2010 Summer Symposium

"Wig Making and Styling"
August 5-7, 2010
School of Design and Production at The University of North Carolina School of the Arts,
Winston-Salem, North Carolina The 2010 Costume Symposium is a unique opportunity for participants to focus on wig making or styling techniques. Participants will identify a track for the symposium from

1. fronting commercial wigs
2. building full-foundations from scratch
3. constructing and styling facial hairpieces
4. hair styling techniques for human, synthetic and yak wigs

Symposium Brochure

Symposium Registration Form

Symposium Presenters

Ms. Ruskai began her career working with such legendary singers as Jerome Hines, John Alexander, and Dame Joan Sutherland. During her 25 year career she has designed more than 200 productions at over 25 companies in every area of the performing arts. Career highlights include building Bryn Terfel's wig for his United States debut and designing Der Rosenkavalier with Helen Donath and Delores Zeigler.

Her professional credits as makeup artist, wig maker, and designer include Piedmont Opera Theater, Opera Carolina, Santa Fe, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Nashville, Atlanta, and National operas; Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; Georgia Shakespeare Festival, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, New York Concert Baroque/Concert Royal; Atlanta Ballet; and North Carolina Dance Theatre. In addition to fashion runway work, Ms. Ruskai has styled print and TV ads for Miller Light Beer, Girbaud Clothing, IBM, and Neese's Sausage. Film work includes historic re-enactment films for Planter's Peanuts and the John Witherspoon plantation. She also built and styled properties wigs for the motion picture Sleeping with the Enemy as well as building and styling wigs for several made-for-TV productions including ÒTecumseh!Ó In addition she maintains an active guest lecturer schedule having given Master Classes at Duke University, WFU, UNC-CH, Indiana University, Colorado College, Brenau College, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Georgia State University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. She recently made her NYC debut designing wigs for Tartuffe at The Pearl Theatre Company.

Ms. Ruskai earned a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and a Masters of Fine Arts in Theatre Design from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She has been on the faculty at University of North Carolina School of the Arts since September 1987. She conceived and developed the Wig and Makeup training program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts in 1989.

Ms. Ruskai recently completed The Complete Wig Making and Styling Guide; co-authored with Allison Lowery. The book, published by Focal Press became available in March of 2010.

Allison Lowery

Ms. Lowery is the Wig and Makeup Specialist for Texas Performing Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. In her spare time, she frequently works as hairstylist and makeup artist for print work, in addition to designing and creating wigs for Zilker Theatre Productions, Austin Shakespeare Festival, and St. Edwards University. She was the co-recipient of the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Costume Design for the St. Edwards University production of The Way of the World. She has also served as the wig master for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and American Players Theatre.She has created wigs and/or worked as a makeup artist for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Austin Lyric Opera, Sarasota Opera, and Glimmerglass Opera. She is the co-author of Wig Making and Styling: A Complete Guide for Theatre and Film with Martha Ruskai. She is a 1999 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Kelly Yurko

Assistant Professor of Makeup at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Ms. Yurko was the wig master/makeup artist for the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park from 1989-2001. She has 12 years experience in makeup design, ventilating and construction of wigs, facial hair, prosthetics, and mold making. She served as wig master for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Geva Theatre, Hartford Stage Company, Ford's Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville, and Denver Theatre Center. In addition she was the wig master/makeup artist for the Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, Columbus Opera, Santa Fe Stages, and Kentucky Opera.

Mark Boley

Mr. Boley, a special effects hair expert, has worked with, for, and on many of the best of the special effects movies produced in the last 10 years. Credited on Chronicles of Narnia...Prince Caspian, The Lion the Witch & The Wardrobe, The Unborn, Drag Me To Hell,and the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He is currently the head of the hair department K.N.BEFX Group in Los Angeles, California. Previously Mr. Boley was head of the hair department at Steve Johnson's Edge FX, and he also worked for Greg Cannom and Todd Masters.

2009: Creating Creatures with Foam and Varaform

2008: Fabric Modification

2007: Costuming in the Entertainment Industry

2006: A Master Class in Tailoring Techniques for Men's Wear

2005: Working and Shopping in New York

2004: Teaching Costuming: Sharing Stragegies-Creating Solutions

2003: Introduction to Drafting Men's Wear Patters