Marion Leitner

The magician of masks at the Landestheater Salzburg

Marion Leitner particularly enjoys creating elaborate make-up effects, such as for the raccoon in the production of "The Snow Queen".(Bild: SLT/Tobias Witzgall)

Every evening, the actors create incomparable characters on stage. Make-up artist Marion Leitner helps them by doing the same on their faces. She has been enchanting the actors at the Salzburg State Theater for 17 years.

As a make-up artist, the look of the characters is literally in her hands. Marion Leitner has been helping the actors at the Salzburg State Theatre to slip into their roles every evening for 17 years, transforming them sometimes into tragic heroes, sometimes into magical creatures. A task that requires both artistic skill and quick precision. In addition to pure make-up, her activities also include preparing and knotting wigs and making masks and beards, which is why she and her team spend a lot of time in the workshop.

"Sometimes we only have a minute"
In contrast, she has less time backstage and especially during the performance, as is currently required in Brecht's "Arturo Ui". "We have transformations of the actors who play several roles and of course they always need a different look. Sometimes we only have a minute to change the make-up on the side stage," she explains. She usually plans an hour for the preparations before the performance, sometimes a little longer if it involves creating special make-up effects, such as for the raccoon in the production of "The Snow Queen", which she particularly enjoyed creating.

Marion Leitner(Bild: Christian Krautzberger/SLT)

In order to optimize the processes, Leitner is usually involved in the planning of a new production at a very early stage, typically during the construction rehearsal, where the set and costume design are presented. This is where she finds out exactly what is needed and then starts thinking about the make-up department.

Unlike some other theater professions, makeup artistry is an extensive apprenticeship and requires a deep understanding of the craft. "Most of us have previously trained as hairdressers, as we work a lot with hair," explains Leitner.

She is also a psychologist while doing make-up
Sometimes she is also a bit of a psychologist in the make-up department when it comes to dealing with the actors' excitement. "There are people who prefer not to talk at all before the performance, and there are some who want to talk a lot. There's everything from the weather to very deep topics," says Leitner, explaining her long-standing passion for the profession: "I love the diversity and the different people. And of course I love the theater."

Larissa Schütz