Lauren Hadley, Ernest, Wrap-Up

I felt a lot more confident going into the Importance of Being Ernest backstage work because I had done it before with the production of Mary Poppins. I had an idea of potential problems which may occur, when to offer my assistance and when to step-back, and what to do while the actors were on stage.

For both the dress rehearsal and the actual play night, I mainly helped with hair and make-up for the actresses. I have never done stage make-up before but Cecily needed help and I was the only one around. I relied on Zoe, the girl who played Cecily, to tell me what had to be done for her make-up and what those previously had done. I could not simply do basic make-up techniques of foundation, eyes, and lips, but I had to highlight and contour her face. This is what I struggled with the most. I think Zoe was just being polite when she said I did a good job, but I tried my best with the little experience I had. However, when it came to her hair…well, that was another story. On the night I worked for dress rehearsal, she also asked me to help with her hair. I was able to successfully create the front poof, but I did a horrible job on the back curls. I blame the curling iron! It did not heat up hot enough to create the right curls, and instead her hair ended up looking very loose and brushed out. I apologize for my lack of beauty skills. When it came to play night, Ingrid was able to do her hair and it turned out beautifully. I was also able to help a little with Dania’s hair and also Reka’s hair and make-up. (Pictured Below)

An area in which I could improve is hair. I feel I could have tried harder, or put a better effort into Cecily’s hair. I could ask for help, or find another way to achieve the desired look. She was just so sweet and I think did not want to hurt my feelings when she told me it looked good, but deep down I knew it looked horrible.

Overall, I think my experience backstage for the dress rehearsal and play night went very well. I was able to help where I could and be there in case something went wrong. I think it might have gone so well because the cast was a lot smaller than Mary Poppins, and the actors and actresses were able to take charge of their own costumes. What I enjoyed the most was being able to learn a little bit of stage make-up techniques, and observing how all the actors and actresses interacted with one another. They were all so loving and support of each other’s role, and they seemed like a little family.