Compiled by Noelle Colant 2017; Original 2016
Description:
What is a Hair and Makeup Designer?
The Hair and Makeup Designer is the one who makes sure that the actors have appropriate amounts of hair and makeup.
What is a Hair and Makeup Designer required to do?
The Hair and Makeup Designer must devise and execute a plan of making sure all actors have appropriate amount of hair and makeup.
Working with other positions (parts borrowed from E. Rosser’s Costume Stitcher Guide)
You are a member of the prod-staff (or production team) of the show. To present a cohesive vision onstage, you must work with a couple other prod-staff members:
- Lighting Designer (LD)- They’ll make sure your beautifully made-up actors are seen in the, excuse the pun, best light possible. Have a meeting early on to talk color schemes with the LD. Try to choose colors and designs that will complement their color choices (example: avoid red lipstick or blood in red lights).
- Costume Designer and Props Master- In charge of all costumes and props for the show. Make sure your designer make theirs in terms of period, socio-economic class, or overall style. In particular, coordinate with the costume designer regarding things like hats and headbands and whether or not you are responsible for them. Also, talk about stage blood, where it’s going, and what might need to be washed.
You all have a boss, the Technical Director:
- Technical Director (TD)- Oversees all prod staff departments and keeps an eye on prod budgets. Communicate all expenses to the TD, as well as the producer.
The entire prod staff and the TD all work with the Director to make his/her vision a reality:
- Director (That’s Herr Direktor to you)- Has a unifying vision that, hopefully, appears uniform and consistent throughout all areas of the show. Do your best to adapt to dir-staff expectation, but it’s okay to say it’s too late to change something. The best way to avoid these conflicts is to communicate and check in with the director often to make sure you’re all still on the same page. Specifically ask about movement (if an actor is going to be doing a lot of dancing, you’ll need to give them a sturdy hairdo.)
Timeline
Starting Out
Interview - a Hair and Makeup Designer is chosen in “Round 2” interviews. This interview is highly informal. If you have a basic design at the time, bring it with you.
If you accept the role - yay! Go to the first prod meeting. Check out the MTG makeup and hair supplies. There are wigs in one of the plastic tubs and there are miscellaneous materials in the cabinets behind the sewing machine.
Initial design stage - First, hear the director’s concept. Pay particular attention to things like time period, socio-economic class, mood, tone, and level of realism. Next, do a little research to see what sort of patterns and colors are era-appropriate. Pick out pictures of hair and makeup that inspires you or that you would like to try. Sketch things out if you’re feeling ambitious.
Final design stage - run your color choices by the director you met with. Once you get their approval, you can probably stop going to prod staff meetings (but they’re fun, so you should go…), though you should still read the minutes to make sure there haven’t been any changes that affect your color scheme.
Builds
You probably won’t need to have any builds. If you think you might, let the TD know so that he/she can allocate actors to help you. (Reasons to have builds: making lots of blood packs, purchasing lots of wigs, making lots of hair pieces)
While other departments are having builds, you should start stocking up on generic supplies like eyeliner, lipstick, baby wipes, hairspray, bobby pins, blush, eyeshadow, combs, brushes, hair ties, foundation, makeup sponges, Q-tips, and set spray. You should also look into specifically items, specifically wigs and blood. Stick within your budget!
Color-test the cast. Coordinate with the stage manager to find a rehearsal when it would be most convenient for you to determine the skin color of the cast members and which foundation you want to use on them. (Find three colors; base, highlight, and lowlight). Note: MTG normally consists of several mid-lit olive or light tan colored people (i.e. normal white) so be sure to stock up on both of those. That said, there are people of other races in our group. Even though it’s hard to stand at a makeup counter and request Butterfly Geisha (super pale white), Ebony (super dark brown), Khaki (medium dark brown), and Eurasia Japonese (pretty much gold), do it. Your cast will look so much better if there’s makeup that matches their skin tone.
Prod Week
Put-in. You must bring all hair and makeup supplies to the performance space. Coordinate with the costume and sound designer as to how they would like the dressing room(s) to be set up. If you’re in La Sala, set up the blue mirrors (they will probably have been left up from the Shakespeare Ensemble’s show, but if they weren’t, they are under the props table in the kitchen or in the closet at the back of Las Sala). Put supplies out in locations where actors can easily find them. Label EVERYTHING.
Create a space for each of the different types of makeup: eyeliners, lip liners, foundations, blush, bronzer, mascara, sponges, brushes, blood, combs, bobby pins, brushes, clips, hair gel, hairspray, etc.
Check the label on each foundation tube. Relabel the unlabeled ones. This will dispel confusion later.
Fill up two spray bottles: one with water and one with ~10% isopropyl alcohol. Use the water for taming hair and cleaning up messes. Use the alcohol for sanitizing makeup.
Steal a roll (or two) of paper towels from the nearest bathroom.
Print out contouring charts if you’re using them and sign that say “No food, drink, or personal belonging on the hair and makeup table”
Create a sponge hotel. This will save you time and money. A sponge hotel ha a labeled spot for each actor to put their foundation sponge. Actors should use one sponger per weekend and one spong during tech week.
Send a reminder email to the cast. Tell them to bring in things like eyeliner and lipstick if they have it, but that the Guild has supplies if they don’t. Check in with actors who are dyeing their hair for the show.
Dress Rehearsal(s)- There will be multiple dress rehearsals (hopefully) before opening night. You should be backstage by 6:15 to get actors ready to go. They need to be onstage by 8. Limit actors to one sponge and one mascara wand. At some point, go out and see your design under the stage lights. Ask the director for notes on what’s not working. Get these fixed before the next rehearsal. Spray all makeup with ethanol each night to clean it.
Performances
Opening Night - make sure you haven’t forgot anything. Check that you have enough supplies to make it through the first weekend. Do final touch-ups on designs if necessary.
House Seats and comp tickets - as a designer you get a house seat and some comps. If the actors are self-sufficient, go see the show! If not, give your friends the tickets!
Parties - there will be some social events to attend. If you think you’d like to spend more time with the Guild, you should go.
Between weekend - inventory what supplies you have and stock up on what you need. ALWAYS BUY MORE SPONGES. (You will need them.)
Post-performances
Receipts - Get them to the producer or treasurer before strike.
Strike- Take all hair and makeup supplies back to the office. Help with the rest of strike.
Post Mortem- if there was anything that went really well or really poorly. If you can go, go. If not, email any concerns to the producer.
Advice
Color test your actors early on so that you can buy foundation.
Check in with other theater groups, especially the Shakespeare Ensemble, about borrowing special items, like wigs, hair white, straighteners, or curlers.
Take input from actors, but don’t let them boss you around. If something needs to change, change it. Otherwise, it’s your design and you get final say.
Glitter looks like sweat under stage lights. Use with caution.
Get some sort of long-wear lipstick for characters who have to kiss repeatedly.
Don’t let anyone put their personal belonging on the hair and makeup tables.
Help the cast become self-sufficient. Teach them how to apply things rather than doing it for them. Teach them to help each other do things. If you can achieve this, then you won’t need to be backstage during performances and you can go do real people things.
Always buy more sponges.
Red or pink eye shadow makes people look like they’ve been punched in the face.
BLEND.
Always check wigs between nights. They can get unruly very quickly.
Blood: See the Shakespeare Ensemble’s documentation on blood
Face cleaning: Makeup looks better on a clean face. Get some witch hazel and a gentle moisturizer. Have the actors wipe their face with the witch hazel, then apply the moisturizer before putting on makeup.
Take a look at the Shakespeare Ensemble’s hair and makeup guide