How To NOT be an Asshole

 I’ve found that there is endless frustration in the theater business. Whether it’s a lack of organization, experience, time, money, or whatever… with every show produced at least one of these elements is missing and it can be stressful. However, when push comes to shove, and the show is up and running, how you handled yourself throughout the process really makes a difference, for you and everyone else. Here are a few thoughts I have about behaving in the theater biz, all gleaned from first hand experience.

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    I’ll start by saying that I’ve had the privilege of working on many shows in my career so far. Sometimes it’s a roller coaster ride of stress and misery, and sometimes it’s amazingly easy and fun. Cultivating good relationships with the people you’re working with is half the job, but it’s not always that easy. People have egos and attitudes, and when they get stressed it can be disastrous. I’ll be the first person to say that I have a temper and an ego, so getting worked up over stupid things during the process is too easy for me. At the end of the day though, it’s only a show, so being an asshole is never worth it. I’ve learned a few things from mistakes I’ve made and from people I’ve worked with, and I wanted to share my thoughts.

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First thing: If you sign a contract, you are committed to making that show happen. 

   And if you call yourself an artist, you should be willing to do the work necessary to make it the best show it can be, whether you’re getting paid $100 or $100,000. 

   I’ve been guilty of it, and I’ve worked with plenty of people who are also guilty of it. The “it’s out of my pay grade” attitude is helpful to no one, and will crush a show faster than anything. Doing your job is part of your job. And going above and beyond your job will get you respect points and future work.

That being said…

Second thing: The easiest way to boost morale is to PAY PEOPLE WHAT THEY’RE WORTH. It’s the surest way to show that you respect their work.
   I am a huge advocate of fair wages for artists. I’ve also worked on too many shows that didn’t pay nearly enough for the work I put in. It’s tricky, but asking for the right amount of money for your services shouldn’t be scary, and shouldn’t be a battle.
   If you’re producing a show, you need to be prepared and willing to pay for it. If you don’t have enough money, don’t do the show yet. Low budget theater is a reality, but not or barely paying the people involved is a slap in the face. A properly paid artist will always be happier to do their job than an under paid artist. And having the funds ready to go, even if you don't use them, shows you have your shit together as a producer.

Third thing: Show respect for everyone’s work. Whether you’re the producer, designer, director, actor, or stage hand - everyone is doing a job. Understand what everyone’s job is and don’t make it harder for them to do it.
      Working together is the process. If you’re unwilling to work and communicate with people you’re a hinderance. And understanding what everyone’s job is is equally important. Hiring a set designer when you need a technical director is not the same thing, and hiring one person to do three people’s job is unfair. And once again, if you are hiring people this way, you had better be willing to pay them for their extra services

Fourth thing: Being indecisive is a sin.
   If you’re designing or directing a show and can’t make up your mind about what you want you’re wasting everyone’s time and making their jobs much harder. Being able to make decisions is important and keeps the process moving forward. Changes happen, but initially knowing what you want gets results much faster and makes everyone happy.

Fifth thing: Be patient, be positive, and be responsible.
   It’s easy to get worked up and stressed when you’re waiting on answers or when changes are being made. Having patience with people and keeping a positive attitude will not only alleviate stress for you, but for others as well. They will feel more comfortable around you if you’re not angry or attacking or complaining all the time, and it will make a better work environment.
   Being positive doesn’t make you a pushover, either. It just means you’re not going to go off the deep end when things change or go wrong. It shows you’re more focused on the final product and making that work. Being patient means you’re polite and tactful when making requests from people, and understanding of the time it will take for answers and action.
   And when things do go wrong, people always want to point fingers and find who’s to blame first. This only makes more stress. If you make a mistake, own up to it, focus on how to correct it and move on - it wastes much less time and energy and others will respect you for it. 

Sixth and final thing: Don’t talk shit about people. Learn to let go.
   This business is far too small for shit talking. Everyone knows everyone, and even if the show you’re working on is the worst thing you’ve ever done, chances are someone is friends with someone and if you complain to the wrong person that’s bad news for you.
   Also, if all you do after work is complain about work, you’re not relieving any stress, you’re just stewing in it and letting it consume you. And no one likes to be around a complainer when the day is done. People would much rather relax, talk about anything else, and forget about it.
   My personal mantra is “When I’m not at work, I don’t talk about work.” I let go after the day is done. It’s healthier for me, makes me feel better, and I’m able to regroup for the next day.

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   So, if you’ve read through this whole thing maybe you’ve absorbed some pointers on how to behave in a professional theater environment. It’s never a perfect process, and there will always be egotistic ass-hats who spoil the party, but if you have a good attitude, others will appreciate it, absorb it, and want to work with you again, and at the end of the day that’s what you’re working for.

How To Make A Severed Head

   Earlier this month I had the pleasure of working on a production of Macbeth (I know, I know... don't say the name!!), for which I had to make the severed head of our lead actor for his beheading at the end of the play (spoiler alert). This isn't the first head I've ever had to make, but it certainly turned out to be the best, and I thought I would share my process here so others can learn this very intense and tricky prop skill. I'll warn you now, this is going to be quite tedious and may be uncomfortable for anyone who's slightly claustrophobic, so bear with me.

   To preface, what was very unique about this production was that it was a family affair for me. Both my parents are theater people, which is cool, and half the reason I did this show was because my dad was directing it and my mom was doing the props. I was brought on as the projections designer, but since I had experience making heads they asked me to do this, too. As it turned out, my mom has also made a few heads in her day, so we collaborated and combined processes. I needed to mention this so as not to take all the credit for our little masterpiece.

Preparation

  First of all, this type of prop isn't the kind you can just add to the list last minute. At the beginning of the production process, you need to find out if this is something the production will need and begin planning right away. Next, you need to make sure you have an actor who is 100% OK with getting their head completely encompassed and essentially entombed for a few hours. This is a very scary thing for a lot of people (myself included), so as early on as possible, even when casting the show, you need to make sure you have an actor who is comfortable with this. I would also suggest getting an artsy friend to help you (I had my mom working with me), as it's much easier with two people.

   The next step is getting your materials together. Our production was pretty low-budget, which is great for this tutorial because you never know what kind of money you'll have to do something like this. Here's what we decided to use:

• Flexwax 
• Plaster gauze (available at most craft stores)
• regular medical gauze
• Vaseline
• Bondo body filler
• Polyester Resin (Fiberglas)
• Foam-iT (we used 3, but 15 or 10 would work)

   Other equipment and materials you'll need:

• Double boiler for the wax (we used a turkey roaster filled with water and a soup pot)
• chip brushes and smaller round tip brushes
• thermometer for wax (unless you have a turkey roaster)
• drop cloth
• plastic garbage bag/poncho for actor
• wash cloth, towels
• soap/face wash, shampoo/conditioner (actor's)
• bald cap/plastic hair cover (our actor was pretty bald so we didn't need this)
• spirit gum (for attaching bald cap)
• ear plugs
• lots of mixing containers & stir sticks
• hair dryer
• card stock or other thick paper
• dremel tool, wood working files, sand paper

   Order your materials early enough to allow for shipping. Since we were ordering stuff in February, we also had to take cold weather into account when shipping chemicals.

Making the Mold

   Schedule a sitting with your actor to do the casting at least 2 weeks before tech. The casting process takes about 4-6 hours, which is why you need to set aside a day when your actor is free. Rushing won't produce good results, and unfortunately you only really have 1 chance to make a good mold. Make sure to ask them to bring their own face wash/soap and shampoo/conditioner to the sitting. If they have short enough hair to not need the bald cap make sure it's at a trimmed length, and the same goes if they have facial hair. Though the Vaseline does a good job as a release agent, the wax will still permeate any facial hair and the longer the beard the harder it will be during de-molding.

   Select and prepare your space. I suggest an open space so that you have enough room to move freely around your actor, and so there is air circulation. If this isn't an option and you're stuck in a cramped dressing room, try to find a comfortable swivel chair for your actor to sit in, and ask for a few fans. 

   Lay down a drop cloth in the area you're going to be working in. Put the wax in the double boiler about 2 hours prior to your scheduled sitting so it has ample time to melt; cut it into chunks to speed up melting time. Keep the liquid wax at 120 degrees to be cool enough to go directly onto skin. Cut your plaster gauze and medical gauze into strips varying in length and width; these will act as a shell and internal support for your wax mold to help it keep it's shape. Get a bowl of warm water for the plaster gauze, and gloves if you don't like to get messy.

  

   When your actor arrives, explain the process to them so they understand what's going to happen. It's a good idea to agree on a "safe signal" in case they need you to stop for any reason. You'll be covering their mouth, ears, eyes, and most of their nose, so speaking isn't going to be an option for them (freaky, I warned you), and they'll need to be able to  communicate with you in case something is wrong.

   Have them wash their face and neck and put on the poncho/garbage bag, making sure their clothes are covered. If they have long hair have them put it up,  keeping it tight to their scalp, then apply the bald cap and secure with the spirit gum. You'll be making the mold in two halves, cutting the head around the middle from ear to ear (the back of the ears will be on the back half and the front of the ears will be on the front). Apply the Vaseline to the top and back of their head; you'll work from this "seam" back, making sure to get behind their ears and down their neck. If their hair is short enough to forgo the bald cap, get plenty of Vaseline in their hair as well (gross, but necessary). Make sure they are comfortable in their chair - it's time to begin.

   With a wide chip brush, begin applying the wax generously down the back of the head going with the hair. It's important that the first layer is laid on thick and evenly so as not to make any air bubbles. The wax will begin to dry as soon as it leaves the pot, so it's important to work quickly and efficiently. Once the first layer is dry, begin laying in medical gauze as you apply the next layer. Repeat several times until you have about a 1/4" thick wall of wax (you probably only need 2 layers with gauze). Fill in the area behind the ears completely; you don't want this to lose it's shape. When your final layer of wax is dry, begin laying on your shell of plaster gauze, making sure to stop about 1/2" away from the edge of the wax on your "seam" - you'll need to seal the mold here later. Apply 2-3 layers of plaster gauze, squeezing out most of the water before putting it on the head. While your gauze is drying (you can speed this up with the hair dryer on a low heat setting) cut up some card stock into strips. This will be used to keep your halves separate so you can actually get it off your actor (very important!!).

   As your shell dries on the back, begin applying Vaseline to the front of their face and head, working down their neck. Apply it generously in their eyebrows and any facial hair they have. We had our actor lie back in their chair so their face could relax more, but this also made our mold not line up 100% later on. Have them put the ear plugs in, and let them get a drink if they want before you seal their mouth shut. Using a wide brush work around the top of the head first (along your "seam"), place some card stock against the first half and apply wax generously working away from the edge. Lay the wax in thick in their ears; it will fill all the crevices better. Make sure to cover their forehead, cheeks, and chin in one layer so there aren't weird seams there. Using a smaller round brush, apply a thin layer over their eye lids - do this carefully so as not to make air bubbles, and gently so they aren't alarmed (I warn them about which areas I'm about to poke as a courtesy). Do the same for around their nostrils (leave them open!), and over their mouth. When you have one or two thin layers of wax in these areas you can begin laying it on a little thicker. Apply medical gauze in your second layer, and repeat until you have a 1/4" of wax. Then apply your plaster gauze shell as you did with the first half, making sure to leave the nostrils open.

 Standby nightmares... nightmares, Go.

You'll notice there isn't any card stock around the ear seam or neck seam. This is OK, but you'll be separating these parts manually.

   Once the front shell has had time to dry and your actor has probably had a nap, it's time to de-mold. You'll begin with the back. Gently run your fingers around the edge of the neck lifting it away from the skin. The wax is going to bend as you pull, so you need to be gentle so it doesn't lose it's shape completely and so you don't lose any detail on the inside. Work your way to the seam of the neck, and separate the two halves up to the ear. I used a matte knife to indent (NOT cut) where I wanted the seam to tear, then did the rest by hand. Gently separate the ears along the seam, and run your hands over the back of their head. If you didn't use a bald cap you'll probably notice the wax clinging to their hair; gently massage your fingers through their hair in little circles to loosen this as best you can, trying not to lose the detail on the mold. Continue running your fingers up the back of their head until you reach the top seam. At this point the mold should want to pop off because of the card stock barrier. Our mold clung quite well at the top and we ended up having to use some force to get it off, which wasn't pleasant, but didn't hurt our actor severely.

  You'll repeat the process for the front, only this time working from the top down. Remove the card stock. Starting from above the ears, ease your fingers between the mold and their skin, massaging their hair as you work along the top of their head. Release their ears, and work around their neck. If they have facial hair you'll want to massage along their jaw starting from the base of the ear going as far forward as you can without warping the mold or hurting your actor. Return to the top and work down to their eyebrows, massaging these free. It's best not to touch the eyes, nose, or mouth, so continue to work their neck, cheeks, jaw and forehead until the mold wants to pop off. This takes more time with facial hair and may require some force and even their input (again, unpleasant, but not lethal).

   When you have the two halves free, pour yourself and your actor a stiff drink and send them away to wash up. Wipe any excess Vaseline off the inside of the mold, align the two halves and secure them together with rubber bands, tape, or extra plaster gauze (we used plaster gauze). Store the mold in a box or bucket for transport and safety, and keep it somewhere at a cool room-temp.

Casting the Head

   Now begins the real fun part. To start you'll need to join the two halves of your mold together. Make sure your mold is aligned along the seam; you may have to bend it back into shape a bit depending on how smooth de-molding went. Reheat your Flexwax and use a small brush to apply a thick binding layer to the seam on the outside, closing any gaps that exist. Any errors caused by this will be minor and can be sanded later. Putting your finger against the holes from the inside, fill in the nostrils. Put your mold upside down in a box or bucket to store it for pouring.

    We used Bondo thinned with resin as the outer shell, pre measuring each amount separately before mixing the two. Once both Bondo and resin catalysts were added, we poured the mix into the mold, rotating it to cover the entire area down to the lip of the neck, especially focusing on filling the ears. The mixture had a pot life of about 5 minutes, which was plenty of time to coat the inside. Because our head was going on a dummy for the beheading, my mom decided she wanted to reinforce it, so she added some fibreglast to the neck area. Once all this was cured, we used the Foam-iT to fill the rest of the head.

   Finally, we got do crack it open and see the fruits of our labor. I used a matte knife to cut along the seam and began removing the mold. I had to destroy the mold for the most part in order to get it off the head - Bondo is less malleable than skin.

Ta-da!!

   Our mold yielded a pretty accurate head, but it still wasn't the prettiest. The left ear got chipped when I removed the mold, and various other parts had holes or obvious lines where the seam had been. I fixed this by simply adding more Bondo to the parts that needed some cosmetic surgery, and then sanded it down. I used the dremel tool to carve out the nostrils and ears, and I used wood working files on the lips and ears, as well. I then stippled Bondo on as a way to texturize his hair and beard area, and as a means to cover the seam indent. If you're making a head with long hair you generally don't need to worry about the scalp because you'll probably be adding a wig anyway.

   Once it was sanded and beautiful, it was finally time to paint. I mixed a skin tone for the actor and then made a "dead" version by adding some blue to my original color. I base coated the entire head in the skin tone, and then used the "dead" color to highlight the crown, eyebrows, cheekbones, nose, and ears. I mixed up a blood color which I used on the meat of the neck, and mixed some of this with my flesh tone to paint the neck skin. A dark pink fading quickly to red best resembles freshly damaged skin. The beard and hair color I stippled on in the appropriate areas, blending it with my skin tone, and went back in with a detail brush to do the eyebrows, lashes, nose, and shade the ears. I later added more blood to the neck and some more rosy tones to the face to match the actor better.

   

   And that is how we made a very realistic looking head for relatively cheap. This is clearly not the only way to do this. I have made several using Body Double to make my mold, which is a more expensive method, but I think slightly easier. I generally use expandable foam as my filler, though having a hard outer coat definitely helped bring out the details. Your choice of materials will depend on how your product is being used; if it's getting dropped or thrown around the stage, a hard coat isn't a good idea. Or at least a Bondo hard coat isn't a good idea. There are plenty of rigid foams to choose from, as well as all kinds of other materials. This is just one way out of many.

   I hope this proves useful to anyone attempting to add head-making to their resume; I know when I made my first one I could have used some more pointers. It's a very intense process, no matter what materials you use, but the end results can be amazing if you prepare and allow yourself enough time to do it well. Just remember to do your research and find what materials are right for what you need. 

Happy Propping!!

How To Be Unemployed

  As every artist finds out early on in their career, being unemployed is simply part of the process. To the average person with a 9-5 day job and a 401K this may be a terrifying thought, but for us it's pretty normal. I figured a good way to begin would be to tell the tale of the first lesson I learned starting out as a freelancing designer in the big apple. It's a good lesson (I think) for anyone trying to make it as an artist, and for any of those normal people out there who may unexpectedly find themselves in the same boat. It's a lesson in perseverance, determination, and above all else, self confidence.


  When I was first starting out in New York City, I lucked out and had a few little gigs fall into my lap right after my summer job ended. The luck ran out in December when, having had my first taste of doing theater in the city and being quite exhausted from it, I made absolutely zero preparation for the winter. This was the first major mistake of my new career.

  My situation was much like the fable of the ant and the grasshopper (me being the grasshopper), only instead of food it was work. Though I had worked my tail off that fall, once my steady stream of gigs ran out I felt it was better to take a break for my sanity and the holidays than to line up more gigs for January. Needless to say, once the holidays were over I found myself in a pickle. I was about to get my first taste of what being an artist in New York was really like: unemployed.

   At first I was just bummed that I had been stupid and not had more foresight, but pretty soon an even worse realization settled in: this situation might not be temporary. Luckily, I had a sexy little financial cushion under me (laughable to anyone with a real job, but good enough for a 22 year old having only done theater work since June), and so I made a sort-of plan.

  I applied for anywhere from 2 to 5 jobs every day for two solid months. I started out just applying for theater work, but when I realized that New York apparently wasn't hiring for the winter I started applying for anything else. Starbucks, Michael's, Lowes, even Pie Face. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I'm not suitable for the food service industry (or anything having to do with servitude), but I was desperate and not picky. Unfortunately, not even Pie Face wanted me. I started applying for jobs I wasn't even qualified for, jobs I was over qualified for, jobs in different states - it was getting ridiculous. And to top it all off I went through a particularly bad breakup during all of this.

   Seeing my life and short career falling apart, as well as watching my bank account drain itself, I began to sink into a pit of despair and self-pity. I had been unsuccessful for two months and didn't know what more I could do. Lucky for me I have some stellar friends who showed absolutely no sympathy and did their best to slap me out of it. I decided I had to put on the brakes and regroup, and I made this nifty little list for myself as motivation:

How To Be Unemployed

1. Don't panic.
2. Make a budget for your life. No income = less beer
3. Set goals. Keep them realistic to what you think you might actually be able to accomplish.
4. Apply for EVERYTHING! One can't afford to be picky. It doesn't matter if you're not the most experienced, you never know what people are looking for or who you'll meet.
5. Get some hobbies. The worst thing is sitting in your own filth being miserable and bored for weeks on end.
1. Make and stick to an exercise routine. Whether it's running 5 miles or doing yoga in your living room, exercise is good for the body and the mind and will help you think.
2. Create something. In a stressful lull, finding yourself and finding direction for yourself is easiest when being creative. Write, build, draw, play, sing, whatever. Find your creative outlet.
6. Do something for you. Put aside enough money to take a trip or visit someone or someplace you haven't seen in a while. Take your mind off your predicament and treat yourself.
7. Reach out to friends, family, anyone and everyone. Your acquaintances are your first line of defense, and you never know who might be able to help you out.
8. Don't lose hope. Nothing is forever, not even unemployment.

  I had obviously already tried some of these tactics to no avail, but at this point I knew I had to make some changes. I laid off the bombardment of job applications and focused instead on doing some research. I Googled "what to do if you're unemployed", and asked friends for advice. I joined a job placement agency on line as a different approach to finding work. I also decided to splurge with what little money I had left and set aside enough to take a vacation to Orlando with some of my friends from home (which was exactly what I needed).

  Things finally began to turn around for me. I found a three month long gig through the agency that paid decently, and almost immediately after that a friend of mine referred me for a design gig in the city (which I got), and I got a response from one of the dozens of applications I had sent out. Lesson number 2, when it rains it pours.

  So I finally got out of my slump, and the longest streak of unemployment I've ever had was over. It was a good lesson for me to learn then, and the fruits of my patience and determination were being overworked and exhausted for the rest of the spring. It was a good time.

  I just recently rediscovered the list in my phone, which prompted this post, and now hopefully others will be able to help get themselves through tough times, too. Unemployment is no joke, but if you have confidence in yourself and are determined, magical things will happen for you. Since then I have been unemployed on and off many times, but that experience was definitely the worst it's ever been. I taught myself how to handle myself, and how to ask for help, and it's made a world of difference for my career. Obviously my method isn't the only way to get by, but it worked for me and I felt it was a good starting point for when the panic starts to set in.

  So to anyone who reads this and is in the same pickle as I was, your life isn't over just because you're out of work. Keep your chin up, and remember that things will get better eventually. Patience, determination, hard work, and belief in yourself will get you anywhere.