Tracking the phases of student wig construction and makeup application at the North Carolina School of the Arts

Long before the advent of film and television, actors working in the theater were expected to tend to their own hair and makeup. Performers were so accustomed to this spirit of rugged individualism that it was fairly common for many to travel with a passel of hairpieces, which they would use at their own discretion.

Then when celluloid and the small screen changed the cosmetic landscape, actors were forced to grapple with an exceedingly high level of makeup application they were largely untutored in. Out of this climate, a profession geared toward wig and makeup design was born. However, training was largely done by osmosis—and not through academia. Later on, though, as theater departments multiplied nationwide and more sophisticated training programs were inaugurated, wig and makeup design became key components of training—but never unto themselves. Usually, they were subsumed by the costume design curriculum. It was as though this area was forever being treated like the foster child in the design family. That is, until recently.

At Winston-Salem’s North Carolina School of the Arts, training for wig and makeup design is an enterprise that is accorded the same respect and gravity of purpose as any other production element. One of the few institutions in the country to offer both a BFA and MFA in this area (which is part of NCSA’s umbrella school of design and production), the nearly-decade-old curriculum is a comprehensive, nuts-and-bolts immersion that encompasses all the major ingredients of wig and makeup construction. For both the undergraduate and three-year graduate programs, students are expected to master the rudiments of period hairstyling, wig construction, makeup application and prosthetics. To further round out their education and fill in any yawning gaps, they are required to take courses in scenery, lighting, costume and film production. In short, it is not for the faint of heart.

Students building and styling wigs for Die Fledermaus

Helping students make that kinetic leap from talented tyro to committed professional is a drivingly intense schedule that requires them to matriculate in six to eight courses a semester, while putting in a minimum of 20 plus hours a week in production. According to Martha Ruskai, a former opera singer who heads the wig and makeup design department at NCSA, by the time students graduate, they will have developed a constellation of skills that include sculpting and applying prosthetics in silicone, foam latex (the industry standard), slush latex, foam urethane and gelatin, while broadening their makeup and wig design expertise in myriad genres, such as operas, Shakespeare plays and “docu-drama” films.

Although the training can be engrossing to the point of exhaustive, it’s one that students fully relish. “The most rewarding thing for them is that they get to do a lot of what they love at NCSA,” says Ruskai. “It’s not like being at a school where they do one or two shows a year. Our kids are always working on a show doing something—either building it, running it, packing it up and/or putting it away. And then they turn around and go on to the next one.” Perhaps the only real encumbrance to such a schedule, says Ruskai, is the issue of time-management, which can be untenable for some.

For other students, the curriculum’s all-inclusive focus on wig and makeup design can be both its greatest asset and liability. Carmen Parejo, a 29-year-old Puerto Rican native who received her MFA from the program five years ago, lauds the program’s unlimited scope and breadth of information, but in hindsight, wishes it had been more embracing of other disciplines, such as film. However, she reflects, “I understand that the film school has developed more and I believe that the students are now getting involved in film projects as well. Going out into the real world, I have found that there are other skills (such as hairdressing and cosmetology) that are needed.” Parejo’s past credits include working on the Broadway Titanic tour and a stint as an assistant wig and makeup supervisor at D.C.’s Arena Stage during the ‘95-’96 season.

As students work with casts and crews of varying sizes and within budgets that range from $50 to $1,000, they are taught the fundamental precepts of collaboration, communication and mathematics—all necessary pillars of production. Unfortunately, not all students possess the minimum levels of skills in these areas.

Ruskai, who has been teaching at NCSA for 12 years, is deeply frustrated by students who balk at obtaining sound math and writing skills, in addition to science. She feels they are at a severe disadvantage. “The ability to communicate with a director and your staff, as well as the rest of your production team and the performers, is very important,” explains Ruskai. “Also, people underestimate the need for math—to do your budget—and for chemistry. When you get into the prosthetics lab, you have to be reasonably comfortable with basic lab techniques, such as using a grand scale or reading your labels to make sure you don’t mix the acid with something it shouldn’t be mixed with.”

For fledgling wig/makeup designers with less than stellar communication skills, Ruskai likes to assign them to write history-researched papers on how people looked in a particular era. Such projects, she believes, will hone a student’s ability to clearly articulate his or her ideas and vision. “A misconception that a lot of people have about the industry is that to be a good wig and makeup artist all you need is good artistic talent—you don’t need a brain,” sighs Ruskai. “Your brain is actually more important.”

Classes are generally very small, with students frequently working on a one-on-one basis with teachers. Naturally, such a small student-teacher ratio ensures that aspiring wig and makeup designers will be given the utmost attention, while they develop proficiency in their chosen field. On the average, eight students are generally enrolled in both the BFA and MFA programs combined. Ruskai says she interviews virtually all candidates who submit acceptable applications, which can be anywhere from six to 10 per year.

When reviewing applications for both the undergraduate and graduate programs, Ruskai looks for artistic aptitude, hand craft skill, personality and a solid work ethic. For the BFA program, students should be prepared to show a portfolio that displays experience and training in at least two of the following areas: art, hairstyling, makeup application, hand sewing, costuming or theater. Interested graduate students should demonstrate experience in makeup application, hairstyling, prosthetics lab work, drawing, painting, sculpture, sewing and wig construction. There have been exceptions, though, when applicants who are not fully versed in all areas have been accepted into the program. Although they do encounter some difficulty catching up with their classmates, says Ruskai, they are generally able to rise up to the challenge.

Tuition is $2,647 for North Carolina residents and $11,245 (plus $4,638 for room and board) for out-of-state students. Though scholarships are not currently earmarked for the wig and makeup design program, students are nevertheless urged to apply for the school’s design and production scholarships. Students are also eligible for travel grants that will enable them to fly to Los Angeles or New York for job interviews, or even important industry conferences, like USITT, for networking opportunities that can help them land that most precious commodity—their first post-graduate job!

Students with guest artist Mark Boley in a prosthetics mold making master class

Evidently, all that pavement pounding is worth the Herculean effort, given the overwhelmingly high success rate students have had in securing employment following graduation. Ruskai and her team play a critical role in assisting students to create their portfolios and to build up their résumés via internships—the most common of which are at the Santa Fe Opera, Colorado Shakespeare Festival and the Utah Shakespearean Festival. Students also enjoy ample opportunities to hobnob every spring with prospective employers from such illustrious companies as Universal Studios, Minneapolis’ The Guthrie Theatre, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Berkeley Rep, who venture to the NCSA campus to seek out new talent for “Job Fair.” Among the roster of alumni credits are Broadway (Ragtime), tours (Showboat), TV (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”), Opera (Chicago Lyric), regional theater and film (Species II).

For those interested in applying to NCSA’s wig and makeup design program, Ruskai eagerly exhorts, “Come on down!” Applicants should contact Martha Ruskai, Director of Wig and Makeup Department, North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Design and Production, 200 Waughtown St., P.O. Box 12189, Winston-Salem, NC 27117-2189; telephone: 336-770-1309; e-mail: ruskaim@ncarts.edu.