THEATRICAL MAKEUP
A Technical
Element of
Theatre
MAKEUP!
Actors are judged not only by their acting but by their appearance
Actors who appear on stage must learn makeup techniques
Make up artists are routinely used on
movie, television, etc. sets
Make up artists are rarely used in live
stage performances
Stage actors must do their own makeup
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
To create a unique characterization
you need to analyze the character
- what are the factors that
make a character different
from the others?
FIRST THING IS TO READ THE
SCRIPT!!!
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
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
HEREDITY
Family Traits
Inherited characteristics from parents and
grandparents
Red Hair (Life with Father)
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENT
Determines a person’s appearance
Work indoors / outdoors
Works day / night
Rich / poor
Time Element /historical period
Deep tan (few years ago)
Peaches n cream (hundred years ago)
Pasty White (Restoration period)
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
AGE
Chronological age is only one aspect
Also influenced by:
Heredity
Prematurely gray hair
Pattern baldness
AGE - CONTINUED
Environment
Sun or wind caused wrinkles
Health
Chronic illness ages a person
Temperament
Frown caused wrinkles
Smile caused wrinkles
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
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
TEMPERAMENT
Personality
Person who smiles a lot has “crows feet”
(lines at corner of eyes)
Person who frowns has “frown lines”
(vertical wrinkles between eyebrows)
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
HEALTH
Acute illness
Must know physical / visible
characteristics
Measles, cold, seasickness
Chronic illness
Long duration or frequent occurrence
Arthritis, asthma, multiple sclerosis
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
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
FACIAL ANATOMY
Must know the underlying bone
structure of the human face to
create good theatrical makeup
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
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
FACIAL ANATOMY WITH AGE
Individual features also become more
prominent
Cleft chin
Sunken eyes
Nose (as the skin sags around it)
FACIAL ANATOMY – WITH
AGE
Lips become thinner and loose 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)
PHYSIOGNOMY
Judging a person’s character by looking at facial features
 We associate certain character traits / emotions with certain features
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
PHYSIOGNOMY
Forehead
High forehead /
receding hairline
Shows high
intelligence (men &
women)
Frown lines
Bad tempered
person
Deep concentration
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
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
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
PHYSIOGNOMY
Mouth and lips
Wide = generous
Small =
tightfisted or
closed-mouth
Full = sensuous
Thin = strict
PHYSIOGNOMY
Chin
Strong chin = strong / aggressive
Weak & receding = weak willed /
passive
PHYSIOGNOMY
Cheeks
Rounded & red = jolly
Thin or sunken =
businesslike
Jugal fold
(Pronounced wrinkle
halfway between the
mouth and ear) =
cruel