There are certain characters that are nearly impossible to have enough of. The demand will ALWAYS outstrip the supply. No matter the time of year or occasion, certain characters will always be at the forefront of kids minds and out our doors. The character that is hardest to cast and always in demand is Spiderman. Spidey is the a royal pain in my spinneret.
Here are the top reasons why our Webbed Warrior gives me ulcers.
The suit is surprisingly horrible to wear:
1. You would think that wearing a spandex suit would be like slipping on your lulus and going on your way. Yeah, no way. Any character that wears a spandex suit has to wear shapewear under the suit. That's right. Spidey is in Spanx. The reason is pretty obvious; Spidey is slinging webs for kids... Nuff' said.
2. Next is the shoe (or lack of shoe). Have you ever stepped on a goat head? If you are from Colorado, you have stepped on a goat head (if you don't know what that is, think a gumball sized grapenut with porcupine quills). Spidey feet always find all the legos, pebbles, goat heads, burrs, and now we force them to wear super uncomfortable Spidey shoes. They pinch and have no arch support.
3. The face shell is hideous. I would rank Spiderman's face shell as one of the top most uncomfortable costume pieces we have; and that includes corsets, fur suits, 20+ pound crinolines, and heels. It is hard to breathe, impossible to see, smashes your nose, puts ten thousand pounds of pressure on your eye sockets, and your breath fogs up the eye lenses. It is face jail and it sucks.
It takes 2, baby.
Beginning in 2023 it has become clear that all characters in a full mask, helmet, or head need 2 actors for events; one to perform the character and one to handle. Because Spiderman's full face is covered, we now send two actors for all web-slinging hero appearances.
As detailed above, the suit can be a bit challenging for actors to wear. The mask covers their entire face, which makes it hard for them to see and hear what's going on around them. This can be dangerous, especially if they're walking around a crowded space and interacting with kids and guests. To make sure that Spiderman is always safe and engaging with the audience, we decided to send two actors to each appearance. Not only does having two actors ensure Spiderman's safety, but it also makes it easier to communicate with the crowd.
Bring on the men!
If you've ever been in a theatre class, you know that the ratio of women to men is a bit... lopsided. To put it simply, good men are hard to find. We have been EXTREMELY lucky with our casting pool, but there are only so many dudes to go around. As good as they are, they can't be in two places at once. In addition, we take pride in the fact that we have NEVER CANCELED on a client. Not once, not ever. What happens if Spidey gets sick or something comes up? We're up a creek without a paddle. We've had to bring actors from across the state to step in for emergencies, and every time it happens I lose a few years of my life.
So, the next time you're planning a party or event and want to include Spiderman or any other masked character, remember that it's important to have two actors to make sure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. That good men are hard to find. And, finally, Spiderman has been sentenced to face jail just for you.