I'm designing hair & makeup for a production of Macbeth that opens this Friday. This is a very active production - lots of sword fighting with real swords, not plastic or wooden ones, and the witches have some pretty creepy movement when they're not playing Messenger #1, Lady's Maid #2, etc. All this means that, for example, fight call takes a lot of time because there's so much to rehearse. (Fight call is when the performers go through their fight choreography, first at half speed, then at full speed. This is a very important safety procedure.)
Our costumers are still putting finishing touches on the players' armor, cloaks, etc., and the lighting and sound are still being tweaked. All this to say that our director has a LOT of pieces to look at and make decisions on. So far, I've gotten only one note, on the first version of Witch #1's wig. Just finding the time to ask her a question when she doesn't look like her brain will explode serves to remind me that, while not unimportant, hair & makeup is well down most directors' list of things that they need to render a decision on. In fact, one of the cast told me that this is the first production she's been in that even had a hair & makeup person.
Bottom line: It's important to me because that's where my focus is. Other people, however, have a LOT more things competing for their attention, so my priority and theirs don't align. I'm not whining, just laughing ruefully at myself.
(My witches won't look like this but I liked the photo.)
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