Sweeney Todd - Behind the Scenes 2 Hair and Makeup

What is unique or particularly challenging about the hair and makeup in Sweeney?

What is particularly challenging about the hair and makeup is that each unit (hair goods) goes through an extremely physical and labor-intensive performance every night we are in the theatre.  The wigs and makeup are designed to enhance the characters emotions through the performance, so they move and frizz just as much as human hair unlike most commercial "costume" wigs which have a style and retain them easily.  These wigs (just like the actors) end up with stage blood, shaving cream, flour, and sweat all over them every night so the wigs need to be cleaned and reset for every single performance we do at The Rep.  The makeup is along the same lines for some actors, as it is designed for the winter (when the show takes place) and we are in the middle of summer here in Portsmouth. The same is true for the brilliant costumes designed by Jeanné McCartin. The actors are constantly having to touch-up their makeup to make sure there is as much consistency as possible, some actors get blood on their faces have to wipe it off and re-apply their makeup plot in the matter of moments.

How much time does it take to prepare the wigs?

I arrive at the theatre 2 hours prior for general upkeep, and once a week I arrive at the theatre at 9 a.m.  to wash set and style the hair goods for the show.  Thankfully our wardrobe supervisor, Michael Peele, cleans all of the hairpins out of the wigs every night and blocks them (a way of securing) to make my job a little easier.Do you create a design and then teach the cast to do their own make...(as we see Christine doing it in the video trailer?)Generally yes I create a design for the actors.  For this show I really wanted to work with how the actors felt about the story and what the story was they are telling, as this is the way the show is set up. First and foremost, I speak with the Director, Craig Faulkner, to get a general idea as to what he wants to see. Craig made it very clear early on that he wanted to change the way people looked so they wouldn't be noticeable on the rep stage, and make people forget who they are watching and get into the story.  After talking to the costume designer about what the actor or actress would be wearing I then have conversations with the actor about what it is they want to see, because at the end of the day the first thing they see in the mirror is their makeup and hair, and they have to feel like they are the character.  If I don’t get them comfortable in that respect I am not doing my job well. Christine Dulong and I, for example, had multiple conversations on who she thought Mrs. Lovett was, where she came from, where she is in life now. Add that to everything else listed above and then we go into actually physically playing with makeup.   Christine and I take turns, she does some steps that she is comfortable with, and I come in and paint in the steps where she wants to “Zen out” and give herself a little downtime.  Our relationship has always been this way at The Rep.

Are there other shows you have done that are similar?

Cabaret -which Craig and I worked on about 2 years ago- had the same design elements. Whenever I work with Craig on a show, I can look forward to intense discussions about how important the actors’ physicality is to the production.  He really cares about offering a polished, resilient and finished product and knows wigs and makeup raise the bar for the theatre. The Kit Kat girls and Sally went through intense transformations not only to start the show, but as the show progressed the makeup changed, became more dark and sinister, more bruises were added throughout the performance.  Sally's makeup plot was especially difficult for Christine.  She started the show out in a full face of makeup, added more to get into act 2, smudged it and distressed it in a 30-second quick change for the title number, and then removed it all, re-applied light foundation and set it with powder to make herself look sick in another 45-second quick change.

What do you enjoy most about the creative process?

There are really two parts to this answer.  As a child and even in my teen years I wondered how women and men on Broadway could have hair to their shoulders and then come out of the theatre and have a pixie cut. Lace wigs for the stage are remarkable pieces of craftsmanship that actually look like hair. I have always been infatuated with them.  So to think there are people out in the audience wondering how that transformation happens means I am passing on some magic to somebody who might be inspired to get into this as a career.The other thing I enjoy about this is the smile on an actor’s face when they see themselves for the first time in their hair and makeup and how much of a leap they make in their physical performance because of it.  Making people feel great in their role and enjoy their hair and makeup is really what this job is about to me.  If they feel great in it, and the director loves it and it enhances the story, I have done something right.