1. A Technical Element of Theatre
THEATRICAL MAKEUP
A Technical Element of Theatre

2. Actors are judged not only by their acting but by their appearance
Make-up Artists
TV & Movies
Stage – rarely

3. CHARACTER ANALYSIS How is the character unique?
FIRST THING IS TO READ THE SCRIPT!!!

4. CHARACTER ANALYSIS
HEARTH is a mnemonic to remember the six elements of character analysis
H- Heredity
E- Environment
A- Age
R- Race
T- Temperament
H- Health

5. CHARACTER ANALYSIS HEREDITY Family Traits/Inherited
Red Hair (Life with Father)

6. CHARACTER ANALYSIS ENVIRONMENT Determines a person’s appearance
Work indoors / outdoors
Works day / night
Rich / poor
Time Element /historical period
Deep tan (‘80s)
Peaches ’n cream (100 hundred years ago)
Pasty White (Restoration period)

7. Restoration Period
20th Century (1950s)
20th Century (1980s)

8. CHARACTER ANALYSIS AGE Also influenced by Heredity
Prematurely gray hair
Pattern baldness

9. CHARACTER ANALYSIS RACE
Less common today for actors to portray other races
Some plays it is important to understand appearance related characteristics of major racial groups
The King and I

10. CHARACTER ANALYSIS TEMPERAMENT Personality Smiles = “crows feet”
Frowns = “frown lines”

11. Frown Lines
Crow’s Feet
Laugh Lines

12. CHARACTER ANALYSIS HEALTH Acute illness
Must know physical / visible characteristics
Measles, cold, seasickness
Chronic illness
Long duration or frequent occurrence
Arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis

13. CHARACTER RESEARCH Three basic sources of information:
What the playwright says about character:
Time and place of play
If says “the present” must find out when play was written

14. Sources of Information cont.
Stage directions/descriptions
What a character says about themselves or what other characters say about them
Must read carefully because characters can lie
About themselves or others
Talk, dark, handsome
Must take everything into account including motives of characters

15. Facial Anatomy
Must know the underlying bone structure of the human face to create good theatrical makeup

16. Facial Anatomy

17. Facial Anatomy Facial features are effected by the aging process
Muscles in the face used the most retain strength and flexibility
Underused muscles stretch and sag due to gravity

18. Facial Anatomy
How the aging process affects specific areas of the face
Becomes more pronounced or prominent with age
Frontal eminence
Superciliary arch
Temporal fossae
Zygomatic arch
Naso-labial folds (laugh lines)

19. Facial Anatomy with age
Individual features also become more prominent
Cleft chin
Sunken eyes
Nose (as the skin sags around it)

20. Facial Anatomy – with age
Lips become thinner and lose natural color
Sagging muscles create jowls
Eyelids sag and droop
Complexions also change
Age spots
Red nose and cheeks on heavy drinkers (caused by broken capillaries at surface of skin)

21. Physiognomy Judging a person’s character by looking at facial features
We associate certain character traits / emotions with certain features

22. Physiognomy Facial features convey information about a character
Used by cartoonist to immediately show emotion and character
Individual features are influenced by other features so whole face must be considered

23. Physiognomy Forehead High forehead / receding hairline
Shows high intelligence (men & women)
Frown lines
Bad tempered person
Deep concentration

24. Physiognomy Eyes (the windows to the soul) Prominent eyes = dreamer
Deep set eyes = analytical
Small, close set eyes = dishonesty
Large, well spaced eyes = trustworthy
Crows feet = happy

25. Physiognomy Eyebrows Full eyebrows = forceful person
Bushy eyebrows/ hair growing in all directions = disorganized
Close to the eyes and growing close together = cunning & mean
High arched brows = gullible & little intelligence

26. Physiognomy Nose Larger = strength/ leadership
Long & narrow = refined taste
Bulbous (large rounded tip) = dissipation (especially if red)
Pointed = nosy
Bent = rough / physical type
Longer = older in age

27. Physiognomy Mouth and lips Wide = generous
Small = tightfisted or closed-mouth
Full = sensuous
Thin = strict

28. Physiognomy Chin Strong chin = strong /aggressive
Weak & receding = weak willed / passive

29. Physiognomy Cheeks Rounded & red = jolly Thin or sunken = businesslike
Jugal fold (Pronounced wrinkle halfway between the mouth and ear) = cruel