Contributed by Holly Conroy
For ten years, I’ve relished our few weeks of intense preparation, then performances of Shakespeare in the Park. It’s always a treat to reunite with the folks at the heart of the company and to make new friends among each year’s volunteers, staff, and cast.
For ten years, it’s been my job to recruit ushers, set up the “house” for each performance, and see that those candles are lit to guide our patrons to their cars.
For ten years, mine has been the first face theatre-goers see when they arrive for our show—that’s me, taking tickets at the homemade ticket booth. I love Water Works and delight in seeing patrons return year after year to share the experience.
This year, for the first time in a decade, I’m taking on a job in addition to my house manager tasks and I’M HAVING A BLAST! Lucky me! I’m working with mask-maker extraordinaire Nina Barlow, helping to produce the masks that will be an integral part of our sure-to-be-fabulous Tempest this summer. In the process, I’m learning about myriad new materials and techniques that are just…So. Much. Fun!
Fun, yes. But Nina takes her masks very seriously. Masks have ceremonial significance in cultures worldwide and I’m pretty sure Nina knows about ’em all! When she makes a mask, every element is well considered, well executed, and imbued with meaning. Don’t think “Halloween,” think “art.”
And the process is mind-boggling. Check it out:
Step one: each actor who will wear a mask has their face cast in the same plaster material a broken limb sports!
Step two: wet plaster is poured into the face casts, to produce a positive version of each of them.
Step three: masks are sculpted over the positive casts from celluclay, thermalplastic, or papier maché—not the newspaper version from our youth, but sturdy brown paper soaked and softened in flour paste that’s been boiled to creamy consistency.
Step four: after drying, details may be added by combining materials.
Step five: more drying, then trimming edges and sanding.
Step six: surfaces are smoothed with modeling paste.
Step seven: surfaces are coated with gesso, a primer.
Step eight: acrylic paint is mixed in a range of colors (at least three and as many as six or seven…or more!), then airbrushed on layer by layer to enhance dimension.
Step nine: three or four layers of matte varnish are applied to protect the masks from weather—we’re in the park, after all!
Step ten: the inside of the masks are painted black.
Step eleven: the inside gets varnished, too.
Step twelve: padding is added for the actors’ comfort.
Step thirteen: the mask is fitted to the actor with an elastic or Velcro strap.
Step fourteen: Nina performs a ceremony with each mask before “sending it out into the world.”
Ah, but that’s just the simple masks! The more fantastical shapes or those with added special effects get even more complicated. Who knew?! My own involvement has been with the simpler processes, but it’s been a fascinating and rewarding experience, nonetheless. Now for the magic that will happen when the masks meet the actors and our patrons in the park… I can’t wait!
Note: The mask you see here will be raffled off during the run of The Tempest! You have a chance to own your very own Nina Barlow original!
For ten years, I’ve relished our few weeks of intense preparation, then performances of Shakespeare in the Park. It’s always a treat to reunite with the folks at the heart of the company and to make new friends among each year’s volunteers, staff, and cast.
For ten years, it’s been my job to recruit ushers, set up the “house” for each performance, and see that those candles are lit to guide our patrons to their cars.
For ten years, mine has been the first face theatre-goers see when they arrive for our show—that’s me, taking tickets at the homemade ticket booth. I love Water Works and delight in seeing patrons return year after year to share the experience.
This year, for the first time in a decade, I’m taking on a job in addition to my house manager tasks and I’M HAVING A BLAST! Lucky me! I’m working with mask-maker extraordinaire Nina Barlow, helping to produce the masks that will be an integral part of our sure-to-be-fabulous Tempest this summer. In the process, I’m learning about myriad new materials and techniques that are just…So. Much. Fun!
Fun, yes. But Nina takes her masks very seriously. Masks have ceremonial significance in cultures worldwide and I’m pretty sure Nina knows about ’em all! When she makes a mask, every element is well considered, well executed, and imbued with meaning. Don’t think “Halloween,” think “art.”
And the process is mind-boggling. Check it out:
Step one: each actor who will wear a mask has their face cast in the same plaster material a broken limb sports!
Step two: wet plaster is poured into the face casts, to produce a positive version of each of them.
Step three: masks are sculpted over the positive casts from celluclay, thermalplastic, or papier maché—not the newspaper version from our youth, but sturdy brown paper soaked and softened in flour paste that’s been boiled to creamy consistency.
Step four: after drying, details may be added by combining materials.
Step five: more drying, then trimming edges and sanding.
Step six: surfaces are smoothed with modeling paste.
Step seven: surfaces are coated with gesso, a primer.
Step eight: acrylic paint is mixed in a range of colors (at least three and as many as six or seven…or more!), then airbrushed on layer by layer to enhance dimension.
Step nine: three or four layers of matte varnish are applied to protect the masks from weather—we’re in the park, after all!
Step ten: the inside of the masks are painted black.
Step eleven: the inside gets varnished, too.
Step twelve: padding is added for the actors’ comfort.
Step thirteen: the mask is fitted to the actor with an elastic or Velcro strap.
Step fourteen: Nina performs a ceremony with each mask before “sending it out into the world.”
Ah, but that’s just the simple masks! The more fantastical shapes or those with added special effects get even more complicated. Who knew?! My own involvement has been with the simpler processes, but it’s been a fascinating and rewarding experience, nonetheless. Now for the magic that will happen when the masks meet the actors and our patrons in the park… I can’t wait!
Note: The mask you see here will be raffled off during the run of The Tempest! You have a chance to own your very own Nina Barlow original!
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