Wow, January ends today! In spite of seemingly unending cold waves, the month named for Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and endings, is nearly over. Janus presides over doors and gates, most of which have remained firmly closed in my part of the world. But soon- -within a couple of months- -warmer weather will arrive and with it, the transformation of the natural world. Flower bulbs emerging, fruit trees budding, the grass/invasive weeds rapidly turning green. But even before spring arrives, I will be going through a different transformation, one on the human level.

 

In February, I will cheerfully turn myself into someone quite evil!

 

Oh no! Are you going to do mean things to kids?

 

Indeed I am, 9, but only on the stage in Washington Ballet Academy’s production of Sleeping Beauty https://www.washingtonballetacademy.org/ .  I am honored to play Carabosse- –

 

The evil fairy from the original folk tale that inspired Disney’s Maleficent.

 

Precisely, Lily. And, as I, myself, am not evil- –

 

Opinions may vary.

 

Spoken like a true inner 14-year old. This feat requires substantial transformation. I’ve been developing the physical character, that is, how I move and react, in rehearsals. Costume will be provided, including a fierce looking wig and/or headpiece.

 

Then there’s the matter of my face.

 

I don’t know, I think you can look pretty evil without makeup.

 

In close-up interactions you are correct, 9. When furiously angry, regardless of what I can persuade my voice and the rest of my body to do, the fury shows up loud and clear on my face. Carrying that idea over to the stage, the facial expressions I use are a critical factor. But for this sheer evilness to “play” from the stage all the way to the back rows of a 1,400 seat auditorium? Serious stage makeup is required.

 

Oh, fun!

 

The Ben Nye ® makeup kit, and Stage Makeup: The Actor’s Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Today’s Techniques and Materials by Laura Thudium, arrived on my doorstep this week. The Guide starts with skincare and moves into mapping your face before getting down to the nitty-gritty of makeup application. I haven’t done serious stage makeup since college so relearning is required.

 

 

When do we start?

I will dedicate a two or three hour time block to the project on Saturday. I’ll start by getting a face shape schematic and preliminary makeup design down on paper- -a tool that will serve as a guide. That should leave enough time for a trial run of applying foundation, highlights and shadows to develop both the design and my makeup application skills. If time allows, I’ll experiment with emphasizing the eyes.

 

Will you look like a cat?

 

Or maybe like a rat.

 

 

Ew!

 

In some productions, Carabose makes her first entrance in a carriage pulled by giant rats (though this is not part of the upcoming production). I was sharing this interesting trivia with my swim buddy, who subsequently presented me with a small stuffed animal rat for inspiration.

 

 

 

I’ve seen pictures and videos of others who have played Carabosse. The eyes are dramatically accented with eyeliner and shadows, supporting her wild, cruel and angry nature. This nature is exacerbated by hurt feelings when she is left off the guest list for Princess Aurora’s christening.

 

As some folks say, there’s a lot to unpack there.

 

This is probably true of most transformations. Sometimes we transform willingly; other times, it’s under duress. Willing transformations tend to be fun and satisfying, but the other kind?

 

In a brief return to the ideas in last week’s blog: refuse to let the current obstacles in the world transform you into someone who is scared and feels powerless to make a difference. We can all make a difference, onstage and off.