Dirty Laundry: Unpacking The Costume Closet

Elizabeth Wislar, Dede Ayite, & Clint Ramos discuss decolonizing the costume imagination. Decolonization is the active resistance against colonial powers. It is a shifting of political, economic, educational, cultural, & psychic independence & power to a nation’s own indigenous peoples. Decolonizing art requires an unlearning of white supremacy; a de-centering of Eurocentric ideals of art, aesthetic, & design; & the dismantling of institutions that are steeped in colonization, including capitalism & white American theatre.Mentioned In This Episode:History of SingaporeColonialism in Singapore TodayColonization in The PhilippinesFilipino-American Colonial MentalityColonialism in GhanaResisting Colonialism in GhanaEpigeneticsCognitive Behavioral TherapyScott Rudin Abuse AllegationsMore From Our Guests:Conscious Costume Profile of ElizabethElizabeth's WebsiteDaily Beast Profile of DedeDede's InstagramClint's Column for DeadlineClint's WebsiteAdditional Resources:Racial Equity Tools for DecolonizationThe Fashion and Race DatabaseDecolonizing FashionEurocentric Beauty StandardsSustainability & ColonialismVisit our Bookshop for more reading recs!Find Us Online:Donate or Join Our Patreondirtylaundrythepodcast.comHost: Johanna PanProducers: Shayna O'Neill & Johanna PanMusic: Jay OngAudio Engineer: Justin SabeEpisode transcript

Johanna talks with Cassandra Freeman, Nikiya Mathis, and Cody Renard Richard about Black hair in theatre and film. Black actors' hair needs are continually neglected in the industry; producers are often woefully lacking in knowledge of the time, money, and work required to achieve various hairstyles. Companies often have no relationship with Black hair/wig stylists in their community, and leave Black actors to spend their own money and time on styling for their roles. In this episode, we discuss the ways theatre and film can end Black hair discrimination, and the effects such discrimination has had on Black artists.Mentioned in This Episode:Oscar JamesMolly RogersBridging The GapNational Black Hair & Makeup RegistryThe CCR Scholarship ProgramBroadway Advocacy CoalitionMore From Our Guests:Interview with CassandraCassandra's TwitterHAIRversations & HAIRstoriesNikiya's WebsiteInterview with CodyCody's WebsiteAdditional Resources:Black Hair GuideThe CROWN ActHair Love, A Short Film by Matthew A. Cherry8 Things You Always Wanted to Know About Black Women's HairHow Natural Black Hair at Work Became a Civil Rights Issue12 Reasons Why Hair Is Important in Black HistoryWho Decided Black Hair Is So Offensive Anyway?My Black Hair: A Tangled Story of Race and Politics in AmericaVisit our Bookshop for more reading recs!Support The Show: Donate or Join Our PatreonFind Us Online: dirtylaundrythepodcast.comInstagramFacebookTwitterHost: Johanna PanProducers: Shayna O'Neill & Johanna PanMusic: Jay OngAudio Engineer: Justin SabeTranscript

Argh, the sound quality, we know! We had some technical difficulties with our first set of interviews, but we still wanted to share the great things our guests had to say! And don't worry, we've got a brand new mic for Johanna, so she'll sound great moving forward!Porsche McGovern, Elsa Hiltner, and Jessa-Raye Court join Johanna to discuss feminized labor and achieving pay and labor equity in theatre. Feminized labor is the incorporation of womxn in the workplace under conditions inferior to men. We see this in theatre where, regardless of gender, costume workers are consistently paid less than their counterparts. There are many reasons, including that NYC costume shops aren't unionized (as opposed to Broadway scenic, lighting, and sound shops), and that we separate the IATSE union for wardrobe (Local 764) from the union for scenic, lighting, and sound stagehands (Local 1). Despite recent achievements, like reaching pay parity on Broadway and Off-Broadway contracts under the IATSE USA 829 Collective Bargaining Agreement, many areas of costume work still lag behind. This is only reinforced by trends in fast fashion, which cheapen the way costumes and clothing are seen by the public.Resources Mentioned in This Episode:The 2020 Survey ResultsTake The New Survey!Porsche’s Website & PatreonOn Our TeamArticles by Elsa: Inequity By Design, A Call for Equal Support in Theatrical DesignTheatrical Designer Pay ResourceCan You Sew This For Me? InstagramElsa’s Website & PatreonCostume Professionals for Wage EquityNYT Article on The Flea Statement from Resident Artists of The FleaCollaborator's Agreement from Johanna's Recent ShowJessa-Raye’s WebsiteVisit our Bookshop for reading recs!Support The Show: Donate to Dirty LaundryJoin Our PatreonFind Us Online: www.dirtylaundrythepodcast.comInstagramFacebookTwitterHost: Johanna PanProducers: Shayna O'Neill & Johanna PanMusic: Jay OngAudio Engineer: Justin SabeClick here for a transcript of this episode.

"The Inside Dirt on Dirty Laundry" or "Just What Is This, Anyway?"Host Johanna Pan and Producer Shayna O'Neill are here to introduce themselves and the podcast! Find out what to expect from Dirty Laundry's upcoming episodes.Support The Show:Donate to Dirty LaundryJoin Our PatreonFind Us Online: https://www.dirtylaundrythepodcast.comInstagramFacebookTwitterHost: Johanna PanProducers: Shayna O'Neill & Johanna PanMusic: Jay OngAudio Engineer: Justin SabeClick here for a transcript of this podcast.