Friday, October 3, 2008

Use Theater Makeup To Dress Up In Halloween Costumes

By Susan West

Theater makeup works great when dressing up for Halloween, as well as seasonal characters such as clowns. Theater makeup can transform you into anything you would like to be, from the prettiest princess to the scariest goblin. No matter what type of character you would like to dress up as, theater makeup can make it possible.

Children and adults can dress up as anything they please, since Halloween is such a fun filled holiday. The use of stage makeup can transform a little girl into an enchanting fairy or a little boy into the most frightening vampire. Stage makeup is useful for many things such as creating wounds and scars while dressing as a goblin or zombie or it can create the look of fake blood on a witch or other supernatural characters. With stage makeup, the old can look young while the young can look old as well as making the loveliest of all look like an old hag. Theater makeup is wonderful for creating any Halloween look and it is fun to use for all ages.

We've all been to a school play or two, and what is cuter than seeing your little "apple," or "banana" trying to remember the choreography to that aggressive 2nd Grade number? Well, without the help of theatrical makeup, the extra details that put it all together would be sorely missed. Stage makeup is an essential for grade schools. How else could Mrs. M make Johnny a convincing Abe Lincoln, complete with wrinkles and top hat? Theatrical makeup can basically make you into whatever you want. It is a valuable teaching tool.

Clowns and mimes can also use clown makeup to complete their look, and really give the kids something to laugh at. Mime performers can use clown makeup to paint their entire face white, and then use different colors to add shapes and designs around their mouth and eyes. Clowns and mimes are great to have at birthday parties and other events, and their bright and entertaining stage makeup will make it much more enjoyable for the children.

There are times when theatre makeup is just not enough when you need to create a specific effect. The use of molds or pliable latex can be blended with stage makeup. If Pinocchio only had theatre makeup to create his long nose, we could either be waiting a long time, or an even longer time. In order to create the desired length, which is also seen by the audience, fake latex must be attached. However, a Pinocchio without a long nose is just as unconvincing as a Pinocchio with a peeling nose. After securely attaching the latex nose, simply blend the edges with matching theatrical makeup. Ta-da! Theatre Success!

If you have some Halloween makeup stashed away in your bathroom cabinet, bring it out for sports games and paint those crazy colors on your face to liven things up a bit. What better way to show your team spirit and cheer for who you really want to win than with sports makeup at the sporting event.

Theatrical makeup is surprisingly versatile. Obvious uses include creating ghosts, goblins, vampires and witches on Halloween (how can you be the wicked witch without her signature mole?). But it also comes in handy for those quarterly school plays. Try to think of creative ways to use the makeup. School carnival? Be a face painter! Every little girl wants a little heart or butterfly on her cheek. Sporting event? Get into the spirit with those team colors! There are numerous uses for stage makeup. Don't be afraid to add a little dash here and there for dramatic effect. Edited by Glinda Zuladra - 15266

About the Author: