willow smith in the dark ... or the story of me @ 5th avenue theatre

completed a perfectly exhilarating week at the 5th avenue theatre (thanx mary - see bio below, heather & leah!!!!)!  last time i worked there was ... well, a while ago. 

at the begining, i was quite overwhelmed (all hair/wig work).  for me, use it or lose it seemed rather pertinent.  i was intimidated to pull the wigs apart ... the first time i practiced the fast change, i had whale-size butterflies in my stomach -- in all my previous years of quick changes, never has that happened.  BUT, can't let anything stop you if you want to move forward ... so, onward and into the hair web i marched. 

i used my eye, watched my colleague, asked questions, experimented with parts of wigs that didn't show (under hats) to see what happended with different styling & pinning techniques.  in the end, i learned, relearned, discovered sooooo very much.  every night i went home tired, but wholly satisfied with my accomplishments and a brain full of goals for the next day.  aaaaahhhh!  the beauty in creation & thinking on your feet ... and learning from the wig staying on during those crazy dancers or having a hair bow fall off :(

what i learned was so valuable ... not just the literal lessons of wig creation/maintenance, but in life. 

just a joyous side-note.  since my new years resolution, creative projects contacting me are overwhelming ... of course, in a good way.  can i just say ... what you need, put it out to the universe!

* quick change:  actors may have multiple roles requiring them to exit stage, quickly change costume & wig, then reenter stage.  my particular quick change was this:  the dancer (see bio & picture below) exits stage in a lift.  the dresser & i are waiting, literally with hands waiting to starting pulling costume & wig even as our dancer is being set down.  all three of us work together pulling off, then redressing into costume & wig ... and our talent reenters stage.  i didn't actually time this one, but probably round 1 minute.  BUT, the twist of it all ... her next number is soooo active, and in terms of the wig, she might as well be in the willow smith 'i whip my hair' video ~ actually, that would be sedate in comparison.  did i mention, this is all done in the dark?? 

MARY PYANOWSKI (Hair & Makeup Designer)

World premieres of Aladdin (make-up design), Catch Me If You Can, Shrek, Lone Star Love, Princesses, Memphis, Hairspray, The Wedding Singer. Twenty-two seasons of 5th Avenue Theatre production designs, including the Ivey Award-winning Cabaret. Design credits for national and international productions of opera, operettas, ballet, theater, and musicals. U.S. wig supervisor Madness of George III tour. Some memorable film and TV credits: Northern Exposure, Orleans, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Rose Red, Diary of Ellen Rimbauer, Assassins, White Dwarf, Book of Stars. IATSE member Local 706 and 488.

dancer:  SHADOU MINTRONE (Ensemble)   - Mintrone graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA, with a BFA in jazz performance dance. Performed with Brian Sanders, JUNK and Zane Booker, SLJ Arts Initiative, and Danza en el Metro in Santiago. Member of Spectrum Dance Theater.