Unseen is a solo show based on writer/performer Kimberly Prentice’s 25+ years as a “star dresser” - one of the many unseen roles that make up the backstage mechanisms of Broadway. Initially a day job for the aspiring dancer Pam, there’s a web of stagehand politics, method actors and spiral staircases that she’s learned to handle.
We get an all-access pass to the behind the scenes, from memorable actors she’s had to work for, to the best people to go to for all the gossip. Prentice plays over 30 roles during the show, from supportive allies to scary stage managers: mostly through mannerisms, though some are via lighting and props. We follow Pam’s story as a dresser while she tries to further her dance career, both the highs and the slow but steady breaking of her spirit. The dresser and backstage communities are supportive, but that’s up to a limit: in one story Pam talks about how she left a handkerchief in a costume pocket, and was summarily let go without severance.
Despite all that, there’s a pride that Pam takes in her work that’s undeniable: from getting costume changes down to 10 seconds, ninja running her way through a crowded theatre to get orange juice, and sharing outrage with a colleague when an actress dares to ask for her fabric scissors. After years of bending and breaking, staying unseen to avoid conflict with dancers and divas, a string of more supportive jobs let Prentice to put these stories down on paper, leading to the show as it is today. It’s taken years of tears, therapy and focus, but she’s finally where she’s wanted to be: centre stage.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Allison Parker
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