The lights come up on what appears to be a church basement. A small group of people have gathered and are sitting on folding chairs in a circle. Jeff stands and looks around the circle.

JEFF: (nervously) Hi. My name is Jeff and I'm a sweaty actor.

ALL: (in unison) Hiiiiii Jeeeeeeeeff!   

The Lights fade to black.

Oh wait....Sorry...I was reliving a recent SAA meeting (Sweaty Actors Anonymous).

Yes, I do shower directly before every show (shower at 5:30, call at 6:30). Yes, I do put on 3 layers of deodarant. Yes, I do wear a fresh t-shirt every night (and sometimes change it at intermission). Yes, I do wash my costume shirts every night. It's my head that tends to sweat the most, so I always have towels/hankerchiefs/sweat rags readily available to mop up the mess.

The fact of the matter is..a sweaty actor is always going to be sweaty. A stinky actor is a little different. A stinky actor has not taken any of the necessary precautions to avoid his stank. It is the stinky actor that needs to be pulled aside to delicately address his funk.

Jeff

PS Watch for "Tales of the Sweaty Actor" on Broadway in the near future.      

I am also one of those sweaty people, under the hot stage lights. It
has nothing to do with how well you clean yourself as I showered
nightly right before performances. I recently did the Wizard of Oz,
as the Cowardly Lion, and I designed my costume with less fur. We
had the heat wave hit and it was 114 degrees outside, and we had to
run out of the theatre during 2 intermissions. Anyway, the play
before that, I had tried "Secret" woman's deodorant on my forehead,
as the theatre's A/C was not up to snuff. I called it my industry
secret, but I found that the sweat then came out in my hair, as it had
to come out somewhere, I guess. At least for the Cowardly Lion, I
had my "Secret" on every night and I had a head dress on, so it
absorbed that extra perspiration, but is there any particular makeup
powder that is recommended? Or would cornstarch work? Like
Johnson & Johnson's? I had Ben Nye "sealer" to cover the creme
makeup, because the costume store salesperson said that helps to
combat sweat, but I still would sweat right through it. I spent a lot
of time wearing bandanas until I went onstage. So is there any
brand of talcum recommended, that also comes in a big enough
container? The Ben Nye stuff was in a little sprinkle 4 oz. shaker
thing. When you're in a hurry, it's just pitifully unacceptable. I read
in a latter post that Drisol (the medication) didn't work on
perspiration that comes from your head, so what works????

From a Reader's Digest Living article:  Why not put the deodorizing power of vinegar to use where it matters most? That's right, you don't need a roll-on or spray to keep your underarms smelling fresh. Instead, splash a little white vinegar under each arm in the morning, and let it dry. In addition to combating perspiration odor, this method also does away with those deodorant stains on your garments.  (Doesn't say it STOPS you from perspiring ... just stops the smell)

An article on essential oils suggests:  Citronella oil may be used for combating excessive perspiration and for balancing oily skin.

I've even read about Botox to combat excessive perspiration.

A CBC article states "Deodorant allows the release of perspiration, but prevents odour by combating it with antiseptic agents, which kill odour-causing bacteria.  Those chemical compounds in antiperspirants usually contain aluminium salts. Some researchers have linked that to Alzheimer's Disease and breast cancer.  Because they block sweat from escaping through pores, antiperspirants are also the cosmetic product most associated with skin irritation."

The list goes on and on ... just enter "combating perspiration" in any search engine and you'll find tons of advice.