We went to go see a play last night called “The Mystery of Irma Vep”. It’s a satire of several theatrical and film genres, and is very, very funny. One of the actors, Paul Lemonier, was recently at our studio for a series of headshots. Here is one of his images.
Paul is an excellent actor, appearing recently as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Slidell Little Theatre.
In Irma Vep, the two actors play many roles each, often having to cross-dress (in fact, that’s a requirement of licensing the play). One of his roles was Lady Hillcrest, the Lady of the Manor. In the second act, a portrait of Lady Hillcrest is hung above the mantle.
When it first appeared, we thought, that while a little cartoonish (which felt entirely within the theme of the play), the portrait looked a little like Paul. After the show, he told us what they had done.
The director, Julie Faust (another extremely talented actor, director and producer — and artist, as well), had taken his headshot and use it as the base for the portrait. The actual base — the headshot was taped onto the background and painted. Take a look at the eyebrows, teeth and facial structure.
I’ve done quite a few headshots, but I think this is the most unique use of one I’ve ever seen.