Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2006 - 66

Thirty minutes into the first day of make-up class I was
called out by the department chair with the message that I was
needed at the hospital. My partner, who had been admitted just
the day before, was returning from a series of tests when I arrived. I noticed he had these little metal things stuck to his
chest. The nurse told me they were ECG electrodes (the
acronyn is from electrocardiogram; also EKG from the German, Elektrokardiogramm) and then she proceeded to explain
how they work. While I marveled at the medical technology, I also
immediately recognized that the metal part looked suspiciously
like the male part of a #3 snap. I ripped one off his chest and
stuck it in my pocket for later inspection.
The next day I confirmed that my suspicions were correct. This little ubiquitous self-adhesive electrode that helps
monitor any number of bodily functions in medical situations
mated perfectly with the female part of the big snaps costumers can't live without. My mind raced with ideas of how I could
use them both in class and in productions, and I had to find a
source to buy some.
Some basic research both on the Internet and at the local
medical supply company yielded fruitful results. I found that
these little devices are manufactured by 3M and other companies and are indeed known in the trade as ECG electrodes. My

The

brows on the part of the lady on the other end of the line, as I
tried to explain to her how I was going to use the electrodes.
She admitted that it was the first time a theatrical costumer
had ever called to inquire about one of their products.
Advantages over spirit gum
The self-sticking electrodes can secure items that spirit gum
won't. This is particularly true for costume pieces that need to
be held in place, such as off-the-shoulder draperies or wide
necklines, by sticking a snap at the shoulder or center back.
The instant adhesion to the skin allows for quick changes or
applications done on the fly because no set up or drying time
is needed. Likewise these electrode can be repositioned, providing they are not moved to an area covered with make-up.
The flexability of the electrode base also allows it to move with
the underlying muscle structure. This is helpful for half or partial masks that need to be able to move with facial expressions.
In short, the ECG electrode allows one to attach to an actor's
skin anything that can be hot glued to the female side of a #3
snap. The snap connection is really quite strong and depending on where on the face or body it is attached it can support a
fair amount of weight without drooping sagging or pulling
away from the skin.

ECG electrode allows one to

attach to an actor's skin
anything that can be hot glued
to the female side of a

#3 snap.

recycled sample was mounted on a clear, or nearly clear vinyl
disk about two inches in diameter. I discovered at my local
medical supply store that the 3M versions come in square or
round shapes. (figs. 1 and 2) Some of the snaps are backed
with a foam cushioning while others have a backing of white
fabric. All have a medically approved hypo-allergenic adhesive
that does not dissolve with perspiration. Patients may have to
wear these for extended periods of time if they are undergoing
longterm continuous monitoring.
The ECG electrodes are packaged by the bag and the
amount in each varies by manufacturer. My local supplier did
not carry the clear vinyl type that I thought would be the most
useful to me, even though the sample I had taken from the university hospital was this type. After a few more Google searches
I found a company called ConMed that manufactures units
similar to my sample. (fig. 3) A call to their customer service
center yielded a wealth of information and a few raised eye-

An example of this can be seen in figures 4, 5, and 6. The
nut and bolt were attached to the area above the temple with
an electrode and snap. The bolt is a standard 22 inch by 4inch carriage bolt. The nut was hot glued to the snap and attached to the electrode. The clear vinyl style of electrode was
attached to the skin then the make-up was applied over it. Texturing with make-up helps to disguise the electrode adhesive
base.
The bolt, which was screwed in after the nut was snapped
onto the face, could be tightened and loosened at will. This
gave our building custodian the opportunity to elicit some really surprised reactions in the Dean's office on Halloween! His
bolt stayed on securely all day much to the consternation of
the office staff. The attachment point is crucial to keeping cantilevered objects from sagging. There would have been a
greater degree of sag if the contact point had been on the
fleshy area of the cheeks.
THEATRE

SPRING

2006

DESIGN

TECHNOLOGY

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2006