Part of my training as an actor in New York City was learning the art of theatrical makeup, which differs from everyday makeup. Through theater makeup, I learned so much about contouring, highlighting, camouflage, and color theory.
Makeup was something that fascinated me. So much so that I became a professional makeup artist for stage, photographs, film, and as a rep for various cosmetic companies. In the early 80s, I went to cosmetology school and got my license.
Many people do not realize the importance of makeup when performing onstage. Not only does it make you feel more like the character, but it also allows the audience (anywhere from 350-1,000 seats in the theater) to see your facial expressions from a distance. That's why, up close, theater makeup looks overly exaggerated. But to the people sitting in the audience, it appears natural. For me, my makeup and costume gave me that extra something, which allowed me to become the character. When I looked like the character, I felt like the character.
Below, you will see some of my stage roles - the makeup I did myself. However, many talented people were an important part of these productions (directors, set designers, stage managers, lighting and sound technicians, costume and wig makers). That's what I love about theater. It feels like a community. A family. You rely so much on each other to create the whole. The theater is like knitting an article of clothing. It requires each piece of yarn to create the final product.
My longtime bloggers have already seen many of these photos from previous posts, however, I added some new ones. I also cropped them larger so that you could see the makeup in more detail.
Please enjoy....
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Here I am (center), as The Wicked Stepmother in the musical, 'Cinderella', which I did at a professional children's theater in Orlando, Florida.
In this role, I had to do a complete transformation. And not only in makeup and hair, but also in body. The costume designer constructed a female form that comprised breasts, a bustier, hips, and a bustle that I put on before putting on my formal dress. I also wore tights, pantaloons and a petticoat. And of course, high-heels. I had the time of my life performing this role...
The character of the Emcee in 'Cabaret' represents a complex mix of themes, including German nightlife, sexual freedom, and the rise of the Nazi regime. The Emcee is also a symbolic figure who comments on the political and societal atmosphere of 1930s Germany.
In this role, my makeup was primarily about contouring and highlighting my face so that I would look dark and sinister. What was really interesting about this character was that he was androgynous. In some of the musical numbers, I was male. And in others, I was female. In my dressing room, I created a written list that I taped to my makeup mirror to remind me of my costume and makeup changes throughout the show because I had a lot of them.
This photograph was from the final scene of the show, in which I looked as though the life had been drained from me. A skeleton. At that moment, I represented what Hitler was diabolically doing in Germany...
As Patrone (a drugged-out saxophone player) in a bizarre one-act play by Sam Shepard entitled,'Suicide in B Flat'...
As the evil Barnaby (with cast members) in the musical, 'Babes in Toyland'...
In the French farce comedy, 'A Flea in Her Ear', I played Homenidès de Histangua, an insanely jealous Spaniard; paranoid his wife was cheating on him. I spoke with a Spanish accent in this role...
Isn't this a beautiful set?
These last three photographs are Halloween costumes and makeup I created.
I dressed as Norma Desmond from the movie, 'Sunset Boulevard'. My friends dressed as Aladdin and Jasmine. We had so much fun that night!...
Here I am as Pan (I apologize for the poor quality of this photograph)...
Pan was the Greek god of shepherds, hunters, and the wilds of nature. He was born with the legs of a goat and horns on his head, symbolizing his wild nature. A good friend of mine at the time made my hairy goat legs. She filled them with foam rubber to accentuate their shape. I used a liquid adhesive to glue more hair on my chest and chin, and then added the horns to my head. You do not know what a royal pain it was to use the restroom at the nightclub that evening...
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One Halloween, I dressed as a grungy biker dude. The beard stubble and shadowing on my cheeks, under my eyes, and the little scar under my left eye were all done with makeup...
When I took my first stage makeup class in NYC, it included a Ben Nye makeup kit. This brings back such great memories...
⭐ Have a stellar week, everyone!⭐
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