THE EXPERIENCE OF CHANGING A MASK

By Rita Grimaldi

With every experience of storytelling in mask the partnership between the mask and the user deepens and changes. Often, there is also a change in the mask itself as it evolves as a piece of visual art.

The Small White Bear Mask

Several years ago I made a Small White Bear mask for a group storytelling of ‘Skeleton Woman’. I have never worn this mask. A female dancer wore it along with another male dancer in another bear mask. They danced the story while I told the story.

Last week I needed some white fur to add to the White Wolf mask. So I decided to remove some of the fur from the Small White Bear and use it on the Wolf mask. I was surprised to see how this changed the small bear. I began to see other stories that it could tell.

I took the glue gun and began to add bark, feathers, two maple seeds and one small orange flower to little bear’s face. All the time I was thinking about how fine a mask it would be for storytelling to children. I don’t know why I was thinking this way. But the mask, as I created its new image, seemed to suit this kind of storytelling.

(Picture of Small White Bear mask)

 The White Wolf Mask

At the same time, I was working on the White Wolf mask. Painting out its original yellow colour. Adding the same natural elements that I added to Small White Bear mask: bark, feathers, fur, seeds and leaves but no flower. In some way, both masks grew into being different faces capable of different stories.

(Picture of White Wolf mask)

The Human Face 

The human face is not different than the mask face. It changes according to the story it tells.

Last night in a dream, a man said to me, “Why do you look so down Rita?”  My face was telling him a story of sadness. The human face is capable of telling many stories – a happy story, a sad story, any story. It tells these stories automatically - without thought. But, just as I as a human can change my face, as the mask maker I can also change the faces of my masks.

Both mask face and human face evolve. One by art and the other by experience and will. How magical that is. Small White Bear mask and White Wolf mask go forward into the experience of their new faces and stories with strength and happy anticipation.

Post Script: Don’s Question 

After reading the above article, Don asked “As you and the mask interact, does the mask speak to you in some way, telling you what it wants and needs to develop its persona?

Here is my answer.

Yes, somehow as an artist I interpret a feeling that comes visually from the mask. This feeling tells me if my goal of the mask having an identity as a real person has been arrived at. Here is what I wrote in my journal after the first day of working on changing the Wolf Mask.

“Today I painted out most of Wolf’s original yellow colour but still it is not somebody. Its stone eyes look out but there is no power behind them.”

(Picture of the unfinished Wolf mask)

The next day I went on making changes, the last change being painting pupils in Wolf’s stone eyes. After doing this I could feel energy, power and presence coming from the face that was in line with a wolf’s being.

So I would say that the process is to continue to paint and decorate until the mask tells you visually and with it also a feeling that it has arrived at the energy of a real being.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR RITA ABOUT MASK MAKING AND PERFORMANCE?

She'd love to hear from you and answer your question. 

Contact her at peterboroughstorytellers@cogeco.ca