Stitcher / Wardrobe Alternate

McCarter Theatre Center 

POSITION: Stitcher / Wardrobe Alternate

DEPARTMENT:  Production / Costumes & Wardrobe

REPORTS TO: Costume Supervisor

CLASSIFICATION: Full Time, Seasonal (Aug – June), Non-Exempt

BASE PAY: $1,000 weekly                          

BENEFITS INCLUDE: Medical, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, paid vacation, sick and personal time, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, and a 403 (b) retirement plan

START DATE: August 15, 2022 ideal, but flexible

Organizational Summary

McCarter Theatre Center, centered between New York City and Philadelphia on the campus of Princeton University, is a creative and intellectual hub that inspires conversations, connections, and collaborations in our communities. We lead with justice and joy, and we seek beauty in belonging. McCarter is an independent, non-profit performing arts center that creates and curates engaging performances, education programs, and community partnerships. We are committed to fostering a diverse, anti-racist company and have begun that work in earnest; this work goes beyond our staff and production teams and includes engaging, educating, and cultivating a broad range of audiences, making the arts accessible to all people, and presenting a variety of entertaining and thought-provoking programming across disciplines. As such, McCarter seeks team members who: contribute to a diversity of backgrounds and experiences to support an expansive artistic vision; are committed to engaging in ongoing anti-racism and anti-oppression work individually; value collaboration, flexibility, and an openness to continuous personal and professional growth. McCarter is an equal opportunity employer committed to hiring, supporting, and promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce. Please review our staff-written Framing Statement on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, linked here. 

Job Responsibilities:

• Assist the draper(s) and first hand(s) as needed, including help with stitching and fabric cutting.
• Work on costume builds, alterations, and costume crafts as assigned.
• Pull items from stock and prepare rehearsal costume pieces as requested.
• Attend costume fittings, taking notes and assisting, as requested.

• Assist with costume load-in and dressing room set up prior to technical rehearsals.
• Attend technical rehearsals and complete notes as scheduled and/or assigned.
• Provide wardrobe support for Presented Events and Produced shows, working evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.
• Provide all needed dressing & preparation assistance to the actors during the run of a production and when costumes are used in rehearsal as assigned.
• Help maintain the condition of all costume pieces, preserving their designed appearance.
• Assist with laundry and dry cleaning as needed during and at the end of the run.
• Assist with hair, wigs, and makeup needs as assigned.
• Help to return all costumes pieces to the Costume Shop at the end of the run.
• Maintain organization and cleanliness in the costume shop, costume stock, storage spaces, wardrobe rooms, dressing rooms, and laundry areas.
• Adhere to safe working practices and follow all McCarter safety policies.
• Participate in the work to make McCarter an anti-racist theater. Actively seek ways to improve our work practices to make the Production Department more Equitable and Inclusive.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of, and experience in, hand and machine sewing.
• Working knowledge of costume industry machinery, including sewing machines, irons, and cutting tools.

• Excellent organizational and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience on wardrobe running crews.
• Knowledge of and experience in laundry, dry cleaning, spot removal, etc.
• Ability to work in full view of the audience (i.e. a vista scene shifts and costume changes).
• Ability to lift, push, or maneuver at least 40 lbs., either alone or with assistance from others.
• Able to work in a positive manner as a team with other full and part-time staff members.
• Willingness to learn new methods of construction, skills, and equipment.
• Willingness to learn new ways of working that foster an anti-racist and employee-first environment in the costume shop and production department.
• Willingness and ability to work 40 or more hours per week, sometimes on a flexible schedule (nights, weekends, and some holidays).