American Craft – August 01, 2019

How They’re Made

at the guthrie, wigs are
built from scratch “in virtually
the same way they were in
Shakespeare’s time,” says
Stearns. Here are the basic
steps her team follows.

Step 1: Wrap the performer’s

scalp in plastic, taping it down

around their face with clear

packing tape. Then use a black

marker to trace the perform-

er’s hairline.

Step 2: Lift off the taped and

marked plastic (called a “head

wrap”) and place it on a model

of a head (a “wig block” ). If

necessary, use cotton batting

to pad the block in the shape

of the performer’s head and

secure it with tape. This be-

comes the mold from which

the wig will be built.

Step 3: Drape pieces of net-

ting and/or lace over the mold

to build the wig’s foundation

layer. Pin the foundation ele-

ments down with t-pins and

small headless nails called

points. Use thin Swiss lace at

the front to create a seamless

transition between the wig’s

hairline and the performer’s

forehead.

Step 4: Use a ventilating

needle (a hooked needle also

known as a “knotting hook”)

and invisible thread to stitch

the netting and/or lace pieces

together. First use small darts

and gathers to help shape the

netting and create a close fit

around the wig block, then

stitch together the netted

foundation to reinforce it.

Step 5: After the wig’s foun-

dation is complete, use a venti-

lating needle to tie hair into

the netting, a process similar

to latch-hook rug making. Use

larger needles on the back of

the wig, and smaller, finer nee-

dles on the often highly visible

hairline. In some wigs, tracks

of hair called wefts are machine-

sewn onto the foundation.

Step 6: Style the wig by tak-

ing into account the play’s time

period and plot as well as the

character, any allergies or

chemical sensitivities the per-

former may have, and weather

conditions such as humidity,

which can affect hair unpre-

dictably. Restyle the wig after

each performance, ensuring

visual consistency between

all the shows in a run.

Wigs for xe Stage

The Tools

Many of the instruments

wig makers use – tape,

markers, and magnifying

glasses – are relatively

common. Trade-specific

tools include a drawing

card (a flat, two-piece

tool for holding loose

hair that works much like

Velcro) and hooked ven-

tilating needles (used

to tie loose hair into a

wig’s netted foundation).

Styling tools and prod-

ucts you’d find in salons

are used to complete and

maintain the wigs.

Did You Know?

• All the hair used by the Guth-
  rie’s wig team is human, save
  for a small amount of yak hair.
  While it doesn’t have quite the
  look and feel of human hair,
  yak hair responds to heat in
  the same way, a must for styling.
  It also comes in a wider variety
  of colors than human hair.


• Most of the hair used for
  hair extensions and wigs,
  including the Guthrie’s,
  comes from India or China.


• Over the years, several
  performers have donated
  their hair to the Guthrie
  for future wigs.
  
  
  • The most expensive hair
    color to source? Gray. Because
    gray hair is more fragile, peo-
    ple tend not to grow it out long
    enough to make a wig, making
    naturally gray human hair vir-
    tually impossible to find. Fol-
    lowing gray in descending
    order of cost are red, blonde,
    brunette, and black.
  
  
  • The hair to make one wig
    can cost anywhere from $9 0 0
    to $1,50 0. Uncommon colors,
    textures, or significant length
    can drive the price even higher.
  
  
  • The widest wig on record
    was worn by Drew Barrymore
    on The Tonight Show in
    January 2 017. Made by Kelly
    Hanson and Randy Carfagno
    Productions LLC, the
    unwieldy 7-foot -wide, 5-foot-
    tall wig took four people to
    place on Barrymore’s head.
  
  
  • A wig can take 25 to 60
    hours to make, depending
    on its volume and length and
    the speed of the wig maker.
  
  
  • For head tracings, the
    Guthrie’s wig makers strongly
    prefer using Baggies brand
    bags. (“Any plastic will not
    do,” says Stearns.) Plastic cling
    film is the product of choice
    for other wig makers.
  
  
  • The Guthrie’s wig team^
    stores many of their wigs,
    beards, and other hairpieces
    in one-gallon plastic bags that
    they organize in file cabinets
    and plastic bins. Team mem-
    bers note the play title, charac-
    ter and performer names, and
    other helpful details (e.g.,
    “won’t hold a curl”) on the
    front of each bag.
  
  
  • Guthrie wigs are on a regular
    schedule for basic washing and
    conditioning.
  
  
  • At the Guthrie, wigs are
    made to last. Some have
    graced their stages for nearly
    30 years.
  
  
  
  

In Progress

Building a wig from

scratch takes about

25 to 60 hours of

meticulous work.