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As a former makeup artist for theater as well as a performer in the shows, I personal know how important it is to know how to do your stage make up. Make up allows the audience to see your characters personality and facial expressions better.

The harsh stage lights can wash out even the darkest person, making them appear sickly and pale. A good foundation can help. Many of the people I worked on always squirmed when i pulled out the color i would be using on them, a tan-orange color. They would ask "Won't I look like a pumpkin?". I would point to all the other actors and myself who all "looked like pumpkins". When applying the make up make sure to get the ears, neck and any exposed skin around the face, including the shoulders. The powder sets the make up and makes it look as flawless as possible. We had a trick to keep the make up from "melting" off your face- a spritz of water after the powder was on to set it in place. B

The finer details of ones stage make up all depends on their character roll. If an actor or actress were to play a younger person the use of blush and bright lipstick would be applied heavily. If they had to portray an older character, wrinkle lines would be drawn on the forehead, eyes and check with a brown color and then a highlighter would be used to capture the light on stage.
I always thought it was funny when the guys complained of needing to wear "man stick", a tan colored or light lipstick. Almost instantly many of them wiped it off. So, my job was to stand backstage and before they entered, I applied more. Same goes with the blush, they never understood that you naturally have a flush to your face and after what seemed like half and inch of make up was applied they needed their "flush" back.
Also, the use of fake hair, while its not a make up, is applied by the make up department. False hair can be applied to the face to create facial hair. It can be applied to the chest to fill in or add chest hair.
The use of brown, as a mud, can also be used to add details. If the persons character was a farmer, you obviously can't have a clean farmer, so you used brown powder to show mud or dirt.

Lastly, to top off a great face, you need the hair to go with it. Hair doesn't only portray the characters life but also the time period the play was set it. You could tell if the actors had very elaborate up dos that it might be set in older times and that the characters were upper class. One of my most challenging assignments was when we put on Grease. 100 or more actors and actresses in a time period that was very challenging to channel in the modern world.

Just remember, more is always better, keep the hair true to the time period and play up your characters personality.
As always, break a leg. Never good luck.

Learn more about this author, Rachel Stevens.
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