Hairspray
Wigs and makeup are a speciality of their own. If you are lucky enough to be working for a theatre who has a wig and makeup artist than you can thank your lucky stars. But if you are working in a smaller theatre as a free lance designer or at a school you will need to think about these areas and commit the time to realizing your designs. In some cases the actor will be able to take care of their own hair and makeup. They should be encouraged to do this, it’s part of their bag of tricks. But if a complete transformation is needed for the role then usually a wig is in order. It is best to search the online catalogues to find something that already styled and cut the way that you need. I find that it is a good investment to get a color wheel from the company that you are working with so that you know exactly what you are ordering.
I often use 
http://www.wigamerica.com/
When a realistic look is required you can set the wig back on the actors head and use their own hairline in front. This worked well for Tartuffe as the actor had short hair, but by matching his hair color and setting the wig back a good effect was achieved. The actress in the picture also has two falls of her own hair color clipped over her ears for the very fashionable and attractive Spaniel effect. The color wheel was so useful for that show.
Many wig makers for theaters use pre made wigs and then create a lace front using hair pulled from the wig. It actually helps the wig look more natural to have less hair. Sometimes I have used a thinning scissor on a wig to make it look more like a real head of hair. The problem is that wigs have more hair than humans do and also that you will be setting it on top of the actor’s real hair. That means that the actor’s hair must be kept out of the way in a wig cap. Don’t braid the hair on the top of the head like a milk maid, contain it in a small tight bun at the nape of the neck. The part of the wig that is most critical to have close to the skin is in the front and you don’t want to put any bulk there. Sometimes I have used the actor’s hair set into pin curls in front, with a wig cap, and then bobby pinned the wig into the pin curls. It is bulky though and not as secure as using toupee clips sewn into the wig and then clipped to the hair at the actor’s temples. It’s very important to fasten the wig securely to the actor, because things happen onstage.
As I said before, try to find a wig in the style that you need because there is very little likelihood that you will be able to restyle a wig. You can tease and spray and wash but to restyle a non human hair wig you need heat and usually even heat doesn’t work. To wash the wigs just set them in a tub of cool water and a tiny bit of shampoo, let them rest in there overnight and then use fabric softener as your rinse, this will take down the frizzes. Dry the wig on a styrofoam wig head, handle the wig as little as possible. Store your wigs in bone dry condition in zip lock bags with a label. It will help when you need to find a wig later.
Benethea after her transformation in A Raisin in the Sun
In some productions the hair and wigs are so important that they need to be decided upon right away. A good example of that is A Raisin in the Sun. One of the characters, Benethea, decided to cut her hair half way through the play. She is taking a stand against straightened hair and needs to have an Afro. If the actress has short hair already this is an easy change. But the production I designed had an actress in the role who had waist length dreads. We had to wig her for both her looks. Fortunately I had an excellent wig maker but I had to beg the production manager to hire her. I felt like anyone who knew the play, knew how important that transformation was and he saw the light. For that production and many I have worked on I was required to provide costumes for publicity photos way earlier than the production dates. I didn’t have the wigs so I had to improvise. But that is something to remember, publicity photos focus on the actors heads and shoulders for the most part. So give it some thought right away and find out specifically what the director has in mind and which actors the director needs to be photographed. You will need to help the actors with their makeup too if it is a period play so getting started on that immediately isn’t too soon. Here is what Helen Mirren says about wigs and costumes in her autobiography In the Frame; “Wigs are often such an important part of constructing a performance. As a performer I appreciate the brilliant craftspeople that construct both wigs and costumes, and owe them a great debt. Their work is done with the same commitment and passion as any actor. A performance can either be made or destroyed by these elements.”
Helen Mirren as The Queen
Costumier 