As the curtain rises on another season of summer musicals across the country, audiences are treated to dazzling choreography, powerful vocals, and heart-swelling finales. But for performers—especially male actors—the glamour on stage often comes with a less celebrated companion: sweat. Specifically, the kind that shows up when it’s least wanted and most visible.
While summer theater offers artistic magic, it also brings punishing conditions. Stage lights can push ambient temperatures past 100 degrees. Add to that thick costumes, nervous energy, and multiple showings in a weekend, and you have a recipe for theatrical perspiration. For the estimated 3–5% of American men dealing with hyperhidrosis—and the many more who simply sweat heavily under pressure—the challenge is real, unrelenting, and often embarrassing.
According to SwampButt Underwear founder and president Harold Nicoll, the struggle is real. “I sweat profusely even in moderate temperatures indoors which was the reason for starting SwampButt Underwear,” he said. “I also act in our community theater (playing Jacob this summer in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at the Brazosport Center for the Arts & Sciences) and can say first hand that heavy costumes, lights, singing, dancing and dancing while singing will get your cardio levels up and sweat glands pumping.” He added “a few of the other men playing Joseph’s brothers adopted SwampButt Underwear for this summer’s performances.”
Among the most inconvenient places for sweat to collect? The lower back and buttocks. It’s a subject few talk about but nearly every performer knows intimately. As actors move, dance, and emote their way through scenes, sweat stains can spread visibly across costumes—distracting from performances, undermining confidence, and at worst, drawing attention away from the story.
Sweat, Stage Lights, and the Summer Musical
For male actors, who may be wearing tight, fitted trousers or layered period garb, standard undergarments offer little protection. Theatrical costuming often prioritizes silhouette and authenticity over comfort or breathability, and many fabrics trap heat and moisture rather than disperse it.
This invisible challenge leads to quick backstage costume changes, last-minute fan cool-downs, and a reliance on talcum powders, antiperspirants, and strategic layering. But even with such efforts, the problem persists.
Theater professionals have long accepted sweat as part of the job—but that doesn’t make it less disruptive. In an era where even community theaters are recording and streaming performances, the visibility of sweat has consequences beyond discomfort. It can affect a performer’s poise, a director’s vision, and ultimately, the audience’s experience. As Sweat, Stage Lights, and the Summer Musical are all intertwined.
As summer musicals continue to thrive and expand, maybe it’s time to talk more openly about sweat. Not just as a biological inevitability, but as a practical obstacle in the way of great performances. After all, a standing ovation should never be for a soggy costume bravely endured.
Backstage Sweat Survival Guide Sweat, Stage Lights, and the Summer Musical: Tips for Tackling the Moist Menace
• Stay Hydrated – It might seem counterintuitive, but staying hydrated helps regulate your body temperature and can reduce excessive sweating.
• Choose Breathable Undergarments – Natural fibers like cotton or sweat-wicking technical fabrics can make a huge difference. Avoid synthetic blends that trap moisture.
• Use Clinical-Strength Antiperspirants – These are designed to block sweat glands and can be used on areas other than just underarms (consult product directions).
• Backstage Cooling Zones – Create fan stations or keep cold packs near the wings for quick cool-downs between scenes.
• Wear a Sweat Barrier Layer – Consider a thin base layer that absorbs moisture before it hits your costume.
• Apply Body Powders or Creams – Talc or anti-chafing creams can reduce friction and soak up moisture. Apply liberally before getting into costume.
• Quick-Change Contingencies – Have extra costumes or underlayers available in case of visible sweat-through.
• Dark or Patterned Costumes – If you have input, choose costumes that better conceal sweat—dark colors and busy patterns are your friends.
• Practice Stage Blocking with Sweat in Mind – If a scene ends with a deep bow, think twice about what audience members may see.
• Talk About It – Normalize the conversation. Directors and costume designers can often help if they know it’s an issue.
Consider Sweat Wicking Underwear
SwampButt Underwear performance undergarments are made from a blend of Lycra and polyester fibers. The traditional brief style is a blend of cotton and Lycra. Both styles fit snuggly, there will never be any droop associated with our garments.
How the undergarment works and what it is made of are related. First, there is the
phenomena of ‘wicking’ which is the way moisture travels across a larger area of fabric.
The more and further moisture (in this case sweat) can disperse across a surface, the
faster it can evaporate. Imagine a squeegee pulling water across a windshield.
When spread to a larger surface are, the water on the windshield evaporates faster. Or
push rainwater across a driveway or parking lot into a larger surface area and it also
evaporates faster.
The same thing happens with our garment. Sweat wicks across a larger area and
evaporates faster because of this. The rate of wicking is related to the materials and the
way sweat spreads across them. Polyester fibers are hydrophobic because they are really
plastic and will not absorb moisture. Our performance undergarments are made from
Lycra and polyester fibers. The brief style from cotton and Lycra.
About SwampButt Underwear
SwampButt Underwear is a real company that specializes in high-performance, humor-forward underwear engineered to evaporate moisture before embarrassment begins. Made from Lycra/Spandex we make and sell a product that helps solve a problem; the challenge of visible butt sweat. SwampButt Underwear is trademarked in the USA and foreign countries. We paid a lot for it so please do not use it without permission. To learn more visit: https://swampbutt.com.
Resource for Sweat, Stage Lights, and the Summer Musical: How to stop sweating under stage lights | ART-TECH
2025/02/04.