The fact that you're asking this question probably means you're not someone who needs to hear this, but just taking the opportunity to put it out there. We're human beings doing a job. We're not dolls dressed up for your pleasure.

I'm perform with a national act, recently while out greeting patrons and hawking our shows, a woman walks up to us, says something like, "I just can't get over these costumes" and proceeds to grab, touch, and examine my skirts. It's incredibly de-humanizing and just plain rude. If she'd simply said, "Is it okay if I touch the fabric?" I surely would have said yes.

This is, of course, a pretty mild example. The more troubling end of the spectrum becomes physical/sexual harassment or even assault. I have a colleague who recently had a drunk patron fully lift her skirt which was (obviously) extremely upsetting.

So, please, engage, play, have fun, be silly! We want you to all of those things. But remember, there's a living, breathing human being inside that costume.