The masks were a by-product of Smyths past collaborations with fire-dancing troupes, who came to her with some papîer-maché masks theyde been using. I looked at them and I thought, Papîer-maché and fire? Her no-brainer solution blossomed into a growing concern: Smyth now regularly provides costuming, masks and props for under- and above-ground groups as diverse as Kannal, the Handsome Little Devils, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Kevin Larsons Theatre du Vaudeville and the Kaivalya Hoop Dancers. I like being challenged by people asking for weird stuff, she notes with a shrug. Weird? Maybe. But gorgeous would be the better word: Her masks and accoutrements, which range in price from $20 for a pair of lifelike elf ears up to $250 for an elegant Las Vegas-worthy headdress, include everything from shimmering bumblebees and spooky black-light skulls and dragons haloed with flames to amazing animal faces with fake-fur hoods or curling leather eyelashes to a splendid canopy of green striped feathers curving around a golden cap hung with la-ser-cut disks on beaded chains. And Smyth calls them the most comfortable masks youve ever worn: Theyre flexible, durable and lightweight, and they absorb sweat for slime-free, face-molding wearability.
Drop by ArtsMyths from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily; in addition to masks, Smyth also offers sexy leather corsets, gauntlets and cuffs, coordinating costume-ready clothing in recycled silk, burnout velvet and other sensuous fabrics, as well as feathered barrettes and hair picks. For more information, visit http://artsmyths.com or call 720-989-7232.
Oct. 27-Dec. 31, 2008