Clothes Make the Man...the Woman...the Fairy...

...and onstage, so does the make-up! This year we'll be re-stocking some of our basic make-up supplies for the Lovers, the Court and the Mechanicals, as well as providing some special products designed to make Fairies glimmer and glow. But Fairies, don't think you have to rely on using glitter and glam in the same old areas of make-up application. If just jazzing up your eyes, lips, cheeks, etc. is the vision you have for your character, then go for it! But if you're not sure, or if you're waffling a bit, then maybe thinking outside the Maybelline box would be just the ticket to making the audience stand up and take notice--so to speak. There are tons of make-up books out there--Usborne publishes several good Face Painting books that offer a host of ideas--as well as tons of fairy books, so look to those for inspiration. Don't forget the Internet as a source of pictures and photographs that can inspire your fairy look as well--just be careful on the web, and make sure your mom knows what you're looking for.

And speaking of moms--don't forget that many of us have been applying make-up for decades...whoops! ahem, I mean YEARS...and we know a lot about how to do it, and how not to do it! Moms can be a great source of information.

In the short days leading up to Shakespeare Camp, you might want to experiment with several versions of your make-up, try it on for size. Just don't leave the decision until the last minute--you want to let your make-up become part of your character, or you might be VERY uncomfortable in it when you actually get onstage.

Some things to remember about your make-up plan: first, MAKE A PLAN! Draw it out on paper, doesn't have to be fancy, just an oval for your face, some eyes, a nose, a mouth and voila! Then you can use crayons, paint, markers, colored pencils, or even the actual make-up you intend to use to map out the make-up design you have in mind.

Second, make sure your make-up plan is safe. Yes, safe! I used to put on clown face for church carnivals and such and that white grease paint gets in your eyes no matter what you do--and it makes your vision cloudy. It's temporary, but to get the blurriness to go away, you kind of have to use a Q-tip and clean out the inside of your eyelids--I know...gross, right? So try not to go there: Make sure your make-up plan is safe and comfortable. Remember, too, that stage lights are hot. The hotter they are, the hotter you are and the hotter you are the more you sweat. The more you sweat, the more chance there is that your make-up will run, even after powdering. So take that into consideration when designing your make-up. Sometimes less really IS more.

Third, don't forget your hair. If you want to get a little funky in the hair color department, I STRONGLY recommend that you do NOT use permanent dyes--unless you are quite willing to go the next 8-12 weeks with green or orange hair or you don't mind shaving your head to get the color off and start over with a fresh head. Also bear in mind that hair colors sometimes age in funny ways--reds can get brassy orange or fade to pink, and dark colors will sometimes turn greenish. Yup, no lie (wanna ask me how I know this?). Permanent means PERMANENT. Remember that. Beyond that caution, there are several good products that can color the hair temporarily with good results, though even those products can sometimes take a while to wash out. Something else to remember is that color, even permanent colors, can't "lift" color beyond a shade or two. So while you can go from blonde to black very easily, you will not be able to go from raven black or chocolate brown to Lady Gaga blonde--it just doesn't work that way (not even for her, trust me). Be cautious about color. Spray-on colors work reasonably well for the price and can be easily obtained and would probably be the best option if you aren't willing to make a long-term color commitment.

Don't think that color is all you can do to crown the glorious make-up you've designed. Do you want your hair spiky? Braided? Crimped, curled or ratted? Perhaps a graceful up-do, a ponytail, spunky pigtails--festooned with glitter, ribbons or bows, or with beads, pearls or feathers dangling amongst your amazing strands. How about slipping thin wire through braids so that you can twist them into funky shapes? The sky's the limit, and the important thing is that your fairy look doesn't stop at your hairline--fabulous locks can put the gild on the lily!

A note about Face Painting: don't let it scare you! This particular technique is fun, easy to learn, and not all that time-consuming once you practice it a little bit. I can do it, and if I can, you can too. Really! I'm willing to help you if that's the technique you'd like to use, but you may find it more fun to do it yourself. You can go for a full-face effect that makes you look like a cat, a fish, a frog, monster--really, just about anything. Or go easy and create a strand of blossoms across a cheek bone, or a string of sparkling stars along your temple. Give yourself a bat or butterfly wing "eye mask." And don't forget the rest of your body. A leafy green vine can shimmy up your arm or wrap around your throat, a cobweb could cling to your hand. Just remember that when make-up gets very much farther than your face, the risk of smearing it increases, so try it on first and see how it works for you. To do Face Painting, you'll need a set of small paint brushes for detail and a few cosmetic sponges for base color application as well as appropriate colors.

If you have questions or need some help, give me a holler, and I'll be glad to help!!

"Come now, a roundel and a fairy song"

A couple of posts ago, we uploaded the sheetmusic for the fairies that they'll be singing to Titania as she falls asleep. We've slightly modified what we've previously written, and added a recorded version of the tune. Thanks!!

"Either I mistake your shape and making quite, or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite"

Just a week ago, some of the fairies of the wood near Athens gathered at the McPherson Home to workshop some ideas for costumes, props, makeup, movements, music and more! (Lots of people and lots of creativity! Woohoo!!)

One idea discussed was how to characterize each of the fairies, and it was suggested to give each of the fairies a unique personality. Each of the girls shared an idea for what they might like their unique personality characteristic to be. For the fairies who couldn't make the workshop, here is a quick compilation of just some of those attributes..

• the mischievous fairy who is always causing trouble.
• the fairy who is always laughing and giggling to herself.
• the responsible fairy who loyally serves the fairy queen.
• the clumsy fairy who is accidentally knocking into things.
• the bossy fairy who is always giving some sort of order.
• the sleepy fairy who is either quite groggy or snoozing.
• the fairy who never wants to participate in anything.
• the dreamy fairy who is always in her own world.
• the dancing fairy who is always dancing around.

Can you already picture how these fairies will act and relate to each other? The sleepy one yawning, sinking down to the floor and having to be pulled up, while the mischievous one tweaking someone's hair. With each personality comes another level of depth that can be portrayed on the stage. This is going to be a fun play!! Leave a comment if any of you have any ideas on more personalities for the fairies!! Thanks!!

"Sing me now asleep; and let me rest"

The music of the fairies to sing to Titania as she falls asleep has been picked out and lyrics have been arranged. We'll practice the tune more during camp, but for those who are curious, go ahead and check it out!! You can click on the image to enlarge it.

"I do wander every where, swifter than the moone’s sphere;"

We had a workshop last Saturday for the fairies. We discussed the costuming, makeup, personalities, and more. It was a great success!! As we've discussed before, the morning cast and afternoon cast are costuming for different effects, with the morning cast going for a more mystic and whimsy interpretation of the fairies, while the afternoon cast is portraying the fairies as earthen beings who are one with nature.

We saw some neat ideas for the fairies of the morning cast, one of which were the skirts. By layering various segments of skirts, you could get a very dynamic feeling from the costumes. You don't have to do anything fancy; all you need to do is stack!!

It was commonly suggested to start with a base skirt of sorts; something fairly long and fairly simple. Pastel colors seemed to look best, but don't be afraid to experiment!! On top of this, you can layer and tie whatever you want to make your costume more unique!!

"Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows"

Fairies, as you design your costumes you can begin to ponder how you are going to move in that costume. I know for the afternoon cast we are going with a nature theme but the morning cast can use this advice too.

For example, if you are a fairy who is like a certain type of animal or even a plant, first take a moment to act as if you were that animal. Not as if you were like that animal, as if you were that animal.

Next, note the movements you make as you pretend to be that animal. If you were pretending to be a snake you would probably have clapped your hands to your side and slithering from side to side and scaring your younger siblings by staring them straight in the eyes. However if you were a squirrel your movements would have been more abrupt and you'd be keeping your eyes wider.

Next, pretend you are that animal/plant that is somehow trying to pretend it is a human. Keep all those motions you noted before but otherwise act totally natural. Try to act like a snake without letting anyone figure out that you are acting like a snake. Slithery motions and prolonged eye contact, but don't get out of hand by flicking your tongue in and out as if you just drank a glass of pure quinine or something. That'll give you away.

Now apply these motions to your character. Remember the key is not to act like an animal but like an animal pretending to be a human. It's tricky but it looks more natural.

This exercise is not only for fairies. You can liken your character to an animal and use this same exercise. Your character could just as easily be as flittery as a sparrow as it could be as slow and measured as a lion. Your choice. Go ahead and try it out. I dare you to try it at the next practice. Make it subtle enough that no one catches on but obvious enough that everyone understands when you tell them what you were doing afterwards.

"Who is here? Weeds of Athens he doth wear"

As of last Friday, the costuming for the afternoon cast has finally been decided. There was a lot of discussion, with quite a bit of argument as to how we should theme the costumes. Many of us wanted near authentic greek clothing, while many others wanted the more traditional costuming that we usually do year by year. There was also a lot of consideration put into how the fairies should be costumed and coordinated. Although most of the specifics remain undesignated, most of the more broad decisions for costuming have been decided and assigned.

{(Please keep in mind that these are the costuming desicions for the afternoon cast, which have nothing to do with the costuming for the morning cast. If you are wondering as to what the morning cast will be wearing, check out this blogpost published a couple of months ago by Coach McPherson. Thanks!!)}

"Weed wide enough to wrap a fairy in"

{(This is a continuation of sorts to an older post written by Rachael Williams. If you haven't read it yet, I strongly encourage you to go back and read it through!! It got a lot of ideas rolling, and it strongly influenced this article in more ways than one!!)}

As the fairies have such a crucial role in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," it's important that we convey them carefully. They set the mood for much of the story, and they progress the plot of most of the play. We can evoke different feelings within the audience through the costuming of the fairies, but there are dozens upon dozens of different approaches that could be taken.

Are the fairies something elegant and ethereal from a world beyond this world; a land of dreams? Are the fairies a species born from the earth, embodying nature around them? Are they simply an estranged kingdom of people who live near the woods?

Here are just a couple of ideas, compiled and coupled from the different opinions that have been been passed around. Some of them have grouped together after a while, leaving us with "Dream Fairies" and "Earth Fairies."