L'Oréal make-up ambassador, Sylvie Hurford, and professional fashion photographer, Kristina Stojljkovic, met the cast HAIR RAISING to prepare the company for their production that will be running from from 19 August to 23 August. An entirely original show, HAIR RAISING will be devised according to the principles of Workshop Theatre.
Hurford and Stojiljkovic conceptualised the visual images which are going to be used to advertise and promote the premise ofHAIR RAISING to the school and the greater Cape Town community. The cast members were all asked to offer poses which depict a wide range of emotions felt by those who have been diagnosed with cancer and face chemotherapy treatment.
Stojiljkovic was especially proud of how committed the young cast seemed to be about using drama as a tool for education. She described the message of HAIR RAISING as "timeless, something which people from all walks of life can learn from. HAIR RAISING is going to be about real-life people and the challenges that many face in the real world." Stojiljkovic opted to photograph the actresses against a dark brown backdrop, a colour which often carries melancholy connotations, to contrast the vibrancy and energy of the girls' poses.
Hurford, who recounted a personal experience about losing a dear friend to cancer a few years ago, agreed with Kristina that HAIR RAISING needs to be depicted as a celebration of human life. She emphasised how important it was to "keep the look young and healthy". All actresses were given a nude colour bandana to wear which created the impression of cancer patients having undergone intensive chemotherapy and hair loss. Said Hurford, "A sheer, glossy, lightweight foundation was used to even out the skin tone and to achieve a very natural yet radiant look. Lots of mascara was used to open-up and add sparkle to the eyes. A pop of pure pink was applied to the apple of their cheeks to overplay slightly the natural blush young girls have, echoing this on the lips too."
Both Hurford and Stojiljkovic spoke about how inspired they felt by the concept of Rustenburg's HAIR RAISING production and how the experience at the photo shoot brought back memories of their own involvement in drama at school. Adrian Skelly, Head of the Dramatic Arts department at Rustenburg and director of Hair Raising, said, "After the success of THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE in 2013 we felt a need to take an altogether different approach this year. HAIR RAISING is not going to be a conventional school play by any means. We found ourselves motivated by the goal to use drama as a community outreach tool, with a definite philanthropic purpose to raise cancer awareness. Soon this developed into something much greater than we had imagined: parents, siblings, teachers, Rustenburg "old girls" and even medical oncologists are all gathering to share their stories about what hair means to different people at different times in their lives."
HAIR RAISING will be performed at Rustenburg High School for Girls from 19 August to 23 August this year.
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