costume drama

let's add beard to that, too. costume and beard drama. that's what my life has boiled down to this past week. in preparation for the upcoming holiday show (see last post) I have been cool as a cucumber in the snow. working steadily, but confidently. writing and performing what I have written is something I have experience in. wearing a costume and fake hair on my face, not so much.

friday of last week, day to finish all costumes as indicated by my pencil marked planner, was somewhat of a learning experience/debacle. i did end up finishing all costumes, save for a few snaps and the sewing of the split that ran up the back of my robe to my waist, but not without falling into a pitiful pit of despair, practically estranging my best friend/co-performer in all my flailing. I can't help but think that my costume is so pretty because I used up all the ugly during the process of making it. but I got it done. and all I had left to do is memorize my lines. and then last night happened.

my friend was suppose to drive up from white center to tutor me in the fine art of fake beards. nasty weather and an eye infection colluded in the prevention of me receiving her assistance. nonetheless, I forged ahead. i got a scrappy beard trial #1 done, and feeling kinda meh about it, I washed it off for a clean slate to try beard option number 2. I did not get to beard number 2. what happened next was a rare occurrence of my smarts brain separating from my get it done brain. in the process of applying said fake facial hair (using spirit gum and clippings from a large fake brown autonomous braid) I was rinsing my hands off in the sink. the gum was coming off easily. get it done brain did not register the fact that the gum was still wet when it came into contact with water. so when it came time to remove #1, I reached for soap and water, bending over the kitchen sink as I peeled chunks of hair off me. the hair came off with a bit of persuasion, but the spirit gum, well, turned on me. it's like the combo of water and soap chemically altered the gum, effectively amping up it's adhesive qualities, fusing it to my face in a this would be cool, maybe come in handy some day even, if it weren't my face kinda way. you know when you get a sticker wet to peel it off and just the paper part comes off? that's kinda what was happening. but on my face. rewind to last week, standing in the costume party supply store, chatting it up with the employee there about beards, I opted for the larger bottle of spirit gum and not the smaller one that came with extra packaging, presumably with directions printed on the back, and with it a small white bottle marked SPIRIT GUM REMOVER. ah ha. fast forward to last night, just after same best friend/co-performer googled 'how to remove spirit gum,' I found myself back at the kitchen sink, swabbing my cheeks with alcohol soaked hand towels for the better part of what seemed like forever. owie. file under yet another lessoned learned. . . me thinks tho, as much as I favor realism, jesus might have a drawn on beard. at least until my face forgives me.