In the realm of the rubber faces and false moustaches

The mask workshop of the chamber of games is an archive of the strangest things. A Visit To.

By Ekaterina Kel Ekaterina Kel

Born in 1988. Studies of Applied theatre science in Giessen. Since October of 2017, a volunteer with the SZ.

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can happen At the threshold to the world of moustaches and wigs so much. As you get to meet some of the actress Annette Paulmann, in a squeaky green dress and with red lips on a chair in the hallway sitting down. In front of her, a fellow with camera in Hand. "We're doing a Film," calls Paul a man for the visitors according to. A nervous Laugh, and then the Moment is over. Brigitte Frank takes over, welcomes your guests. She is the head of the mask Department of the Munich chamber and loads with long, outstretched arms, in your Kingdom, the workshop.

There, Leni, Paul, a businessman, dressed to the nines reddish brown Labrador bitch. Leni is shown not to be very impressed from the action. What you can see here is no ordinary sight: a monstrous matter of course, three mask designers dig around just inside, in the hollow heads. Grab you by the neck, to feel where the brain would have to sit. Then you turn around a head, with the face. There, the chin, the not, still fits says one and pulls it to his neck. On the cheek, a crease, yet the other says, and wipe it smooth. The mouth of the head does not warp. It is the mouth of Walter Hess.

The mask workshop of the Munich chamber games is a space in which nothing seems impossible. Here is a wall with artificial wounds.

image: Alessandra Schellnegger

Here you can permanent lip time to time establish.

image: Alessandra Schellnegger

A twelve-strong Team is currently working in the workshop at the masks for Susanne Kennedy's production of "Three sisters".

image: Alessandra Schellnegger

in order for the latex masks hang limp on the faces of the actors, they are adapted to the respective shape of the head.

image: Alessandra Schellnegger

all Sorts of brushes of various Thicknesses image: Alessandra Schellnegger

Old head castings are kept for possible further use in an extra room.

image: Alessandra Schellnegger loading ...

of Course, not the real one, just to be precise counterpart of flesh-coloured Latex, the open lips pink colored. What is happening is the current everyday life of Brigitte, Frank and her Team of elf make-up artists. Two of them manage to pull just the individual rubber mask of the actor Hess. There is still much to do until the Premiere of the "Three sisters", in which Walter Hess will put on its mask. So it has come up with the Director Susanne Kennedy. Now, two days in advance, is clear to all what exactly needs to be done so that everything fits precisely, Frank said.

the path that the announcements go, is always approximately equal to: Kennedy has the idea, their costume designer, in this case, it is the quiet Teresa Vergho with the bright blue eyes, to the artistic design. Together, they search for inspiration, until they manifest themselves in a first draft. This Time a shopping in maskworld.com was necessary, because the masks from foam latex, complete the skull, enveloping, down to the neck, with holes for eyes and Nostrils, you can buy ready-made. On the Website of the "very high wearing comfort is praised". The men mask is sold under the name bloggs. The women run under Gloria or Diva Deluxe. You have touched one of them, to feel the slippery Material, the smell, the hands still hours later after rubber.

At the beginning it looked bad, Frank. If she tells you, gesturing you generous, narrow hands around in circles. Nothing fit, the Latex schlabberte to necks and cheeks, the lips would not move. Kennedy was not satisfied. "You sat there and said, so it can't stay." So it was for Franke and their employees once again ran. They wondered how to get the rubber faces closely to the actual faces. Now you can see the result of your Considerations: fine cuts, seams, zippers on the back of the head.

The room in which Frank, with a mild steps, a little bouncy, moves, is bright and evenly lit. Long light tubes hanging from the ceiling and give a subtle cold light. In rectangular flower boxes in front of the Windows of lilies, which have already left many offshoots down to grow Green. In the middle of the room a square table surface, on which the employees sew the zippers in the latex mask. To the left and to the right in smaller tables and mirrors. Felt everywhere peep out individual hair strands somewhere, in one of the side rooms storage baskets.

You can spend hours reading the labels of the series to enjoy it. In a nondescript Stack of boxes things like "chest hair toupees" or "Various hair-curiosities store". White, green, yellow heads in the shelves and on the tables. Right at the bottom of the heating such a head with a shaggy short-hair wig of a dirty Blond. Because someone has pinned a pin on a piece of paper: "Angela Merkel". It is not finished yet, says Brigitte Frank, because of the Pride of an experienced makeup artist with swings. What will people think, the look like Merkel, Photographing is not allowed.

In the middle thrones the actor heads out of plaster. Inveterate chamber games-the spectators could recognize them, Because the smaller heads of Anna Maria Sturm, and Eva Löbau, Christian Löber in addition, stands behind it, Benjamin Radjaipour directly. Your eyes to. You sleep, or rest, or suffering. Or to say correctly, it's not your eyes, but your models are? Frank is working with one of your employees, a rubber head on the plaster head on the seat. It falters. Of course these are not their heads. Everything looks so clearly fake, and yet, it is not the eyes closed, Christian Löber, on the of staring?

"What is the reality we believe in?"

Kennedy says, even when the mask is off, even if the actor stands with his own face on the stage, there is still a mask. The reality is then just a further case in front of the truth. And in General: "What is the reality in which we believe? The faces are truthful?", asks Kennedy. Maybe she's right. For the Moment, especially the immaculate seat of Gloria, the Diva Deluxe and Max counts in the workshop.

Here is developed by Kennedy and many of their mask ideas in the first place. "Three sisters" is her fifth production at the house and, consequently, the fifth collaboration with Brigitte Frank. "Everyone who has worked with the mask workshop, the kammerspiele, is spoiled," says Kennedy. It is the attention to Detail is estimated, the Kennedy with Frank and your Team. Frank has brought probably from her years of work for film productions.

Meanwhile, the rubber sleeve. A few last stitches, then it is ready for the stage. Slipping it on, Yes. Hide nothing is including but. On the contrary, says Frank: "things are so visible, such as under the microscope."