CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Theatre is one of the earliest forms of entertainment. It has evolved from Greek tragedies through Shakespeare and music hall to the spectacular.
The traditional African theatres have survived in spite of the intrusion of modern culture and theatre from outside African. Although the British, frence, and portaguese theatre and drama educational touch on the continent have influenced most aspects of Africa, yet several African communities and cities still hold their traditional treasure of “generation- generation” medium of entertainment. The special oral nature of the African people and their theatre elements embedded in “orature” have been the major thrust for the surviual of traditional theatre, drama, culture, and history.
In the Gambia and Senegal, the wolof and the Mandinka ( both are major ethnic groups in the Sub-saharan Africa), for instance, traditional artists do their performances in public. The uniqueness of their performance lies in mnemonic, body language, rituals and audience participation. Traditional theatre has been a vehicle for social changes on the continent it is related with the African world view and religious beliefs make it similar in some aspects to greek or Hellenistic theatre. In british colonized gambia and French colonized Senegal, like in any parts of African, traditional theatre and drama pieces belongs to the community and religious groupings. In the modern time when class room education has inflicted forms of entertainment in African, teachers encourage their students to experiment with both traditional and modern forms theatre
The sophisticated form of stage craft that we see in theatre today and although it has been under threat from television and film and now online video, it remains popular in spite of technological change.
No matter how, for computerized effects advance and how stunning the computer generated imagery(CGI) portions of films, there appearsto be no substitute for watching actors, singers, and dancers perform live in front of us.
It is the purest and most disciplined craft of all and employs dedicated creative people. The make-up artists working in theatre are proud to be part of that history and determined to continue the excitement to live performances.
To be able to work successfully in theatre, a make-up artist must have knowledge and experience of working with wigs and facial hair.This aspect of the work is extremely important. In fact, the person in charge of make-up and hair in the theatre is known as the wig-master or wig-mistress.
Theatre make-up under the spot light
Stage make-up has become increasingly more realistic over the years. The traditional style of heavy lines, sometimes crudely applied, is no longer used, current thinking is that even in large auditoriums the make-up should be suitable for the audience sitting in the front rows[the stalls] because the pay the most for their tickets.
Another reason is that the performance may be recorded for television transmission or for distribution via DVD or even online. Make-up artists work full time cross the numerous productions being performed throughout a season. Many make-up artists with their career working in the theatre.
The performers themselves generally do but the make-up artists help them, if necessary and always organize the quick changes. Special theatrical make-up effects such as creating and applying bald caps of wounds and bloods are responsibility of the hair and make-up.
The special buzz of make-up for live theatre
One of the most exciting aspects of working in the theatre is that it is ‘’Live’’ each performance is unique and excitement generated by an appreciative audience creates a buzz which is experience only in the area of entertainment.
Your job as a make-up artist in the theatre is to make sure that you contribute to the buzz. And that means that a professional attitude is vital.
Time keeping, self discipline and team spirit are essential for the performance to work as a whole.
1.1 TERMS OF REFERENCE
Being aware that this project is a report from my industrial attachment with Ena Brown’s concept and make-up Academy, Calabar, which is a requirement for the award of the Diploma in Theatre and Media Studies.
The terms are not outside the scope of the internship and particularly the make-up studio which has my related areas of learning.
The concept of “Internship” otherwise “industrial attachment” in Diploma in Theatre and Media Studies does not spell it embrace outside theatre. Thus, my choice of the make-up studio is to require more skill.
