The Tempest: Shakespeare in the Park

I have a chance to face paint for 8 actors ages 10-15 performing in The Tempest! I'm so excited as I want work that will not be during my normal party times & have wanted to get into theatre. I have a few questions:

Is it ok to use the Mehron Barrier Spray on kids that age?

Do I spray it before & after the paint?

Will it keep the paints from sweating off?(this is in an amphitheatre outside & has the potential of being warmer weather).

How much time should I dedicate to each actor?

How do you price these gigs(I'm giving them a good rate with the knowledge that I've never done work like this. They really want me since they love the work on my site).

Any other advice for a novice is always welcome! Thank you!!!

Can't help, but it is so cool that you got this gig! Yeah you!

.

It should be okay to use the barrier spray under and over the paints, but I would suggest using actual theatre make up, or greast paint and setting it with baby powder. Theatre make up is designed to hold up under the hot lights on stage and to withstand even excessive sweating.

I used to be in theatre back in high school and was head of the make-up crew. Before I got there, they were using bad make up from halloween, but I raised the money to go out and purchase actual theatre makeup and they're appearance on stage improved ten fold.

If you do decide to go with theatre make up, I would suggest Mehron and/or Ben Nye adn setting it with baby powder or setting powder. You don't need barrier spray if you go with this method.

Ben Nye have a translucent setting powder that is actually colourless might be safer/easier to control than a spray.

I was thinking of getting the setting powder. I'd never use baby powder. That's what the lady I started with told me to use when I started clowning with her. My eyes swelled shut
Definitely going talcum powder free.

First... I use face paint often for theatre and it hold up fine without barrier sprays. I don't use them as I don't like them - too many chemicals to trigger reactions.

Second... if you are concerned about durability use theatrical make-up and set it with powder. It comes in all the colours you could need. And I second Punky's recommendation for Ben Nye or Mehron. I use both.

As to how much time... are you doing straight make-up or character? I generally allow 15-20 min for straight and 30-45 min for character (extreme old age, etc.) Fantasy sort of falls in between.

I'm painting on the kid actors, so I'm probably going to do minimal make up & more accent the ideas of the animal spirits(I'm hopin 10-15 minutes a child). Am I completely off on this? YIKES!

I'm doing it pretty cheap since it'll be the parents paying & not the production. it a free to the public thing, so they're broke. It's only 1o minutes from home. This said, I'm going to try & use what I have, maybe buy the setting powder & that's it. I don't want to spend on all new paints.

Thank you for the info.

I'm excited to get this chance, since right now there's no one doing theatrical make-up. I've called all the companies in our area & the consensus is do it yourself. Hopefully I can break that idea....