Talk with your director again.  The sex dolls are cheap and readily available.  We used one as one of the prizes in Assassins.  The only problem we ran into was that someone kept undoing the bikini top we dressed her in. (I still swear by my innocence).

Not being familiar with this show, I don't know what the staging requires.  I think you could make them scarecrow like, using nylons for the heads/bodies.

Watching the clip it appears that the dolls are fairly flat and 2-dimensional. They appear to be supported at the waist (not the shoulders), the arms are fixed in position and the legs merely hang loose - without any articulation except for gravity & momentum.

To construct something similar, I would cut female torso silhouettes (hips, waist, shoulders, neck & head) out of thin plywood or other lightweight material (1/2 inch thickness or less). Have a volunteer lie down on the board and trace the shape around them.

Secure two of these silhouettes at the waist on either side of a board just long enough to accommodate the placement of your dancer between them. A belt or shoulder harness can be attached to the board to help the dancer keep the apparatus in proper position (without having to hold it up themselves the entire time). This harness can be hidden under the vests of the dancers.

Build up the silhouette's facial features (and other body parts) with papier-mache. Remember, the whole idea is to keep these as lightweight as possible.   Paint the faces and dress them with wigs, hats, blouses & skirts. Stuff the arms with cotton batting or foam rubber and secure them in position.

Stuff flesh-colored tights with similar material and make fake shoes out of cloth (actual shoes would be too heavy and place more of a burden on your dancers). Attach these legs under the skirt to allow the proper clearance depending on the height of your dancers.

That's how I'd do it. I'm sure others will have suggestions as well. Good luck

Originally posted by katdavisfl Great suggestion. I hadn't thought of building the body out of non-flex material. Probably can use luaun. Always have lots of that laying around. And I like the papier-mache idea for the faces...wasn't sure what I was going to do there, and that sounds like a great project for our younger volunteers. Thanks, Topper!