.
that side of that table. Yeah. And now being able to be [01:13:00] the judge who's kind of adjudicating mm-hmm. is a whole nother world. Mm-hmm. and I'm never harsh. I'm always kind. Yeah. I'll give you, I'm the worst judge ever. Cause I'll give you all superiors, and then just give you a lot of feedback. Right. Well
Angela Shanks: that's what's most valuable is Oh man, that feedback.
You just get a score. Sometimes we just get scores with no like, reason behind it and it's the feedback that makes a difference. Yeah. My first, the score is nice, but the
Tyler Lineberger: feedback is, yeah. My first year, um, I was behind cuz I was just typing out essays cause I loved it. and one troop director was like, gimme the scores.
We gotta get on a bus and we gotta go back to Florida, the south Florida. And I was like, ah, , really quickly as parents, we'd love give back. So yeah, I love giving back. Yeah. And also like, uh, if you ever need anything, please call me. If you ever, if you ever have any questions, reach out to me. I'd also like to try to figure out a way to kind of, I'd love to like do a Zoom session with like a class somewhere.
Oh yeah. Like a high school, middle school class of like [01:14:00] Yeah. Kind of what the professional world is. Yes. Okay. Because not everybody can come to State Espy Festival cuz it's expensive. Yeah. I remember as a kid it was, it was a lot. Mm-hmm. . Mm-hmm. . Um, so I, I, I don't know how to get started or how to like reach out and.
Hi. I'm not creepy . Oh, we can, you need, you need a guest speaker. We're
Kristen Gillett: creepy. We can help. Totally helped
Tyler Lineberger: that. Yeah. No, I love it. And I, I, in New York, I try to find little ways. I think I'm going to the, I applied for the New York Tess Festival. Oh, nice. Um, I was like, okay, good. Yeah. Anyway, I can get back.
Thank you.
Kristen Gillett: Oh yeah. Thank you. Well, we'll, we'll let you know. We can connect the dots there for you. Yeah, sure. For at least one school you can zoom in. Yeah. Yeah. Why not? Yeah, definitely.
Tyler Lineberger: I I, I, it brings in great joy, so thank you. Thank you. So
Cathi Champino: thank you. You're wonderful.
Tyler Lineberger: You're our kind people.
And also, I can't do this forever. Why not help the next generation mm-hmm. to be better than I am to continue the storytelling process. And it truly, I don't wanna do this . I don't wanna do this into my [01:15:00] nineties . So why not train the next generation to, you know? Mm-hmm. do a good
Angela Shanks: job to do that.
Tyler Lineberger: Aw,
Kristen Gillett: awesome.
You take that. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: That's awesome. Thank you.
Angela Shanks: Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. I can't believe you came and met us and, oh, I know time.
Kristen Gillett: Like I'm so honored in the middle of a
Tyler Lineberger: parade and I think, well, I think Kristen had said, I think Kristen said, uh oh. Do you wanna do 11 or noon? Noon. .
Cathi Champino: noon.
I, let me sleep in. Yeah. So we don't have to include this on the podcast, but I wanted to ask you just for people to know what's like the earning potential for something like you're
Tyler Lineberger: doing? Ooh. Um, I don't ever like to talk about pay. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: But, and you don't have to tell us how much you make, but I mean, like, like starting salary.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. No, but no, but starting, no, listen, pay is a really, really sensitive topic. Yeah. However, yeah. I believe that it is seeing the number, um, and seeing, oh my gosh, I can actually make a life Cool. Is, is really important. Right, right. So, um, I will give you a, can
Cathi Champino: you [01:16:00] support a family? I, I guess is what I'm asking.
Tyler Lineberger: No, no, no. I'll give you a number. Um, I mean, you could make. Anywhere between, you know, if you do no work, 50,000. Okay. And if you work your butt off, um, and do as much work as humanly possible, I mean, you could easily be making, you know, with doing day work and, and, and, and shows and stuff like that. Yeah. And maybe doing a little psychic, you could make, um, uh, a hundred thousand hundred 20,000 potentially do six figures.
Mm-hmm. . Okay. Um, yeah. But again, you have to also understand that it's what is the sacrifice. Absolutely. I'm gonna be spending more time at work. Right, right, right. And I'm going to be giving up birthdays, anniversaries, yeah. Time with my family. That's kind
Cathi Champino: of with any, um, industry of course. Exactly. Yeah.
You know, so that makes sense.
Kristen Gillett: Well, coming from theme park history, you've had that
Tyler Lineberger: anyway. Oh, oh, I also forgot to say, so yes, you make that money, but also, uh, being a part of my local, which is 7 64, um, . [01:17:00] We get a pension. Uhhuh Nice. We get an nice annuity. Nice. And we have a 401k. Wow. That's nice. And the pension and the annuity is paid for by the producers of Broadway.
Oh my gosh. So it's a certain percentage of our paycheck. Okay. So the more we work, more money goes into our annuity, more money goes into our pension. Okay, good. Well that's good too. That's amazing. And then out of all the locals, out of all the unions that work on Broadway, I think the wardrobe union has the most amount of holiday pay.
Okay. That's nice. We get some weird holidays. I'm like, , ,
Kristen Gillett: whatever. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: What about like health insurance? Do they provide that for you? Um,
Tyler Lineberger: yeah. So that's, uh, so health insurance through our union. Through the union. Um, not bad. Yeah. I'm not, I'm not like, thankfully knock on wood or whatever material we have around.
Yeah. You haven't really knock, you haven't had like any like major surgeries. I mean dental work, but I hate the dentist. Yeah. Don't we all? I know, but glove, yeah. No, it's lame, but so good. Um. I, I feel, I feel very well taken care of, and I feel [01:18:00] very comfortable. Mm-hmm. . Right. And the thing that, um, like if I could say one thing to parents who are like on the fence of like whether or not to like assist or cheer on their child Yeah.
Wanting to go into this profession. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Do it. Mm-hmm. do it because you could make, you know, seven figures, you could make $500,000 in a career that you hate. Mm-hmm. , right? Yes. And, and every day of your life, you will be hating your life. Mm-hmm. , you get two days off. Right. You know, you get maybe nights and weekends, but you hate your life.
Yeah. And at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how much money you have in your bank account, when you go home, you hate your life. Right. So why not go home and be like, wow, that was a lot of fun. Yeah. Oh my gosh. I just saw Bernadette Peters on Earth Farm ride of Hello Dolly. Oh, what a life, what an amazing life experience.
Or like, oh my gosh. I just, you know, Brian Cranston just gave me a 30 minute speech [01:19:00] directly to me about me. 30 years old, which happened, Nice. We came down and we all had cake in, you know, the green room of the Velasco Theater, and it was like, you don't have those experiences in, you know, civilian life as we like to call it.
Um, so where there is a will, there's a way. Um, I would say though that the acting world, um, specifically in New York City, mind you, I'm not a part of that world, but I see it from afar. Right. But
Cathi Champino: you have a really cool perspective of it though.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. You know? Yeah. Yeah. I work with people who ace the audition.
Mm-hmm. . Gotcha. I work with people who got told Yes. You get a contract. Yeah. Um, and the scary thing is, is that I may have worked with people on a. and that was their only Broadway show. Mm-hmm. .
Kristen Gillett: That's kind of crazy to think
Tyler Lineberger: about. It's sad. Yeah. Yeah. It's scary. But it's like, but that's the world, [01:20:00] right? Yeah.
As an actor, dancer, singer, whatever you want to classify, there's three, three kind of categories. But as an actor as a whole, you know, your job prospects are, yeah. Sorry. Slim. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Whereas working backstage, I said the The ante thing. Yeah. There's so much work. There's so many opportunities. Also, local one gets paid way more
Local one . Getting into local one is an uphill battle. Okay. But once you're in your rib
Cathi Champino: and they're like, the props. And the
Tyler Lineberger: props, carpentry, electric, sound, we're thinking sound is a part of Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But you know, they have a nicer contract. They're local one out of all, out of all the local numbers.
They're the first. Wow. So they've been around the longest. Yeah. Um, So like if I was a pushy parent, I'd be like, local one. But ,
Cathi Champino: what's your opinion or perspective on kids with wanting to be on Broadway? What's your, have you seen that? Like, have you [01:21:00] worked
Tyler Lineberger: with kids on Broadway? So, I, I forgot to say, but I worked on School of Rock the Musical.
Oh, okay. Um, but I was again, a swing there and I was, uh, I did day work there as well. Okay. Um, and I dress the young boys and I also dress the, um, ensemble adults, the male adults. Okay. Um, I love working with those kids, but it was extre, it was very difficult, um, for the kids. Mm-hmm. because, um, I don't know, I don't know exactly what age they were very young.
Um, I'm a bad gauge of age. I'm always like, I don't know. You're a kid. No. But they had to like do tutoring and go to school while performing on Broadway. But honestly, the look in their eye, the massive smiles that they had, yeah. It's quite priceless. It is so priceless. And the thing with being a, a child actor on specific shows, Is you age out really quickly.
Yeah. Not, maybe not even age out. You probably height your house, your, your height. Oh yeah, exactly. In a heartbeat. Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You will. This opportunity will go away in two seconds. Yeah. So, [01:22:00] um, do it. Yeah. Um, but just know that your time is very limited and again, that might be your only Broadway show ever.
Right, right, right, right. Now, if you work backstage, of course you will have a wealth of opportunities. So like, if you wanna be an actor, great. But also like, if you wanna be successful as well, try to also learn the kind of backstage craft mm-hmm. as well. Um, that's kind of, uh, uh, I think really important.
And I think tech theater is kind of, how can I say, uh, dying. Mm-hmm. , um, in, in, in, in kind of the education system. Uh, only because, and mind you, I'm not the expert, please understand that, but when I was a kid, you know, we had, um, a decent amount of like tech workshops, whereas like nowadays, there isn't as many tech workshops.
Um, I believe because the, uh, answer that I heard, uh, was that not a lot of students attend those tech workshops. Oh. Um, which is kind of sad. Mm-hmm. . But I mean, I understand it because everyone is so focused [01:23:00] in on acting. Right. Right. And that's, that's what everybody sees. And that's kind of, even in the professional world, I'll walk out of the stage shore and nobody will know me and it's great.
I'll just be like, gotta go home. Yeah. Whereas an actor will come out, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. You know? Yeah. Right. They're not like, oh my gosh, you could change shi history. Oh my God. The flathead, that was you. Oh my god. No. None of that. No. Um, so I think it's, um, I think, you know, the tech world is a world of stability.
Um, and, um, I think it's important. Yeah. So that's why I love going to the juniors and hopefully next year the, you know, high school state as well. And, uh, yeah, taking the time out and kind of doing that and trying to give back and show, Hey, there's a world, right? Yeah. There's a world backstage of stability and of like slow potential and full of opportunities.
Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. And we've heard from more than one place. Like you may be an actor, but take opportunities to tech the shows as well, handset and learn
Tyler Lineberger: that handset that
Cathi Champino: side. Yeah. Yeah,
Kristen Gillett: yeah. Because our kids have done that. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. A little
Tyler Lineberger: bit. You [01:24:00] can make, I would say over your entire life, I would say, uh, technicians make more money than, um, actors.
Mm-hmm. and I, I as a stability part of that, I would say some that is, that is a really, really crazy and extreme, um, statement. But I mean, if you think about it like. , I could work up until 70 or 80 or 90 whenever I want. Right. And just consistently be working on Broadway. Mm-hmm. . Um, whereas, you know, if I'm a dancer, I don't know that I could be, you know, 75 years old and still kick myself in the face,
It's just like you're your instrument and, and you, your body. Right? Yeah. You know?
Cathi Champino: Absolutely. Yeah. Um, and the look of that character, right. That character never ages, but you're
Tyler Lineberger: going to age. Exactly. Yeah. So like, you know, yeah. I, I work with a lot of former dancers. Yeah. Because after they have, they couldn't dance anymore, they got super injured or whatever the case might be, um, you know, then, you know it's transition.[01:25:00]
Yeah. What do they do? Yeah. They transition and they pivot, you know? Yeah. So
Cathi Champino: that makes sense. And then they're still part of that world that they love so much, just in a
Tyler Lineberger: different mm-hmm. Exactly. Aspects. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. So if you make that pivot later on, that's great. If you just do tech theater right from the start, that's also great.
But. . It's something that is really passionate, I'm very passionate about. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Um, and something that kind of, um, sometimes is overlooked. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. In a good way. Bad way. Yeah. Because in a good way there's always gonna be work. Yes. For me, but also I can't be greedy, you know? Um, I'd love to, you know, bring in more diversity, equity, and inclusion.
And I, I truly do mean that. I mean my world in wardrobe, but a lot of our local is, uh, women. Mm-hmm. , well, is there any other male or, you know, non-binary or, you know, whatever, whomever rather, um, bring 'em in, let's go. You know, let's make it a more, you know, diverse work, work
Cathi Champino: environment, you know? Yeah. But I
Tyler Lineberger: hear ya.
But just saying we exist. [01:26:00] Yes. And, you know, we're still hiring too . I think it's really important to me, so, yes. Yeah. .
Kristen Gillett: Okay, cool.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. Well, thank you.
Tyler Lineberger: You're wonderful. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Are you guys gonna go to the uh, museum at Broadway? We
Kristen Gillett: did, we did. Without Mike, I, I've never been, I loved it. Yeah.
Weeks ago I think we were in there for like three hours. We
Angela Shanks: only had left cuz we had to go to a show. Yeah. I, Lily Kate was reading every single plaque like, oh my god, you gotta hurry up. I heard that there was a lot of reading. I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. There is a, um, model. Sorry, I'm cold face. I'm not like leaving or anything, um, of your theater.
Like it's, it's a 3D
Kristen Gillett: model. Yeah. It's really big. I took a couple pictures.
Angela Shanks: Really? Oh my
Tyler Lineberger: God, it's so awesome. I think Eugene Lee before he passed away, and I think that was one of his last projects he worked on to make that. Yeah.
Kristen Gillett: Wow. It was really neat. It is really. It was. I was like, oh shit. There's like a whole lot of backstage.
Yeah. That showed everything. People in there. Yep. You were in there
Tyler Lineberger: probably somewhere. Anyway. Well, yeah. I mean our, our crew [01:27:00] outnumber are cast, I believe. Nice. We have a big cast. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But like, again, just going back to the, there's a lot of work, so
Cathi Champino: Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Yeah. Lot. Yeah. That was very fun. We really enjoyed it.
A lot of costumes in there. Yeah. Yeah.
Cathi Champino: Props. And do you have like a dream show that you wanna work on that you haven't worked on yet?
Tyler Lineberger: I've worked on a lot of my dream shows already. Have you? Yeah. Um, oh, that's good. Yes. No, actually there's one. Um, so when I was younger I saw the tour, I beat him to Beast Musical.
Yeah. And, um, it changed my life and I would love to work on it, but I don't think I ever want to work on it, which is that it's weird. Yeah. Because like, I want it to be the same costume. Right. The same set. Right. We already have that perception. I want to live that experience, but work on it. Right, right, right.
And a lot of times when a show gets survived, that's not the
Cathi Champino: case. Right. Yeah, that's true. That's a great make changes. Am I ruining
Tyler Lineberger: it for you? You know, at Thomas Schumacher, the gentleman who's in charge of Disney theatrical groups had said [01:28:00] that they are wanting to bring back. They launched a UK tour and it was not the same costume.
Oh. So it was like, yeah. Okay. But like, hello Dolly. Um, I got to secretly off the record, um, they preset one of the set pieces for like a rehearsal. Yeah. And it was like the iconic red staircase. So of course I stood on one stair, was like, took a selfie and I was like, ah, . Yeah. Right. Of course. And of all the moments.
Awesome. Thus,
Angela Shanks: yeah. So Oh,
Tyler Lineberger: very cool.
Cathi Champino: Very cool. Sorry. Our families, our families have made,
Tyler Lineberger: sorry,
Angela Shanks: I don't even know what time my kids are ice skating at Rockfeller. They're, they're ice skating. You're gonna, you're gonna ahead and do it? No, that my
Tyler Lineberger: kids, oh, well they're, oh, over at Rockefeller? Yeah. Oh.
Kristen Gillett: Oh.
They're actually ice skating right now. Well, did you make 'em do penguins? They have
Angela Shanks: skates. Oh yeah.
Cathi Champino: We're from Florida.
Kristen Gillett: I know. We ice skate like my daughter [01:29:00] Gabby.
Tyler Lineberger: Gabby. Nice meet. Nice to meet you. Are you going to high school next year? No, no, no. Is that middle school? She's going middle. Sorry. Middle school, school.
No, no, no, no. Middle school. You're
Kristen Gillett: about that not being able to tell the age thing. Huh?
Tyler Lineberger: serious. Seriously. Are you excited? Yeah, I'm very, yeah. Are you gonna do drama at by any chance? Um, yeah, definitely. Yay. Yay. Absolutely. I was, I started being a drama kid when I was in, I think, seventh grade. Okay. They didn't really have a, a theater department or anything
Cathi Champino: in my school.
We don't really do like theater stuff. We only have like a chorus. Yeah. So I do like theater on the side of school. Oh, nice. It's all community theater.
Kristen Gillett: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. We have two really good
Tyler Lineberger: ones. That's so that you, you all have a community too? Yeah. We see
Kristen Gillett: good ones. We have Winter Haven and then we have Lakelands, so we kind of bounce, let kids audition and when they get in, they get in.
Yeah. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Which right now we're lucky they get in to a lot. Well, I don't know if you wanna say we're lucky or we're not. We're very busy because they're in a lot. It's
Tyler Lineberger: good. Yes. All it takes stop. Well, all it takes is one, and then you get another one and then you get another one. Yeah.
Kristen Gillett: [01:30:00] Mm-hmm. and they're getting good resumes out of it.
Mm-hmm. , which is helpful when they wanna audition for like Harrison, like I mentioned earlier. Mm-hmm. , you know, the high school there. They get a lot of experience with that. And then we have a lot of tech opportunity too. Yeah. Mm-hmm. . So Yeah. They can learn a lot.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. And also the beautiful thing about drama in middle school, but for me in high school, um, High school is such a difficult time in a child's life.
You know, your, your, you know, your hormones are kind of coming in. I don't know what the proper term is that that's happening. You're growing into like, eventually, you know, slowly but Sure. Like your adulthood a little bit, and then also like you're juggling school and then other teenagers and just finding a home.
Mm-hmm. finding a balance. Mm-hmm. Home was, yes. My home was my high school drama teacher. Yeah. And, and the program that she created mm-hmm. . Um, and finding that balance, finding your people was something that was
Kristen Gillett: really important. Yeah. You know, I, it's funny cuz I actually say that phrase a few times, [01:31:00] uh, in the, I've said that in the last few months.
I, I was 40 before I found my people. I didn't realize that my people were theater people. Yay. Had I only known, I know. Gonna save ourselves
Angela Shanks: all that time.
Kristen Gillett: I know, right?
Cathi Champino: 40 years lost. I know. It took us to have kids and, and have them get involved, right? Mm-hmm. to like, see. Yeah. Cause we used to always go to shows.
Uh, and then that one time now we auditioned for Sleeping Beauty. I was like, six. You're like, and my mom was like, oh, it's fine. You could just go. It'll be fine. I got a, I got a red bird. .
Kristen Gillett: Yep. You were bird. Thank you. My daughter was a squirrel. Kate was a frog. Yeah. Yeah. Well,
Cathi Champino: came a s I started out Love.
Tyler Lineberger: Look it up now.
Yeah. . What's your favorite show? My favorite show that I've done? No. Or, or done or seen. Um,
Cathi Champino: my favorite show that I've done was definitely mad.
Kristen Gillett: Um, just because Cause she was Madeline. She was
Cathi Champino: Madeline. Oh, oh yeah. I, I dunno that big of a .
Tyler Lineberger: No it's not Cause of the party. You [01:32:00] were the headliner .
Cathi Champino: No, no, it's because, um, like I actually got, well either that one or Miracle because Miracle 34 Street, that opened me up because that's when I met like everybody.
Yeah, yeah, that's what it was. Our first Mainstone
Tyler Lineberger: Uhuh.
Kristen Gillett: So
Cathi Champino: those were just really a big shows in my life. And then one that I've recently seen was . That was my favorite
Kristen Gillett: Uhhuh that wore laundry. I know they moon
Tyler Lineberger: was just crazy cuz that just opens and it's like energy.
Kristen Gillett: Yeah. Very. It's rock. Very much
Tyler Lineberger: so. Oh, I forgot to also mention Sure.
Another tech category that's really fascinating that, uh, I think, I don't wanna be rude, but I think only really exists at like the professional level. That's because there's millions of dollars Yeah. Um, is an area called automation. Oh, okay. Um, automation is the, the movement of set pieces. Mm-hmm. . Um, through a computer system.
Okay. If you've ever seen, and you have, if you've ever seen a set piece just magically Yes. Roll on stage as I watched and magically roll off stage or, or come [01:33:00] in like, uh, Glenda's bubble. Mm-hmm. , I believe in Wicked is automation. Mm-hmm. to where a, a crew guy in the basement specifically. Um, we'll push a button and the computer system will move the set piece to a specific spot.
Wow. And then, then they'll push it again, and then there'll be some movement to another spot. Mm-hmm. . Right. Okay. Some things like that. And same thing, set pieces, that's auto fly AutoD deck. Mm-hmm. , um, that is a whole nother career field. That's, that's cool. Yeah. Um, but it's very dangerous. And at Mulan Rouge, um, uh, a friend of mine, uh, her husband I believe, had heard that there was, um, a crash upset pieces at Mullen Rouge because it's so crazy.
Yeah. Lot. And cause you'd easily push a button once or twice mm-hmm. or whatever, and.
Cathi Champino: Yeah. And have things. Yeah. We know how that happens. I know. I feel, I'm like, fuck, cue my
Kristen Gillett: in .
Tyler Lineberger: Go back. Go back. . There's no back button. It's moving . Or like it's a slow crash. You're like, do, but No, it's fascinating though. Yeah.
But it's really cool though. But I
Cathi Champino: [01:34:00] think we did see some of that automation and Mullan Rouge, like when some of the tables, whenever Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Stage.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah, yeah. Or the platform that moves up and Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Or um, I, I've seen it, but I don't know exactly. But I think maybe the heart might also be automation as well.
Okay. The heart
Cathi Champino: set. Yeah. I noticed on that set, which was so interesting, was that they kept up with the perception of that 3D like depth perception Oh my gosh. Of the entire, so
Kristen Gillett: like, it makes the show feel massive because of how far back it feels. Yeah. The
Cathi Champino: Mercer feel. Yeah. Yeah. Oh my goodness. Yes. It was
Tyler Lineberger: a few.
Well, um, so that's achieved through just like, um, Them coming, uh, the, the set designer coming out beyond the Procini March, the Procini March. Mm-hmm. . Yes. They're, they're designing outside of it. It's very similar to what Wicked did mm-hmm. at, at the Gershwin where the set has kind of come out, uh, in front of the Sini march.
Yeah. Um, so it's not as cold. It's not like, oh, this show happens behind this wall. Mm-hmm. . Right. Know it comes out and you're [01:35:00] in, sort of in the world. Yes. So to speak. If that makes sense. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. And, um, that's amazing. Also, another fun fact about Wicked is that, um, my back hurts, but the reason why it hurts is because the show is on a rake.
Okay. Um, a rake is, I believe a Shakespearean term. I think that's Ra, yes. Yes. A rake is basically the whole stage is angled. Right. How
Kristen Gillett: steep of a
Tyler Lineberger: rake is it? I don't know. I don't . Your
Kristen Gillett: back hurts. Feel it. Obviously your back hurts. I remember Tiffany telling
Cathi Champino: us that.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. So, yeah. So whenever you see it from the house or from the audience, it looks gargantuan.
Yeah. And it, the set is actually very large, but. It, it, it's even it that creates an even depth, uh, even deeper effect, rather. So you're
Angela Shanks: standing like this all
Tyler Lineberger: night long when I'm on the deck. Yeah. Right. And the actors are dancing like that. Yeah. Think about from a wardrobe perspective, think about heming a dress on an angle.
Right. And it's a big hoop skirt. Uhhuh . Well do you do on the lower or the upper little things like that, that, um, the stitch that are their more advanced, uh, worker people Yeah. Have to consider the wardrobe supervisor has to, to consider. [01:36:00] So it's like what? Yeah. Complicated. I never Wait, lemme grab my pro track.
Very complicated. I don't know how to, anyway. Yeah. But also all the set pieces have to be designed with the angle in mind. Oh wow. So your set pieces isn't like this. Yeah. So when you see the set pieces on like a flat ground and they're like, yeah. Is it? No. But that's so
Cathi Champino: interesting. I never thought about.
Another thing with Milan Rouge is that, that huge like room that they had, I was with my mom. I was like, they must have a massive stage
Kristen Gillett: left. I know
Tyler Lineberger: so much. Um, I, I've never worked there, but I do believe I have friends that work there that said that it's not that big as with every Broadway theater. Yeah.
But interesting, fun fact about, um, kind of, uh, storage techniques. Um, I at Hello Dolly. It was very interesting at Hello Dolly. That's at the Schubert Theater, or It was at the Schubert Theater. Um, that theater has no wing space or it has minimal wing space. Oh, wow. But what they do is, um, specifically for [01:37:00] Hello Dolly, they'll have massive set pieces.
Mm-hmm. that will roll down like a, the, the scrim will come up, the whole set piece will roll down, and then it'll roll. . And then for storage purposes, they'll, oh, we have a tour. Um, what they'll do is they'll, um, attach, um, . Okay. Please, no photos. Okay. , there's only a guest. Thank you. . No photography. No. Um, what they'll do is they'll hook up some wires to the set piece.
I'm sure they're there. Four wires, Uhhuh, and they'll hoist it into the air. Oh my gosh. So basically you have like a several ton set piece hanging up there. Oh my gosh. Exactly. And now Mike not, not talking about like something light. Uh, again, I don't, I don't work there, but I would only assume that that room set piece Yeah.
Yeah. Um, would be something that is hung. Mm-hmm. . So they'd attach hoist point. Now mind you, it's all seal. Yeah. So it's not light. Yeah. Um, and you'd just be basically working under a [01:38:00] dangling. Wow. Yeah. Several times. Death trap. Set piece. , one of those wires. SnapEd. Oh my God. You're on channel . Yeah. Hold about my will.
Correctly .
Cathi Champino: Just to kinda tie is you guys obviously use the ghost light at the Gerwin and all. Yeah. Every theater does. Yes. Yes. And so are there any stories, like, do you guys have a house? Ooh, do you have a ghost?
Tyler Lineberger: History? Ghost At the ghost round? So, um, so interesting story. Um, one time I was on, I believe stage left.
No, I think stage right And, uh, I felt, um, something, yes, maybe a ghost, huh? Uh, rush the right part of my shoulder. Just like, Ooh. Just like that. Mm-hmm. . Yeah. Which was, um, what was it, Starling? It was like, And then, um, I went and I spoke with the, as the assistant head of Wardrobe on the show, and I was like, I think I just had a ghost interaction.
He goes, did it brush against your right shoulder? And I was like, oh my gosh. Oh, I like, as a matter fact. Yes. And Kevin had, has been there since the very [01:39:00] beginning. Yes. And he said it first and I was like, Ooh. Oh, I know. The time I was working the Velasco Theater, which is really close to here. Um, and fun fact about the Velasco Theater.
Look it up on, look it up on, um, I don't know, Google or go to Google Images because David Velasco built the theater. Yes. And he actually has his apartment. Mm-hmm. above the theater. I will. Oh, okay. So if you were to look at the building. , you have the theater and then you have like windows and a roof structure on top of it.
And that was actually his apartment where he lived. Okay. And up the alleyway, there was a, uh, an elevator that only went to his apartment. Oh, very fascinating. Um, and there were a lot of rumors that David Velasco still roams the hallways. Yeah. Um, and one time I was working on network there and I was working on the fifth floor.
That's where all the dressing rooms were that I was taken care of. Um, and that was also secretly where the back door to his apartment was. Oh, okay. It was locked as alarms, but whatever. But there was one time where like, [01:40:00] I just saw a figure standing there with brown trousers and a collared shirt, and I was like, what?
slinking. Um, and yeah, I thought, I thought it was, I thought it was seeing things, but I was like, wow, that's interesting. I guess this is what, uh, the ghost experience is like my ghost story,
Cathi Champino: but I'll save it. No, I won't. Yeah. It
Angela Shanks: was okay. Yeah, we were working into the woods recently. Yeah. And I was backstage and there was one scene where I had to shine a flashlight for one of our actors.
She had fallen in another show and like
Kristen Gillett: Really? Yeah. She wrecked her arm, had piece back together and stuff. Yeah.
Angela Shanks: Like, so I would always stand back to there with flashlight to make sure she got off the set. And while I was waiting, the baker, our friend Judah would come on and he would, every night I'd be focused and he would like sneak up behind me and like scare me.
So the last show I'm like, you're not scaring me this time. I got you Judah. I'm gonna watch out for you. So I'm standing there and I'm ready, you know, with a flashlight. I turn around, wait, you know, I'm [01:41:00] like checking for Judah. Nobody's there. All of a sudden thing pokes me in the back and I turn around like.
And there was nobody there. There was like Juda, nobody. I'm like looking around. I mean, there's a literal poke in my back. Like it sent like electric waves through my body. That's funny. And then he came out a minute later, I'm like, did you just touch me? He's like, what are you talking about? I'm like, somebody just poked me.
Yeah. He's like, well, there's nobody here. Go. So that's my ghost story. Yeah. Woo.
Cathi Champino: So Winter
Kristen Gillett: Haven has
Cathi Champino: a ghost. Goodness. I don't have any ghost stories
Angela Shanks: yet. Not yet. No. Yet. Not yet. You'll get some, no, I'm sure.
Tyler Lineberger: Yeah. Do you wanna continue to pursue acting? Yes. Oh, good. Mm-hmm. , do it. Do little tech theater if you want
Cathi Champino: Yeah, teching is awesome. Awesome. Oh yeah. I feel like every
Tyler Lineberger: actor kind
Cathi Champino: of needs to have like a teching.
Tyler Lineberger: She's smart.
Cathi Champino: you my words. That's miss. Okay, I'll
Kristen Gillett: smart. Laura, [01:42:00] be one. One that we missed today. That's, we're trying to get smart. She's smart. Yes. Show from
Cathi Champino: different perspectives. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Tyler Lineberger: But also you'll gain some like real life experience.
Yeah, please. In high school, my, my high school drama teacher was like, uh, so I need you to make, like, I was helping out, like building the set. One of the random shows and she had like a circular saw was like, , all right, this is scary. Let's go. And of course, you know, somebody else helped me or whatever. And it was a really cool experience.
And now, Now when I need to repair, repair our house, I'm like, oh, print . Hey, thanks. Drama. Right. Football, and teach me that. That's right. Right,
Cathi Champino: exactly. Life skills people. Life skills, yeah, of course. Teaches you to be aggressive. A life skill too, I guess. Yeah.