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SSABSA Support Materials: dram-tl-039.doc, last updated 20 January 2006 page 1 of 4 Stage 2 Drama Teaching and Learning Strategy Make up and Hair Designer’s Checklist Chronological task list The checklist below is based on a 12 week production period, with 11 weeks of pre-production and 1 week of performance. *Discussion/ Communication/Negotiation can include Verbal discussion substantiated by individual personal notes; written notations (journal, notebook and folder); email. Week 1 – Reading and discussion of text Read through plays/choose play Establish production journal, folder or workbook. This needs to your personal method of record keeping and archiving their process throughout the production period. Discuss the general themes and ideas contained within the text with the director and ensemble. Week 2 - Casting As make-up and hair designer you are dealing with genre/ style; period both cultural and political; patterns; rhythm; shapes; textures and colour to try to create representations of each character in this text. Examine each character’s words, actions, the stage directions and subtext of the play. Record these ideas in your journal. Compile a list of literal references to make-up and hair from the stage directions and characters lines with page numbers so you can refer to them quickly. This doesn’t mean you must follow them but you must think about why the playwright has included them. You should also note any references to age so that you can address these. Create a character breakdown examining each scene and its intention. Also include which characters are in each scene. This can be shared and discussed with other offstage members and director. Record the page number each scene starts on so that you can find these in a hurry. This will give you a whole picture of characters you will need to solve. Discuss rehearsal times; bump in/ production week/bump out schedules and general time management of the production with the ensemble and director. Week 3 - Exploration rehearsals Discuss with the director their intention for the production and think about how your role will compliment this interpretation of the play. This should happen with the offstage team as a group. There may be a lot of new information for you to think through after this meeting. Research the context of the text, particularly style of production and historical/ social/ cultural context. The director will no doubt have identified a number of elements for you to investigate when you discussed their intention for the play. If you choose to set the production in a distinct time period take note of elements such as fringes, elaborate up styles versus a simple cut, hair lengths for women and men, accessories, placement of parts, facial hair for men, colours used in make-up. Often a ‘period feel’ can be created of a period by attention to these minor details for little expense. Develop ideas as to what dialogue you want to create through each characters external visual appearance. What do you want the audience to read from the make-up and hair? Develop images/collages/ideations/montages of possible make-up and hair ideas for the production. SSABSA Support Materials: dram-tl-039.doc, last updated 20 January 2006 page 2 of 4 Collect images of other make-up and hair designer’s work that you find interesting and relevant to your production. Collect photos from magazines/ internet/ video and other visual sources of images that interest you or that are stimulated by the text and share these with the off stage team and the director. Establish if any actor will be playing more than one character and consult your character breakdown to establish how this will affect and quick changes. Week 4 - Exploration rehearsals Discuss if the director wants to use the literal references you noted from the stage directions, or if they would prefer a particular visual style or approach to be adopted. Discuss your interpretation of the production and ideas for the make-up and hair with the offstage team. This may change and develop over time. Remember that each decision you make should be able to be justified by the text (Character’s words, actions, stage directions, subtext, themes and ideas) and should also compliment and enhance the director’s interpretation. Be sensitive to the actor’s physical space and cultural background. Any discussion between yourself and any performer regarding these issues should be facilitated through the director. You also need to establish if any performers have any allergies which may affect your planning. Week 5 - Exploration rehearsals Create ideations of possible hair and make-up options for different characters in your journal. Discuss your ideas in detail with the costume designer. The two of you will need to present a cohesive character appearance. If you know that the style of hair design that the performers might be wearing is very different from their ‘normal’ hair try to organize something in rehearsal so that they can get used to the difference. However, in reality this may be difficult. Often these details in cultural context enhance the period production. Continue your discussions of ideas and interpretation with the offstage team. Experiment and take photos to document your experimentation with a range of make-up and hair ideas E.g. Try different coloured make-up for different characters. What do make- up and hair from different styles or periods say to the audience? What happens when you age some characters? How do you react to a character with big hair and bright makeup compared to a sleek hair and subdued make-up? How does the make-up and hair affect your reaction to the character? Make notations on the different characteristics of each experiment. Establish how many different make-up and hairstyle variations will be needed for the production. Will your characters have multiple changes because of time passing or some other more stylistic reason? Establish if your school already has make-up and hair supplies that you can access. Establish if you need to buy make-up and hair supplies and what budget you have available to do this. If you are in need of period wigs it would be useful to visit any theatre organizations you know of to look for wigs that might work for your designs. Visit theatre make-up stores to collect samples or see a demonstration of products that might work for your designs. SSABSA Support Materials: dram-tl-039.doc, last updated 20 January 2006 page 3 of 4 Week 6 - Building rehearsals Create drawings of each make-up and hair solution so that you can discuss these with the director. Start to solidify your ideas, keeping in mind your budget. Watch some rehearsals, full or partial runs if possible, to ensure your understanding of the directors’ interpretation is consistent with what is happening in your work. Test any make-up ideas under different coloured theatre lighting to see what happens. Week 7 - Building rehearsals When you have resolved your make-up and hair designs draw a final set of drawings. These don’t have to be major works of art, but do have to communicate your ideas to others clearly. Present your concept to the ensemble using your drawings so that they are aware of your ideas and understand how they will impact them. At this point you should have enough detail in your drawings and documentation so that you can hand off your design to someone else to create. Week 8 - Building rehearsals If you have elaborate hairstyles or make-up designs negotiate the services of a hairdresser or make-up artist for a trial or workshop. Depending on the complexity of your designs you may need to hire their services for your performances. Your budget restrictions will have guided you in that choice already. Prepare your pieces. Find and borrow what you have been promised. Confirm what you are hiring, Make and buy what you have time to and can afford. Work with crew. Week 9 - Polishing rehearsals Ensure you organize and pack all the supplies you will need to apply and remove any make-up, as well as create your hair designs. Be involved with the scheduling of Bump in/ Bump out and Production week particularly costume parade, tech rehearsal and dress rehearsals. Perform make-up trials, and photograph the finished look so that the actors can refer to this when they are preparing for a performance. Confirm any booking with hairdressers or make-up artists. Organise dressers to help with make-up if needed. Work with crew. Week 10 - Polishing rehearsals Try to prepare as much as possible before Bump in, make sure you have all the equipment you need for the dressing rooms. Discuss any make-up or hair changes with the Stage Manager so they can record these in their prompt copy and allocate any crew needed to make them happen. However, the stage manger does not usually call any quick changes. An actor and their dresser will negotiate the details of the change during the technical rehearsal or first dress. Work with crew. SSABSA Support Materials: dram-tl-039.doc, last updated 20 January 2006 page 4 of 4 Week 11 - Polishing rehearsals Bump in - supervise the installation of the make-up and hair styling equipment. Establish an area for make-up application and hair styling. Establish a list for the costume parade. You may wish to see characters scene by scene in their costumes, make-up and hair or in particular significant groupings. This is your last opportunity before the dress rehearsal to make sure all make-up and hair is perfect. Attend the lighting plot to ensure you are happy with how the make-up and hair look in the states the lighting designer has created. Any discussion about the states should be handled through the director, as they have the overall vision for the production. Ensure the actors know how to apply their own make-up and create their hairstyles if they are able to do it themselves. If you have a team of dressers ensure they know who they are looking after and what they need to do. Week 12 - Production week A cue to cue rehearsal is often an efficient way to check that everything works; it also allows the Stage Manager and operators to get a feel for their jobs and timing. Make sure you attend so that you can solve any costume related problems as they occur. At the technical rehearsal the stage manager should call all the cues and if you or the director deems any are incorrect for any reason the run should stop and the cue repeated. If you have completed a cue to cue this should be rare. At the dress rehearsals the production should be running as it would in performance. You should note any mistakes concerning your costumes, giving notes to the stage manager after the run. This should also be done in consultation with the director. If you are dressing the actors yourself your director will give you and the stage manager notes about any costume issues. Ensure you have gathered all the evidence of your process for your interview with the moderator. Participate in a ‘mock’ interview with your teacher. Performance and interview with the moderator. Bump out and return any hired equipment. Wigs and make-up cleaned and stored. prepared by Cassandra Backler
