During this project, I learned a lot about hair & makeup design - especially special effects. For the show, I gathered research, helped actors with applying hair and makeup, made special effect bullet wounds, made blood packs, and maintained the wigs and mustaches in the show. I had a good base knowledge of the skills from the Makeup, Hair, and Wig Design course which I took last fall (2023). Most of my work started when the process got closer and closer to tech. In the early process, I gathered initial research and had conversations with Rachel (my mentor) on what designs each actor should apply. We had two sessions in which we worked with the actors to help them practice their hair and makeup. 

          This show was particularly fun to work on since I had to learn how to make a bullet wound and work more on blood effects. For the bullet wound, I built each one on wig lace so the actor (Molly) could reuse one for multiple shows. I used liquid latex as the base and added tissue paper to create the walls of the bullet wound. Once everything dried, I painted it with Ben Nye stage makeup to give the bullet wound some depth. For the complete run, I made 8 bullet wounds. In terms of the blood packs, we experimented with what to make them out of. We ended up making the blood packs with cling wrap since the plastic was thin and easy to pop by the actor. Figuring out how to make the blood packs work was the biggest challenge. The main problem we had was that the blood packs were not showing out of the vest. We had to do multiple tests to try to make sure it would work. There was one particular test in which we went too far (scroll down to see the video); however, we eventually found the perfect balance just in time for the show. 

          The Resistible Arturo Ui follows Chicago gangster Ui’s rise to power. Echoing how Hitler and the Nazi power took over Germany, I found the message of this play to be very time-relevant due to the election and thought-provoking. I really enjoyed working on a play that gives the community a space to reflect and think about how the themes of Arturo Ui are still relevant to this day and age. 

          Working on Arturo Ui allowed me to keep exploring my interest in hair and makeup design. Since taking the Hair, Makeup, and Wigs class, I have been eager for another opportunity to work on my design skills in this realm. This project filled a lot of my personal and professional goals. I am not sure if I am going to pursue hair and makeup design professionally; however, I feel like I have a solid base on which to pull if I do get a job in this field. Overall, I am so grateful I worked on this project. I learned more about the design process from a hair and makeup designer's point of view.