Our People, Their Profile | Leah Dueno, Wardrobe Supervisor

This season has been like no other. In order to help First Stage endure the devastating financial effects of COVID-19, we created the special relief initiative—the HOPE Fund. Donations to the HOPE Fund will Help Our People Engage, Enlighten, Entertain, and Educate by supporting the talented First Stage staff who provide HOPE for thousands of young people and families. All charitable gifts made to the HOPE Fund before June 30, 2021 will be matched 1-to-1, up to $50,000—thanks to another generous matching gift from the Molitor Foundation.

 

First Stage had the chance to catch up with our Wardrobe Supervisor, Leah Dueno, to learn more about her First Stage story.

 

For the past 12 seasons, Leah has been working backstage making sure all First Stage’s performers—young and old—go out on stage looking and feeling their best.

 

What is your typical day like working as a Wardrobe Supervisor?

 

As the Wardrobe Supervisor, I help actors with quick changes, discuss and apply their makeup, and arrange their hair or help them put on their wig before a show.

 

Every day is different working backstage—especially when working with young performers! One of the largest aspects of my job, beyond putting on wigs and repairing costumes, is the fact that I have to be ready for anything and need to stay calm under pressure. I’ve been previously called an actor’s off-stage scene partner. There is a huge show going on backstage that the audience never sees, and the off-stage scene partners (the crew) make a huge difference in the level of performance an actor is able to give. 

 

How do you connect with young people at First Stage?

 

By being one of the few employees who is backstage for every single First Stage performance at the Todd Wehr Theater, I get to hear our audiences’ reactions and experience all the special trials, tribulations, and joys that come with live theater.

 

It is always my goal to make our performers not only look good but feel good when they step out on that stage. I love being able to help our young performers feel confident, not only in their costume but also in themselves. I get the chance to build up people’s self-confidence in an industry and world that too often tears it down.

 

I also love getting to create the magic for the audience. When the audience asks a performer about their costume or wig, or how they changed so fast, I know that I have succeeded in my craft.

 

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

 

Due to the high stress and high-energy nature of my job, many of the things I enjoy outside of work re-center and nourish me. I love going on long walks or hikes while listening either to podcasts or just in silence.

 

I have also found a love of cooking and discovering healthy and delicious ways to nourish my body. One of my favorite things to do is sit down with a friend or two and have a conversation. I love to learn about people and hear about their lives, thusly, good conversation is gold to me!

 

How has working at First Stage affected you? 

 

Working with the young people at First Stage has made me realize the changes that need to happen both in the world and in myself. I meet and work with so many wonderful young people every season and they truly motivate me to be the best me I can be.

 

My job allows me to see first-hand the impact an individual can have on a collective. I have learned that I get to be one of those individuals for each cast I work with, and am constantly learning how to do that. 

 

I get to see the compassion, support, and humor of our young performers every day. Seeing their eyes light up when they hear the audience during an opening performance reignites my love for what I do, as well as hearing them through the dressing room door helping each other through nervousness and issues makes me so proud. 

 

What does the HOPE Fund mean to you?

 

This pandemic has been a very scary time for theater artists. The HOPE Fund is providing us a chance to get to return to the theater, people, and audiences we care for so much.

 

By donating to the HOPE Fund, you are giving artists, like me, the chance to help both our community and our nation heal when we are able to gather in theaters once again.

 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.