Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1500442
THE ARTISAN SUMMER 2023 • 33 Lana: They were such good collaborators, in that they really worked at making all, especially the creative departments, feel like we should bring ideas to the table—if we had a funny idea or if we had any input, even one they didn't want to use, they were always very open and loved hearing what we thought. It's always fun to be a part of a show when you feel like you're actually a part of it versus just coming to work and doing something mundane. Theraesa: It's nice to be the Crayola marker and not just a no. 2 pencil. What other departments did you work closely with and what did that look like? Did any of the actors or their backgrounds inspire how you tackled their specific looks? Lana: We've worked with the costume designer several times, so we're definitely like a trio and it's a unique process. As costume designers, they get the information first, but she always comes right to us and we like to plan and spitball ideas so we can say, "Hey, what if I do this" and then "Oh, I'll add this." So when you have all three of us working together like that, it's like every look is very well-rounded, and it flows versus just everybody doing their own show, which would be kind of a mess. So because all three of us have that shorthand, it really makes it such an easy process. And then if a background or an actor would come in and they already had something funny or they had a funny idea, there was this sense that, "Of course, we would always build on it." And she was like, "What if we, what if we did this?" And you know, we had this whole plan and then she came in, and the entire plan changed and totally for the better. Theraesa: Well, I think that the good thing about working with Lana is that we've known each other for a long time, and like she was saying with Beth Morgan, the costume designer, you know, most days were very fun, but sometimes we ran into challenges, of course. Every day was actually fun, but you know, you run into challenges or things that happen and so it's nice to be able to go and say you need help or "Hey, I thought this wig would fit but it doesn't and now I'm in trouble, so what can we do?" And whether it's put a hat on or add sideburns where the wig is short, it's nice to be able to help each other out. And it's really not about egos. It's how can we produce the best look with what we have and what's within our abilities. What was your favorite sketch to work on and why? What was the most difficult? Talk us through the step-by-step process for both your favorite and the most challenging. What techniques and products were used? Lana: Even when I read that first sketch, I was like, "Oh my God, is Andy Cohen coming out? Are we gonna meet the Real Housewives?" So Ike was able to get us a housewife, which was very fun. But that also truly elevated fun make-up and since I watched a lot of Housewives, I feel like all of us did a really good job making them actually look like they were at a reunion. In terms of most difficult, there were days when it was: "Oh, we have to turn somebody into an alien or throw a bunch of beards on these guys." And it's 150 degrees outside and the beards are sliding off these pieces or they're working on something else and they already had a beard and we had to glue a beard over it because they couldn't shave it. Theraesa: One I particularly liked was the Beatles sketch, but it was also difficult because I pre-made those dreadlock wigs. So, it was just kind of like with every day on the show where you just don't know what's going to happen and who's going to come in. It's not a situation where we can really get photos of people. Some people were coming in at the last minute and so you just kind of see them when they get there. But I liked that one and I liked "Jews in Outer Space," too. Some days, we would ask Ike, Nick, Wanda [about their thoughts on a look]. And a lot of times they'd be like, "Well, let's see what they come in with and then we'll figure it out." And that's what we would do sometimes. Lana: It's true here: All the research in the world could not really have prepared us for what we were walking into, to be honest. We were fortune to have so much research, so many photos and truthfully at the pace that we went, it was run and gun. It didn't matter what other variables were on the table.