On his day off, he makes a trip to M.A.C Cosmetics to purchase dramatic false eyelashes for opening night. Criswell prefers M.A.C. make-up, common for professional artists.
Although expensive, the quality and vibrancy of the colors are amazing, he says.
Photo provided by Rick Criswell
In addition to other responsibilities as Artistic Director,
Criswell applies all of his own make-up for shows.
Criswell boasts that he can "put on a full face" in
20 minutes.
Criswell, who sometimes performs in drag, applies all of his own make-up for the shows.
“I’ve got it down to 20 minutes flat where I can put on a full face,” he boasts.
Although make-up is something at which he excels, the need for it at the TBPAC is quite minimal. The small depth of the theater makes large amounts of make-up unnecessary.
For the show “The Fabulous ‘50s,” Criswell advises all the actresses to look for not just any red lipsticks but the ones that Avon ladies sell door to door. Criswell recalls memories of his old Aunt Mary, an Avon representative from the 50s and 60s, carrying the little white tubes of lipsticks, all of them red.
It is important to stay true to the period because the people who come to these shows remember that, he says.
Taking his own advice, Criswell wears the brightest shade of red lipstick for his role as Miss Snodgrass in “The Fabulous ‘50s.” As he walks around stage wearing a dark colored pair of pumps, a gray wig and a pair of old ‘50s glasses, he radiates personality and a strong stage presence. In character, he appears in the audience with a flashlight checking to make sure everyone is appropriately behaving with their hands on the tabletops, as any 1950s educational instructor would do at a school dance.
For Criswell, a day away from the office normally consists of adventures like sifting through vintage thrift stores for clothing or browsing through Burlington Coat Factory in search of that perfect, flawless piece to fit and complete the costume.
“I shop all the time online and now, there are companies that make retro styles from those decades,” he says.
Besides directing and performing, Criswell is also the resident costume designer for all of the shows at the Jaeb Theater.
“I do research. I look on the Internet to see what the time periods were, what the hairstyles looked like, makeup looked like, costumes looked like, what every piece looked like during that time that the show is set in,” Criswell says. “I try to recreate the styles within the make-up.”
Every morning, Criswell awakens with theater on his mind. Although everyone has their days when they would prefer to stay in their warm bed, Criswell goes to work with a smile on his face.
Passion and the desire to be accepted drives artists to do what they do.
“Anyone who says that’s not true is lying to you,” Criswell says.
The attention is what artists thrive on. They crave it, they love it and they need it to fill every inch of their core.
“Art comes from within your soul and being,” Criswell explains. “I’ve always known my niche in life is to bring some sort of joy or smile to someone everyday.”
If he had his life to live over again, would he?
“I’ve taken a wild journey. Yes, if I could go back, I would have taken a different route,” he says.
But overall, he is satisfied with his successes and accomplishments.
“I started as an actor myself,” he says. “I’ve been a vagabond for many years and lived out of suitcases.”
Rick Criswell has lived his life to the fullest, coming from living out of a suitcase to being the Artistic Director for the TBPAC. Life has many paths and Criswell’s are far from ending, as he even admits to not knowing where he will be next week or next year.
“My life is my work and it has its ups and downs,” Criswell says. “My life is the theater.”