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Show r 0 if . f ? KEITH WIRTZ In his second season with the Utah Shakespearean. Festival Wirtz has demonstrated his outstanding ability as a makeup artist. Keith Wietz, Make-up Artist Delux which demand more than the usual attention, but it takes at least two technicians approximately ap-proximately two and one-half hours to apply Caliban's makeup. Richard Rossi, the actor playing this role, has to be fully costumed, claw-like hands and all, before the facial makeup can be completed. It begins with a rubber latex mask upon which pliable material is worked in to the gnarled and grotesque features which finally emerge as ' Caliban. His snarled and unkemp hair appears to be an extension of his matted, fur-like costume. Dale Young, who has majored in drama at SUSC, designed the Caliban makeup, and Mark Weaving 14 heards of various shapes, sizes, and colors is a job that cannot be done in just a day or two, nor by the average person. Keith Wirtz, makeup artist, is above average in his profession as proven by the work he has done for the Utah Shakespearean Festival this season and last. He has either constructed, or supervised the construction of the beards and wigs worn in the plays as well as assisting with makeup and special effects. He describes beard making as "something like crocheting." He and his assistants readied all of these life-like head and facial coverings in the four weeks allotted for the work, s There' was a time, in past seasons, when most of the actors arrived for Festival casting with long hair arid beards intact. Some still do, but each company member has to have hair and any beards they wear in the plays specially styled, whether it. is their own or the contrivance of the makeup technician. It is the usual rather than the rare situation for an actor to appear on stage one night as a clean-shaven youth, and the next evening as a gray-bearded patriarch or scrubby buffoon. Mr. Wirtz is in his second year as a makeup technician for the Festival. Last year's experience and his participation in a number of on and off-stage theatrical assignments have prepared him for the monumental task of creating just Jhe right makeup, including hair and beards, for each of the Festival performers. Although most of the acting company apply their own makeup each evening, the total effect of makeup and costuming has been carefully plannned beforehand by directors, designers, the actors' themselves, them-selves, and the makeup technicians. Mr. Wirtz states that he considers con-siders the appearance of Caliban in THE TEMPEST to be "the special effect of this season." Each play has one or more roles Baird helps apply tne mask ana -the special effects. He, April, I Striegel and M.L.V Baker also I assist in 'making beards. ? I Mr. Wirtz was a guest lecturer I in advanced makeup at SUSC I spring quarter and was able at I that time to do some planning I toward his Festival makeup I assignments. I Last winter he directed I BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE and I PLAZA SUITE for the Boone, I Iowa, Community Theatre. I He has also worked with Actors I Incorporated in Ames, Iowa. I There, he served as the technical I director for the childrens theatre I production of PINNOCCHIO, I supervised makeup, and did I other backstage work. I He said that one of his favorite I experiences was his association I with the Memorial Union I Theatre and the Iowa State I University campus in Ames I where he performed in I PROMISES, PROMISES and I did the makeup for WESTSIDE I STORY. "The theatre there is an I intimate three-fourths arena I arrangement which is very I interesting to work with," he I said. I Mr. Wirtz received his I Bachelor of Arts degree in I Theatre from Iowa State, where I he served as a costumer for two I years and performed in CAN- I TERBURY TALES: a musical; I LYSISTRATA, a Greek traeedv; I ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, a I musical comedy; and YOU I CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU, a I Broadway and movie classic. I He also studied art at Iowa. I Before enrolling at the university I he attended Boone Junior College I and also became a licensed I cosmetologist. I His parents and other family I members will visit from Iowa I during the current Festival I season, as they did last year. I They and other observing the I company will note that Mr. Wirtz I has probably the shortest hair I and most modest beard of all the I Festival participants. I |