Hair & Makeup Design: Lily Reyes
What opportunities did Romeo and Juliet present for you as a hair and makeup designer?
Romeo and Juliet has presented a lot of opportunities for me as a designer. First of all, I’ve never had to design for a cast so big, so I’ve really enjoyed getting to design for so many characters. I’ve also got quite a few hairpieces to build, which is something I’ve never done before. It’s a great learning experience, and is something that is really nice to have in my design portfolio.
Did Romeo and Juliet present any specific challenges for your design? How did you overcome them?
Surprisingly, I haven’t had any challenges while working on Romeo and Juliet. I was a bit nervous at first since this is my first show as the actual designer, but once I got started everything fell into place and I felt really confident. The director, Michael, and the costumer, Hannah, have also made this process very easy for me. They are great to work with and make any challenges I would potentially have very easy to overcome.
How did Michael Daehn’s directorial concepts influence your design?
When I first was assigned to design Romeo and Juliet, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my designs. I imagined that the Capulets and everyone on their “side” would be brunettes, and the Montagues and their “posse” would all be blondes. Of course, I didn’t want anything too dramatic, just a difference in the families. When I heard Michael’s concept, I was a bit worried, but realized my design actually worked really well. Going off the mirroring, I realized that if the separate families had different hair colors but same styles, it would show the differences between them, but also make them very similar. For example, Lady Montague and Lady Capulet have different hair colors, but their styles are very similar. This trend can be seen in many of the other characters as well.
How did your hair and makeup design process for Romeo and Juliet unfold? Where did you begin?
Like I said, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted for my designs. But in order to figure out what each character should look like, I did a lot of research. Our lovely costumer, Hannah, had a really awesome Pinterest board for the show, so I got a lot of research images from her. I also looked through different books in the library, and looked at a lot of websites for help. It was also helpful to use different Hollywood movies to influence my designs, such as Shakespeare in Love, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet (not the Leo/Claire version, although it is one of my favorite movies!)
What is your favorite look in the show? Why?
It’s hard to say which look is my favorite, since I haven’t had a chance to see everyone all dolled up. But for the time being, I really like Mercutio and the two Ladies. Mercutio has a wig that’s longer and tied back in a ponytail. The bits in the front a little shorter so when he fights they fall out. I think it’s very appropriate for Mercutio. If anyone knows anything about Mercutio, they would know that he’s very edgy and interesting. I think the rugged ponytail look suits him very well. As for the ladies, they both have intricate hairpieces that I’m working on, and I think they’ll turn out really nicely. I think each piece suits them very well.
What opportunities did Romeo and Juliet present for you as a hair and makeup designer?
Romeo and Juliet has presented a lot of opportunities for me as a designer. First of all, I’ve never had to design for a cast so big, so I’ve really enjoyed getting to design for so many characters. I’ve also got quite a few hairpieces to build, which is something I’ve never done before. It’s a great learning experience, and is something that is really nice to have in my design portfolio.
Did Romeo and Juliet present any specific challenges for your design? How did you overcome them?
Surprisingly, I haven’t had any challenges while working on Romeo and Juliet. I was a bit nervous at first since this is my first show as the actual designer, but once I got started everything fell into place and I felt really confident. The director, Michael, and the costumer, Hannah, have also made this process very easy for me. They are great to work with and make any challenges I would potentially have very easy to overcome.
How did Michael Daehn’s directorial concepts influence your design?
When I first was assigned to design Romeo and Juliet, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for my designs. I imagined that the Capulets and everyone on their “side” would be brunettes, and the Montagues and their “posse” would all be blondes. Of course, I didn’t want anything too dramatic, just a difference in the families. When I heard Michael’s concept, I was a bit worried, but realized my design actually worked really well. Going off the mirroring, I realized that if the separate families had different hair colors but same styles, it would show the differences between them, but also make them very similar. For example, Lady Montague and Lady Capulet have different hair colors, but their styles are very similar. This trend can be seen in many of the other characters as well.
How did your hair and makeup design process for Romeo and Juliet unfold? Where did you begin?
Like I said, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted for my designs. But in order to figure out what each character should look like, I did a lot of research. Our lovely costumer, Hannah, had a really awesome Pinterest board for the show, so I got a lot of research images from her. I also looked through different books in the library, and looked at a lot of websites for help. It was also helpful to use different Hollywood movies to influence my designs, such as Shakespeare in Love, Othello, and Romeo and Juliet (not the Leo/Claire version, although it is one of my favorite movies!)
What is your favorite look in the show? Why?
It’s hard to say which look is my favorite, since I haven’t had a chance to see everyone all dolled up. But for the time being, I really like Mercutio and the two Ladies. Mercutio has a wig that’s longer and tied back in a ponytail. The bits in the front a little shorter so when he fights they fall out. I think it’s very appropriate for Mercutio. If anyone knows anything about Mercutio, they would know that he’s very edgy and interesting. I think the rugged ponytail look suits him very well. As for the ladies, they both have intricate hairpieces that I’m working on, and I think they’ll turn out really nicely. I think each piece suits them very well.
Pictured below are Lily's concept boards for the characters Romeo and Juliet.