In the workshop of the "Capitole" Theater in Toulouse, southwestern France, the skilled hands of artisans meticulously craft wigs in various styles, whether curly, wavy, or with any other desired look. This theater is one of the few national opera houses that create their own hairstyles for performances.
Thierry Logal, a 59-year-old worker in the workshop, explained to Agence France-Presse that "everything is prepared a year in advance." He further elaborated that the fashion designer selects the style, colors, and hairstyles, and sends the models to the workshop. The process of creating each wig takes four to five days, and sometimes even ten.
Logal explained that the number of "wigs" required for each opera performance depends on the number of individual musicians and singers in the chorus, which can reach up to eighty. Each wig is custom-made to fit each artist's measurements.
Inside the workshop, mannequin heads made of polystyrene display a collection of curly wigs for the opera "The Pearl Fishers" by Georges Bizet and long braided wigs for the opera "Boris Godunov" by Mussorgsky. These wigs are awaiting the upcoming season's performances, which will begin in the fall.
Around a large table, a group of approximately ten wig makers, mostly women, meticulously work under magnifying lamps to create wig covers for other wooden heads covered with delicate tulle hats.
Among these women is Tanya Kochovitch, 36 years old, who described the technique used, stating, "I thread a hook through the tulle, grab the hair, tie it with the hook, and then tighten it. This is how the entire process of implanting the wig is done."
The strands of hair, which are natural to achieve the best results compared to synthetic fibers, are prepped in metal combs, allowing the workers to extract them without tangling.
Vanessa Marchioni, 52 years old and in charge of managing the workshop, explained that the wig implantation must start from the root, not the tip, to ensure proper styling and prevent damage. She coordinates the importation of hair, mainly from Asia and Eastern Europe. The imported hair, which comes in various colors ranging from dark brown to light blond, is washed, cut, and sometimes dyed in different colors like blue, purple, red, and more.
Marchioni, who inherited the profession from her Italian grandfather, who migrated from Naples to Marseille, and her parents, who previously managed the workshop, added, "Depending on the length, the price per kilogram ranges from 2,300 to 3,000 euros (...) and one wig requires about a hundred grams."
Toulouse Opera House, along with its counterparts in Paris and Strasbourg, is one of the few theaters that still produce their own wigs. Other theaters rely on external craftsmen.
Thierry Logal mentioned that the workshop preserves all the wigs after the performances because "the wigs are resistant to mold and do not change over time."
He added, "We have a stock of around five thousand wig pieces that can be reused in new productions or adapted for other opera or ballet shows."
Yak hair is preferred for the large wigs used in eighteenth-century productions due to its thickness, which provides a fuller volume.
In the same workshop, located on the fourth floor of the "Capitole" Opera building, beards, mustaches, masks, and jewelry that adorn the hair, as well as the makeup for singers and dancers, are also designed.
Although the workshop artists remain behind the scenes, they are present in every performance, intervening backstage to fix a strand of hair here, adjust a ribbon there, or add a touch of lipstick to the performers.
From September 24th to the next exhibition titled "Opera Laboratory" will take place in Toulouse. It will showcase models from the workshop's works, as well as costumes and sets designed in other workshops affiliated with the "Capitole" Theater. Among the displayed items are the sparkling tiaras for the ballets "The Nutcracker" and "Giselle," as well as the wigs from the opera "Carnival" by Verdi, designed by Christian Lacroix.
Marie Bonabel, the exhibition curator, expressed, "This perfection is the result of hours and hours of work for scenes that only last a few minutes on stage. It is a true reflection of the essence of opera, as it is something transient, yet all the magic of the performance lies within it!"
AFP