Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2010 - 64

book

reviews
up on a specific technique, you will find it well
organized and easy to navigate.

Basic steps
debreceni breaks the process of creating prosthetics down into basic steps, starting with life
casting. Anyone who has ever taken a cast of a
body part will realize that this is a larger undertaking than it might appear at first and one which
absolutely must be done correctly in order for the
rest of the process to be successful. To help with
this important step, debreceni breaks down life
casting by body part, so you can start with teeth,
face and neck, before working your way through
bust, hands, legs, feet, and finally full-body casting. He gives clear instructions, beginning with
safety concerns, prepping of the subject, mixing
the casting medium, and finally, proper application and removal of medium.
I myself recently consulted the book's life
casting chapter as a refresher when preparing
to do a life cast bust for a project. Not only is
the text easy to follow and logically ordered, but
there are clear and helpful pictures provided to
give a step-by-step guide. This is especially helpful when you need to consult the book midway
through casting, as it is simple to glance over
and compare notes with the photos.
The chapters on sculpting the makeup,
breaking down the sculpture to produce molds,
and casting the appliances are all as detailed
and helpful as the life casting chapter. No step
is omitted, and lengthy discussion is given to

safety, choice of materials, proper measuring
and mixing, and finishing of cast pieces.
In addition to debreceni's obvious passion and expertise, what is appealing about
this guide is that it is written from personal
experience the author has gained over years
of creating makeup. He is very clear that these
are the methods that he, in his own work, has
found to be the most effective or efficient. but
where relevant, he also discusses alternative
techniques and methods. This will appeal to
more experienced readers, who will bring a variety of experiences and opinions to their projects and who will undoubtedly appreciate the
discussion of multiple techniques. It will also
give someone new to special effects jumping-off
points to explore other variations options.

Hair and wigs
Included in the book is a chapter on hair and
wigs, which provides a solid overview of types
of wigs, wig making materials, and basic handling of wigs. The author provides helpful photographs of various wig-making processes and
materials, including the proper application of
facial hair. While he does provide a step-by-step
diagram of the process of ventilating (knotting
hair into mesh to make a wig or facial hair), the
chapter is more of a basic overview, rather than
an in-depth tutorial.
The book wraps up with a final chapter on
other makeup effects. These include application
of bald caps, use of nose and scar wax, wounds,

Collaboration in Theatre

A Practical Guide for Designers and Directors

by Rob Roznowski and Kirk domer; New York,
Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. 204 pp. Cloth,
$90.00. Paper, $28.00.
Reviewed by beth Watkins and Michael Mehler
There are not many resources available that
specifically focus on theatre collaboration, particularly collaboration among directors and designers and other members of the production
team. Most design and directing textbooks mention the importance of collaboration and suggest models where the director leads the team

theatre

design

technology

or the designers bring in inspirational images
for the director. but the primary focus of those
books is on the individual training and development of directors and designers. Co-authors

S P R I N G

2010

disease, aging, and tattoos. This is a nice finish,
as it allows easy access to a number of standalone techniques that pop up quite often in the
makeup designer's world. Unlike older books
on the subject, debreceni's techniques are modern and functional and will easily find their way
into even a casual makeup artist's repertoire.
Interspersed throughout the chapters are
short blurbs about industry professionals from
theatre, film, and television. These sections include quotes from the professionals, photos of
their work, and often process shots, showing
the step-by-step progression of effects, some of
which will be familiar from television and movies. There are also appendices which include a
glossary, recipe list, and recommended books.
Also included is a dvd with tutorials and illustrated guides to a variety of techniques.
All in all, Special Makeup Effects for Stage
and Screen: Making and Applying Prosthetics
is a welcome addition to the libraries of makeup
and special effects artists.
Heather Fleming, has designed wigs and
makeup for the Illinois Shakespeare Festival,
American Players Theatre, the Clarice Smith
Center for the Performing Arts, Gustavus
Adolphus College, the Barter Theatre, and
the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
She is currently the wig designer/master
at Actors Theatre of Louisville, where she
oversees wig and makeup for fifteen shows a
season in three spaces.

Rob Roznowski and Kirk domer have made an
important first contribution to this unexplored
field with Collaboration in Theatre: A Practical Guide for Designers and Directors.
Roznowski, who heads the acting and directing program in the department of Theatre
at Michigan State University, and domer, who
is head of design there, declare their intention
is to create "healthy" and "expeditious" collaboration that can be used in any situation. The
emphasis of the book is practical: establishing
common vocabulary between parties, underscoring good communication, and recommending methods of script analysis and research that

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2010