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PITTSBURG —
Pittsburg State University theater specialist Megan Westhoff is using the concept of art imitating life to teach students a unique theater costume feature.
Her Communication 640 class is teaching five students how to make “life casts,” or molds of a living person’s face. Life casts, which produce a startlingly accurate reverse impression of a model’s facial features, are used to form the back of paper or leather masks that fit an actor’s face perfectly.
Westhoff is teaching the class in conjunction with her upcoming production of “The King Stag,” an Italian fairy tale that plays at 8 p.m. Oct. 18 through 20 at Memorial Auditorium. The five students in her class will pair with one of the five cast members, effectively forming a costuming partnership for the production. The students will make life casts of the actors, and will produce all of their masks.
On Thursday, the class learned up close how to prepare their subject and produce the cast. The process is somewhat lengthy and requires skill. First, the subject — in this case, sophomore Logan Qualls — lies face up on a flat surface.
“Make sure the model is as comfortable as possible so they don’t show worry in their expression,” Westhoff said.
Next, Westhoff applies petroleum jelly to Qualls’ face so the alginate doesn’t stick to his skin on removal, and keep secures his hair in a shower cap. The she wraps cloth around his head, which acts as a nest of sorts to contain the alginate mix as it hardens.
Because the mask Westhoff was making covered the Qualls’ entire face — sometimes it’s only from the nose up or nose down — two straws are inserted into his nose; the alginate mix that is used for the cast will flow around the straws, allowing him to continue breathing while leaving accurate nasal passages. Once the alginate has hardened sufficiently, it’s time to apply the cheesecloth and plaster strips that will form the “mother mold,” or stiff outer shell that will contain the gelatinous alginate. After drying it with a hair dryer, it’s face off.
“It was oddly relaxing,” said Qualls, a Wichita native who is playing the character Truffaldino in the play. “It was weirdest when it first dropped onto my face. It was just this congealing mass, and then it got really dark.”
Most of the students taking the class aren’t theater majors. Rather, they’re just creative kids who want to learn a cool skill.
Pittsburg State University theater specialist Megan Westhoff is using the concept of art imitating life to teach students a unique theater costume feature.
Her Communication 640 class is teaching five students how to make “life casts,” or molds of a living person’s face. Life casts, which produce a startlingly accurate reverse impression of a model’s facial features, are used to form the back of paper or leather masks that fit an actor’s face perfectly.
Westhoff is teaching the class in conjunction with her upcoming production of “The King Stag,” an Italian fairy tale that plays at 8 p.m. Oct. 18 through 20 at Memorial Auditorium. The five students in her class will pair with one of the five cast members, effectively forming a costuming partnership for the production. The students will make life casts of the actors, and will produce all of their masks.
On Thursday, the class learned up close how to prepare their subject and produce the cast. The process is somewhat lengthy and requires skill. First, the subject — in this case, sophomore Logan Qualls — lies face up on a flat surface.
“Make sure the model is as comfortable as possible so they don’t show worry in their expression,” Westhoff said.
Next, Westhoff applies petroleum jelly to Qualls’ face so the alginate doesn’t stick to his skin on removal, and keep secures his hair in a shower cap. The she wraps cloth around his head, which acts as a nest of sorts to contain the alginate mix as it hardens.
Because the mask Westhoff was making covered the Qualls’ entire face — sometimes it’s only from the nose up or nose down — two straws are inserted into his nose; the alginate mix that is used for the cast will flow around the straws, allowing him to continue breathing while leaving accurate nasal passages. Once the alginate has hardened sufficiently, it’s time to apply the cheesecloth and plaster strips that will form the “mother mold,” or stiff outer shell that will contain the gelatinous alginate. After drying it with a hair dryer, it’s face off.
“It was oddly relaxing,” said Qualls, a Wichita native who is playing the character Truffaldino in the play. “It was weirdest when it first dropped onto my face. It was just this congealing mass, and then it got really dark.”
Most of the students taking the class aren’t theater majors. Rather, they’re just creative kids who want to learn a cool skill.
“I mean, look at that,” sophomore broadcasting major Wayne King, of Kansas City, Kan., said, pointing at Qualls’ cast. “I wanted to do this because it’s cool. I’m hands on and I want to make things. Any time you get to work with your hands and make something you can be proud of, that’s something you can carry around with you for a long time.”
Sophomore communication education major Taylor Patterson said she was inspired by the SyFy Network show Face Off.
“It’s all about making masks, and I thought this would be cool,” said Patterson, who moved to Kansas from Los Angeles several years ago. “It’s awesome. It’s very fast-paced and educational...and messy. It’s fun.”
