Why use expensive stage make up at all?

[dramaqueen]

For most amateur groups, performing in pretty small venues, professionals stage make up is a waste of money.  It's only useful for pantomimes and special effects.  The only exception would be for ageing and the like.  People using community halls etc should just use simple techniques.  Women could use a standard foundation just a shade darker than their usual. They should be careful about eye colour, but again, standard make up will do.  Men can generally get away with nothing, unless you are using a lot of really strong lights.  Choruses rarely need anything.  Try it - you will be amazed.

At dress rehearsal, have a look at the make up and see how it is.  Let's avoid the situation I see in so many amateur shows where the men have orange faces and are clearly wearing eye shadow! 

For mid scale venues, a simple cake make up is OK, but again, keep it light, light, light.  Only if using the Kings in Edinburgh or Glasgow do you need the full Monty. 

When I first started doing make up in the 1970's, I was given a 1938 book by Richard Blore of Leichner.  We had to do carmine dots and all sorts of things to counteract the effect of footlights.  Never occurred to me that since my theatre had no footlights, perhaps all that was a bit of a waste of time!!!!!

[Alan]

Indeed! When Alasdair Hawthorn (fantastic director btw) first came to work with us (several years ago now) he got rid of all the orange faces and eye-liner all the way round the face - what a difference! You just don't need it with modern lighting.

Then you go to a more conventional company on a small stage and the men are all orange with brighter lippy than the women and it's so wierd!

[MARK]

Been given some old photo's of Rosyth Musical Shows whicha are going up on the website later this week. ome of the stuff is only late eighties/early - mid nineties but even then the men were caked. it is just too much!

[Benny]

Oh yes indeed, been singing this song for years and haven't worn it for years either in small audience in your face venues to the larger venues of the Kings and Theatre Royals of this world.  A bit of definition to certain areas and for specialist characters is more or less all thats needed in these 'enlightened' days.

[carrotnose]

When I'm on stage the only specialised make-up I use is some pancake make-up which I hate cause its dries my skin out (combatted it this year by applying moisturiser before applying the pancake and after taking it off). Everything else I use is my own everyday stuff just put on a little bit heavier than usual.

When I was doing panto (in a church hall), the group hired make-up artists for us and we didn't really need them for most of the characters. I'd say that only 2 of the characters really needed the artists. I hated getting mine done cause I felt like it was a waste of money as I could have done it myself.

However, in big professional shows, pantos and the like, I think that a heck of a lot of heavy make-up is needed. As DQ said, there is no real need for heavy make-up in smaller venues.

[daz_ultra_white]

i completely agree, i generally am just happy with a base and some eye shadow, nothing more, i normally just do it myself,

however, last year i let one of the make up people at LADAMA do it for Oklahoma, after she was done, i was bright orange and patchy because she used really thick cream, she put on masses of eye liner, even drew in my eye brows with thick black pencil, and even put silver lines into my crows feet by my eyes and loads of lippie, i look just stupid!

[Alan]

I rememeber that, Darren!

You could use that for your avatar for a wee while

[daz_ultra_white]

thats a good idea, let me find it....

[**Show_Girl**]

When i was doing my make-up the only professional stuff i used was a bit of pancake the rest of my face was done using my own make-up from home. When we were studying make-up in drama we had to do those wee red dots in the corner of your eyes and we were only allowed to use certain colours of eyeshadow depending what colour your eyes were. My teacher even mentioned something about putting red dots on ur neck.... although i can't remember what the purpose was!? It was a bi-atch trying to take it all off and put my own normal make-up back on again for the rest of the day. CARazy.. :|

Kim
xoxo

[Martin Butler]

I hesitate to say this, but the techniques (well the ones I understand) in your post are very out of date. There used to be a reason for red dots (as explained earlier in this string) but that went out long ago. I hope that wasn't your drama tacher doing that with you.

[**Show_Girl**]

yep, then after i did Scrooge she was like.. "i hope you used all ur make-up techniques" I was like.."em ye.. ". When the school did Guys and Dolls you should have seen the make-up on the boys. They looked sooooo ridiculous. Some of them had more on than the girls.

xox

[daz_ultra_white]

i know, why do the guys have to wear more....?

[carrotnose]

OH GOSH! Guys wear TOO much make-up on stage! It's soooo bad! I remember doing Me and My Girl with the Lyric last year and for the whole week I was sooo freaked by this one guy cause everytime he came outta the dressing room he looked like a tango-ed Marilon Manson! His eyes had huge black rings round them! EEEEK! And then see when the guys sweat...I know its inevitable, but it leaves huge streaks down their faces. Hehe! 

I suppose its difficult to get the right look sometimes when you don't know how strong the lights are going to be etc etc.

[daz_ultra_white]

i swear this year, im not lettin the women put my make up on for copa, you would think i was doing a show in the suns corona...couldnt really think of a place that would be brighter...answers on a postcard.....

[carrotnose]

I'd love to be able to say to the panto people "ARGH! GET AWAY FROM MY FACE!", but I can't since they're doing it on the cheap cause they aren't fully qualified. Managed to get them to stay away from my eyelashes though...I was like "The eyelashes are MINE! NO ONE puts mascara on me!". Anyone else hate people doing their mascara and eyeliner?