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profile by Karen Segal Dress Them Up! M e e t the North Shore resident behind those quick changes and gorgeous costumes on Ragtime.. change 19 w o m e n in the s u p p o r t i n g cast as w e l l as t w o a c t o r s . In Rogtime, N i c o l s d o e s gets t o r n o r b r o k e n o r r i p p e d . " A t o r n c o s t u m e can c r e a t e havoc during a s h o w and can even be a danger if an a c t o r should trip o v e r a l o o s e piece of f a b r i c . T h e dressers e n s u r e that the c o s t u m e s r e m a i n in excellent shape and d o any m i n o r repairs r e q u i r e d b e t w e e n s h o w s . A l l of the d r e s s e r s c o m e in twice a week for four hours to do a w o r k call, w h e r e all of the c o s t u m e s are g o n e o v e r in detail t o make sure that n o t h i n g has b e c o m e h u r t o r stained. D r e s s e r s are also r e s p o n sible for any p r e s h o w ironing, a fact m a d e o b v i o u s by the n u m e r ous hands o n irons b e f o r e the show. " W e ' r e in charge of e v e r y t h i n g f r o m the neck d o w n , " N i c h o l s says as she reaches for o n e of several laundry baskets that fill t h e r o o m s . T h e m a k e - u p and hair d e p a r t m e n t are in charge of hats, wigs, and e v e r y t h i n g else that goes o n above the n e c k . T h e r e are different r o o m s of c o s t u m e s for m e n and w o m e n and a w h o l e separate set for t h e u n d e r s t u d i e s w h o c o u l d be called u p o n even in the middle of a s h o w . " Y o u really have t o be ready f o r that," says N i c o l s , referring t o the possibility o f a m i d - s h o w r e p l a c e m e n t . O n c e , during Show Boat, D i a h a n n C a r r o l l b e c a m e ill and was r e p l a c e d by h e r u n d e r s t u d y after i n t e r m i s s i o n . W h i l e N i c o l s w a s n ' t involved in that change, she r e m e m b e r s it as quick and efficient because of the p r e p a r a t i o n by t h o s e involved. T h e size of the c o s t u m e s in addit i o n t o their i n t r i c a c y -- h o o k s and eyes and b u t t o n s -- m a k e s for quite c o m p l i c a t e d changes. V e l c r o D o n n a Bullock of R a g t i m e . as "Mother" in a scene from the Vancouver Schwartz. product! openings help this along but fine finger w o r k is still necessary. " Y o u d e v e l o p really strong hands t h r o u g h t h e v a r i o u s r o o m s that h o u s e the w a r d r o b e . Rack after rack are filled w i t h g o r g e o u s d r e s s e s of all c o l o u r s , in t h e style of t h e early 1 9 0 0 s . T h e y are thick, r i c h , beautiful, and c o m p l i c a t e d . A l l o f the hangers are p o s i t i o n e d in the same way. " T h a t is i m p o r t a n t , " says N i c o l s , " s o that n o t h i n g and muscles," N i c h o l s says, smiling, w i t h o u t a hint of n e r v o u s n e s s a b o u t the w o r k that lies ahead of her. "It's like a dance; everything b e c o m e s intricately c h o r e o g r a p h e d . . . I t does get c r o w d e d [backstage]. W e have t o be c o n sistent. W e d o n ' t w a n t t o have t o w o r r y a b o u t it all d u r i n g the s h o w . " "T I he stage d o o r , the stage d o o r . " I'm repeating this like a n o t - s o mystical m a n t r a t o myself as I p r e p a r e t o get off the bus f r o m N o r t h V a n c o u v e r and l o o k f o r the stage d o o r s o m e w h e r e in the back alley o f d o w n t o w n ' s F o r d C e n t r e f o r the P e r f o r m i n g A r t s . M y sense of d i r e c t i o n being w h a t it is (or, m o r e accurately, isn't) I e n v i s i o n myself w a n d e r i n g aimlessly t h r o u g h t h e alleyway a t t e m p t i n g vaguely t o be i n c o n s p i c u o u s . Thanks to Kasandra Nicols, t h e w o m a n I am t o i n t e r v i e w , this m i n o r d i r e c t i o n a l c a t a s t r o phe n e v e r takes place. I have m e n t i o n e d d u r i n g my bus r i d e , t o a f r i e n d w h o g o t off at an e a r l i e r s t o p , the p u r p o s e of my v e n t u r e o v e r the water. A s I p r e p a r e t o d i s e m b a r k , N i c o l s ( w h o was o n the same bus and o v e r h e a r d me) i n t r o d u c e s herself and w e w a l k t o the t h e a t r e together. Having never been to the F o r d C e n t r e b e f o r e , I am q u i t e e x c i t e d t o be given e n t r y into the -- a h e m -- b o w e l s of it. N i c o l s guides m e t h r o u g h a maze of stairs t o t h e l o w e r level w h e r e it s e e m s m o s t o f the backstage a c t i o n takes place. T h e s h o w being put o n is Ragtime, a Livent p r o d u c t i o n that has already played o n B r o a d w a y and in Toronto, Los Angeles.'and W a s h i n g t o n , D C , and is n o w in V a n c o u v e r until t h e e n d of August. Nicols, a N o r t h Vancouver r e s i d e n t is a d r e s s e r f o r t h e s h o w . She and 15 o t h e r d r e s s e r s are r e s p o n s i b l e f o r all of the 4 5 0 c o s t u m e s that t h e cast m e m b e r s wear --including everything from shoes t o parasols t o incredibly intricate dresses. T h e m o s t difficult task o f a d r e s s e r takes place d u r i n g the actual p e r f o r m a n c e . A s a c t o r s and a c t r e s s e s rush back and f o r t h o n and off stage, N i c o l s runs right along w i t h t h e m , getting t h e m i n t o and o u t of c o s t u m e v e r y quickly. She and t w o o t h e r d r e s s e r s turn-of-the-century-style a l m o s t a d o z e n changes. " T h e y are mainly d r e s s e s , v e r y e l a b o r a t e dresses," says N i c o l s , eating a s a n d w i c h and relaxing in the g r e e n r o o m b e f o r e h e r w o r k begins, an h o u r and a half b e f o r e the c u r t a i n rises. E l a b o r a t e i n d e e d . N i c o l s takes m e Photo by Craig