Mask Makers and Their Craft

Profiling 30 mask makers from around the world, this book explores the motivations and challenges of contemporary artists working to bring the traditional methods and conventions of mask making to an evolving global theatre. There are 181 photographs—including two sections of color plates—which illustrate how the mythic iconography of masks is used in the modern fields of dance, mime, theatre and storytelling.
Topics include the ways in which mask artists and performers maintain a sense of universality despite varying local customs; the legacies of Italian mask makers Amleto and Donato Sartori and of the California–based Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre; and the ways in which traditional approaches in mask artistry continue to influence commercial mask performance ventures in film, on Broadway, and in touring companies.

Deborah Bell is a professor in costume design at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she has taught for three decades.

Deborah Bell
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 264
Bibliographic Info: 181 photos (56 in color), appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2015 [2010]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-9753-9
eISBN: 978-0-7864-5764-9
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments    &nbsp ix

Introduction    &nbsp 1

1. The Traditional Mask in Performance    &nbsp 7

2. Describing and Displaying the Work of Traditional Mask Makers    &nbsp 17

Between pages 84 and 85 are 8 color plates containing 27 photographs

3. Mask Making Techniques    &nbsp 102

4. Insights of International Mask Makers    &nbsp 140

5. Influences on Mask Making for Contemporary Masked Performances    &nbsp 155

6. Commercial Mask Makers and Traditional Mythic Concepts    &nbsp 168

Between pages 180 and 181 are 8 color plates containing 29 photographs

7. New Global Directions for Mask Makers    &nbsp 181

Conclusion    &nbsp 206

Appendix I: Basic Functions of the Mask    &nbsp 209

Appendix II: Leather Mask Materials Suppliers    &nbsp 212

Appendix III: Contact Information for Mask Makers    &nbsp 214

Chapter Notes    &nbsp 217

Bibliography    &nbsp 223

Index    &nbsp 229

“excellent…recommended”—Choice; “fascinating study…excellent discussions”—Theatre Design and Technology; “of great value”—ARBA.