The Festival wig room - located in the back dressing room hallway at the Festival Theatre on stage level.
The Tom Patterson wig room - located near the Wardrobe Maintenance room on the lower level of the Tom Patterson Theatre.
The Avon/Studio wig room – located on the second floor across from the elevator in the Avon building.
The Wig and Makeup staff are made up of Wig Makers, Hairstylists and Makeup Artists. This department provides hair and make-up to help realize the designer's vision and help transform actors into the characters they play. This can include custom-made wigs, toupées, hair pieces, beards, moustaches, eyebrows, false noses, scars and other prostheses.
Actors are required to provide their own “basic” makeup kit. This kit should contain:
-A foundation (base) to complement your skin tone.
-Neutral eye makeup and lipstick(s) and pencils.
-Cotton balls etc. for makeup removal.
-Skin care and makeup removal products.
-Facial Tissue (Kleenex)
The following will be provided for you: Makeup sponges, false eyelashes, spirit gum and product for wig and facial hair removal. If a complicated makeup is required, we are glad to assist you and create a makeup chart for you. Please speak to whomever is the wig and makeup artist assigned to your show. Any extraordinary makeup will be supplied.
As an Actor contracted by the Stratford Festival, please do not change your hairstyle or hair colour without consultation with the Wigs and Makeup department. Your current look may be desired by the designers to be used in a show. The wig department will help you with maintaining your hair for the duration of your contract. If you have specific requirements, please discuss them with Head of Wigs and makeup prior to your first fitting if possible. The Stratford Festival wants to make every effort to ensure you are comfortable onstage as well as off. As much advance notice as an actor can give of specific needs is appreciated.
Questions?
Wigs and Make Up Seasonal Department Heads for 2024:
Festival Theatre - Tracy Frayne
x2257, tfrayne@stratfordfestival.ca
Avon Theatre - Teddi Barrett
tbarrett@stratfordfestival.ca
Tom Patterson Theatre - Mallory Reeves
mreeves@stratfordfestival.ca
Studio Theatre - Melissa (Maloo) Veal
mveal@stratfordfestival.ca
Behind the Scenes, Wigs and Makeup, Macbeth
- Please do not eat, drink, or smoke while wearing facial hair.
- If you are wearing a hat or headdress, please wait to put it on until just before your entrance. This will help save the dressing of your hair or wig for the remainder of the show.
- Please do not lie down with your wig on when not onstage.
- You will be shown how to remove your wig and facial hair. Please follow these guidelines to prevent unnecessary re-dressing/ styling. A member from the Wigs and makeup department will assist you with removal whenever possible.
- Please keep your wig and facial hair on the Styrofoam block or in the box provided when not in use.
- You will often be given special pins for a quick change. It is your responsibility to see that they are on hand for that occasion.
- We provide hairpins. Please keep them in your drawer. They are expensive and in limited supply.
It is very important once your “look” is established by a designer that it be maintained until the end of the season. Having said this there are exceptions. If your look needs to be reassessed during the course of a production please bring it to the attention of your stage manager and head of Wigs and make up. Please treat your wigs and facial hair like the valuable, one-of-a-kind items that they are. We look forward to working with all of you this season. Thank you for reading up on our Wig and Makeup Department.
A Wigs and Makeup show runner assists actors getting in and out of wigs, hairpieces and makeup during a performance. They may also help with securing hats, headdresses and microphones when necessary. They will organize a mutually agreed time and area with an actor during the performance to help with all parts of this process. All hairpieces and prosthetics will be cleaned/disinfected properly and reset to the areas after each show. There is often only one or two show runners per production depending on cast size. Ideally you will meet your show runner during the fitting process before tech rehearsals begin but sometimes that is not possible. Our goal is to help in any way we can, so please contact our Costume Director, Michelle Barnier, or your wigs and makeup person if you have any questions.
The text on this page was originally provided by Gerry Altenburg and was updated by Tracy Frayne, January 2024.
FESTIVAL FACT
Because actors are often cast in more than one show, actors change their look with realistic-looking fake moustaches, beards and sideburns — made from yak hair. Yes, yak hair.
Each strand is woven through a fine mesh lace, knotted and cleaned after every show.
Photo to the right: Wigs and facial hair are used in almost every production at Stratford Festival. (Erin Samuell/Stratford Festival)
