Alongside acting, I love bringing up the next generation of performers.
I have been the camp coordinator for theatrical summer camps, and I have taught a theatrical makeup class.
To give you a view into who I am as a teacher here is how I have run my makeup class!
Week 1
This week is all about getting to know the students, setting up class rules, and laying out how the class will run.
It is incredibly important to empower the students to showcase their creativity. I start that from day one by letting them set the class rules. Here are some past examples of rules.
Though my favorite rule made has to be “no dad jokes” in a makeup class, I have to agree that it was a very important rule.
Weeks 2-6
These are the weeks that I am the most hands-on. I use past designs I made from designing six shows to teach the students how they can utilize different types of makeup, including:
Basic stage makeup
Applying False Eyelashes
Age Makeup
Face Paint
Basic SFX makeup
As I go, I also talk about my design process. Understanding a character and letting that influence the makeup choices.
Are they mean? Sharp shapes will help communicate that.
Are they sad? Blue is often used to help communicate that.
This gives the students a foundation, so once they start making their own designs, they can understand how to communicate who a character is through the makeup.
Weeks 7-10
The students now work on designing their own makeup.
We work with one class of design, which has a little bit of feedback. Then the next class is a feedback day where all of the students do their designs and make edits.
I have them do two assignments.
Design for a show
Design based off of a character of your choosing
Designing not only allows the students to understand how to translate the makeup from a design sheet onto the face, but also challenges them to think about who this character is. This creativity with characterization helps support them as they go and act, or design for their own show.
On the side you will see some of the past designs that the students have done.
Week 11
The final week!
Parents and friends are invited to come see what the students have done.
Using the makeup they have designed, and the skills they have learned about applying makeup, the students show their friends and family by applying the makeup on their faces.
Why I love teaching
Teaching brings me so much joy because I get to see the students grow in their skills and their confidence. I have had students on the first day let me know that they have never really done makeup. Through their own determination and my encouragement, I have seen them transform into people I would trust to not only design makeup for a show but lead a team to apply the makeup.
I also get a lot of joy in fostering a community that students want to keep coming back to. From making sure I have a playlist filled with their favorite songs to quickly checking in at the top of every class about what's going on in their lives. To encouraging them to showcase their own creativity by making it clear that I don’t want them to copy me, but to discover their own unique style.
It is this learning community that I create with every class that has students asking if I am teaching again, so they can repeat my class for the third time.
