Costume & Construction Department Information
For TCP’s production of Seussical, we are building collaborative Costume and Construction teams to help bring the imaginative world of the show to life.
These departments will work closely with the production and creative teams throughout the process. Each department will have a Department Head who will oversee the work, coordinate meetings, organize projects, and act as the main point of contact for their team.
We are looking for people with a range of skills and experience. You do not need to have experience in every area listed below — we are intentionally building teams with different strengths.
COSTUME DEPARTMENT
The Costume Department will be responsible for the design, sourcing, construction, fitting, alterations, and organization of costumes for the production.
Because Seussical has such a distinctive visual world, we are looking for people who are comfortable working creatively and thinking outside the box while still keeping costumes practical for performers and quick changes.
We are looking for people with experience in:
Costume Design
- Developing costume concepts and character looks
- Working from the overall creative vision of the production
- Researching and sourcing costume pieces
- Helping determine fabrics, colours, silhouettes, and overall character details
Sewing & Garment Construction
- Machine sewing
- Hand sewing
- Constructing garments from patterns
- Modifying existing garments
- Working with a variety of fabrics and materials
- Costume repairs and finishing
Pattern Making
- Drafting or adapting patterns
- Altering existing patterns
- Creating patterns for unique or unusual costume pieces
- Translating design ideas into workable garments
Measuring & Fittings
- Taking accurate actor measurements
- Organizing and assisting with fittings
- Identifying necessary alterations
- Making adjustments for fit, movement, and comfort
- Keeping track of measurements and costume requirements
Costume Sourcing & Assembly
- Thrift and retail sourcing
- Finding existing garments that can be modified
- Costume organization
- Pulling complete looks together from multiple pieces
- Creating accessories and character-specific details
The Costume Team may include:
- Costume Designers
- Sewers
- Garment Constructors
- Pattern Makers
- Measurers
- Fitters
- Alterations specialists
- Costume shoppers/sourcers
- Costume assistants
- General costume volunteers
We are particularly interested in people who have specific technical skills that can strengthen the department. If you sew, design, draft patterns, take measurements, or have experience constructing costumes, we would love to hear about your experience.
Costume Work & Schedule
Costume work will take place throughout the January–May production process, with much of the work able to be completed on your own time.
Once you are assigned a project, you will be able to work on it according to your own schedule and coordinate with the Costume Department Head as needed. This allows volunteers to contribute around their work, family, and other commitments.
There will, however, be specific scheduled dates for actor measurements and fittings. These dates are important to the costume process and volunteers involved in measuring and fittings will be expected to attend their assigned dates.
The Costume Department Head will provide the team with timelines, project deadlines, and scheduled measurement/fitting dates well in advance.
CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT
The Construction Department will be responsible for helping create the physical scenic and set elements required for the production.
This team will work from the production’s scenic and creative plans to construct, modify, finish, and maintain the pieces needed for the stage.
We are looking for people with experience in:
Carpentry & Woodworking
- Framing
- Building platforms and structures
- Woodworking
- Cabinetry
- General carpentry
- Working from plans or drawings
Scenic Construction
- Set construction
- Building scenic elements
- Structural assembly
- Modifying existing scenic pieces
- General stage construction
Specialized Skills
We are also interested in people with experience in areas such as:
- Metalwork
- Welding
- Electrical
- Foam fabrication
- Sculpting
- PVC/plastics
- 3D fabrication
- Mechanical construction
- Rigging-related skills
- General trades
- Creative DIY/fabrication
The Construction Team may include:
- Carpenters
- Scenic builders
- Prop builders
- Fabricators
- Welders
- Electricians
- Woodworkers
- Tradespeople
- General construction volunteers
We are looking for people who can build, make, paint, fabricate, repair, or problem-solve. There will be a wide variety of projects, so different skill sets will be valuable at different stages of the production.
Construction Work & Schedule
Construction work will take place throughout the production process, with some projects able to be completed off-site on your own time and others requiring the team to work together.
There will be scheduled Construction Work Days on Saturdays throughout April, when the team will come together to work on larger scenic, prop, and construction projects. These days will be an important part of bringing the production together as we get closer to the show.
The Construction Department Head will create and communicate the work schedule, including which projects need to be completed, when they are needed, and which team members will be involved.
Some volunteers may be assigned individual projects that can be completed independently, while other projects will require collaboration on scheduled workdays.
Volunteers should be prepared to commit to the projects they take on and communicate with the Construction Department Head about their availability and progress.
HOW THE DEPARTMENTS WILL WORK
Each department will have a Department Head who will oversee the team and serve as the main point of contact.
The Department Head will:
- Coordinate the department
- Organize department meetings
- Help establish timelines and priorities
- Assign projects and responsibilities
- Communicate production needs to the team
- Work with the broader production and creative teams
- Help ensure work is completed on schedule
Team members will be expected to communicate with their Department Head, attend department meetings when possible, and take responsibility for the projects they commit to.
Some projects may be completed independently, while others will involve working together as a small group.
About the show:
Seussical is a heartwarming musical that brings together many of Dr. Seuss’s most beloved characters in one unforgettable adventure. Narrated by the Cat in the Hat, the story follows Horton the Elephant as he protects the tiny world of the Whos while caring for an abandoned egg. Filled with humor, heart, and imagination, Seussical celebrates friendship, acceptance, and the idea that “a person’s a person, no matter how small.”