Dresser Jack Scott on Playing 'Mother, Father, Doctor & Therapist' to Something Rotten! Star Brian d'Arcy James

Jack Scott has been dressing Tony nominee Brian d’Arcy James since the summer of 2006, when they did Dirty Rotten Scoundrels together. Since then they have teamed up on two other big musicals: Shrek and their current show Something Rotten! The pair are now longtime pals and colleagues who always stay in touch even when they are not working together. “I feel like a member of his family,” Scott says about the actor. “We have a lot of history.” Read on to find our more about this mutually happy relationship.

When did you first meet Brian and what was your first impression of him?
I met Brian back in 2006 during the run of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. My first impression of him was that he’s a very focused and intense actor. He was replacing Norbert Leo Butz, who I was dressing before that. Brian had only two weeks of rehearsal and not a lot of time backstage, so he needed to lean on me a little when he started. He was so thankful that I was there for him and that started it all.

What do you wish more people knew about dressers?
Dressers do so much more than dressing—particularly if you are working with a star. We are confidants, a shoulder to lean on, a mother figure, a father figure, a therapist, a nurse, a doctor. It can get personal—in a really terrific way. 

What are some items you always have with you when you’re working?
A bottle of water for him. I also always have mints, a stash of pins of different sizes, a headlight, scissors, Band-Aids, Advil or aspirin, a sweat towel...I’m a walking drugstore.

What’s the wildest costume you ever helped Brian with?
That’s a no-brainer: the Shrek costume. Even though it was only one costume, it required a lot more than what we both expected. He wore a fat suit and then a costume over that which created a lot of heat. We discovered how important it was to have his body temperature maintained. It was tricky because he would come offstage and we would peel him out of his costume and then listen for a cue to get him redressed. That was the craziest costume.

What do you two bond over?
The state of Michigan—we’re both from there. We both love music: I’m a jazz snob and Brian listens to a lot of vocalists. He introduced me to Gabe Dixon, which I love. We also both love chocolate.

How do you make him laugh?
I say the word fantastic, but I add a lot of S’s to it. So it’s like, “That audience is fantasssssssstic!” He always laughs when I do that. 

What is something you do that makes him roll his eyes?
When I ask him questions while he’s trying to sleep. He doesn’t really roll his eyes, though. He’s a very go-with-the-flow guy.

If someone wants to be a dresser, what should they know?
You need to love being a part of the team. Even though you’re not out there taking part in the glory under the lights, you should know that the applause is not just for the actors. The applause is for everyone on the show: the ushers, the orchestra, the stage managers, the stagehand—everyone in that building.

What’s the best part of being on Team BDJ?
The best part is that I don’t feel like I’m “on” when I’m with him. I can totally be myself. He’s so appreciative of what I do. And even though I’m there for him, he’s also there for me.