Greek Tragedy Mask Project

Objective: Create a dramatic mask in the spirit of the Ancient Grecian stage. 

Materials:

Procedure:

1. Rip your newspaper into strips 2-3 inches wide, and 12-16 inches long.  Set these aside.
2. Get your mixing bowl and fill it half-way with water.  Add flour to the water gradually until enough is dissolved to give you your paste for glueing.
3. Read the following paragraph:

   Tragic masks were not oversized or distorted; including the attached wig, they covered the entire head, with openings for the eyes and mouth. They were made of light-weight materials such as stiffened linen, leather or wood and were painted in a realistic fashion. Some later written evidence suggests that satyr masks were painted with reddish skin, male masks had brownish or yellowish skin, and female masks had white skin. Masks of young men like the one at the left were beardless; men in their prime had full beards and brown or yellow hair; old men were depicted as balding, with long grey beards. Hair color distinguished young and old female masks, and hair length was also important—long hair was typical, while “half-shorn” wigs designated women in mourning and closely cropped wigs indicated female slaves. Certain special masks were occasionally used for dramatic impact; for example, Oedipus may have worn a special mask after his blinding, and Aeschylus’ chorus of Furies certainly wore masks that suggested their monstrous appearance. The mask with an exaggerated peak of piled-up hair over the brow (called an onkos), as shown in this small terracotta mask or this mosaic from Pompeii, was a late Hellenistic and Roman feature.

4. On your cardboard square, sketch the outline for your mask.  Carefully follow the suggestions as noted in the above paragraph.  You will need to shape the mask to cover your face, as this mask will not fit over your entire head.  Be sure to include the features that show you as a female, male, and dramatic impact.  Your mask will reflect you as an actor and a character in the play, so make it accurate. 
5. Cut the cardboard into the rough outline of your finished mask. Include openings for the eyes and mouth. On either side, include a small opening to allow a string to be attached. Cover your cardboard with wax paper or aluminum foil.
6. Use the cardboard as the base for your mache model.  One strip at a time, dip the shredded newspaper into your flour/glue solution and apply to the cardboard, forming a face layer by layer.  You will need to build your masks gradually, allowing each strip to dry as completely as possible before adding another strip on top of it.
7. Allow the finished masks to dry. Carefully remove the cardboard backing.
8. When dry, color your mask appropriately.
9. On the back, include a short, written description of the character you sought to capture in your mask. Be sure this description includes the character's name, social position, sex, and emotional state. Write your name in permanent marker prominently on the back.

Rubric: