We recently connected with Syd Genco and have shared our conversation below.

Syd, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was a stage actor from the time I was 5 years old. I pursued acting my entire young and young adult life, from community theatre, to attending a performing arts high school, to majoring in Musical Theatre in college. Makeup was always a skill I was good at, and I often ended up helping my cast mates with their makeup for shows, but I never considered it a career option. I WAS GOING TO BE A STAR! Oh…oh, youth. I became an ensemble member with Hell in a Handbag, a camp theatre company in Chicago, as an actor. When I joined the ensemble, the Artistic Director, David Cerda, told me if I had any skills or interested I wanted to explore within the theatre, (such as directing, playwriting, etc) that I was welcome to explore that within the ensemble. I had noticed they were hiring a makeup artist for their pre production photo shoots, but that makeup artist wasn’t in rehearsals, didn’t really know what was going on with the show, and the makeup at the photo shoots wasn’t formally designed, so it never ended up being the same onstage. I told David I was pretty good at makeup, and if the company wanted to fund a small makeup kit, I could do the photo shoot makes, AND design the shows, so it would all be cohesive and clean.
He agreed, and I spent the next few years cutting my teeth as a theatrical makeup designer for our company, I learned a lot, I failed a LOT, and I made our shows look much more polished. But I still thought that was all I was doing, helping my own company out in addition to acting.
A few years went by, and other theatre companies started seeing my name listed as makeup designer, and started calling me to design their shows. My network was all actors, who needed headshots updated regularly, and needed their makeup done for that. I was still so unsure, and completely self-taught. So I decided to go to school for makeup, and really learn what I was doing as far as beauty makeup, design, and most importantly, sanitation. I attended Make Up First School in Chicago, completing their full certification program, and dove in to the career.

Syd, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

(oooops, I think I already answered a large chunk of this in the last question!)

I work in two “extremes” of makeup, as far as the industry is concerned.
I specialize in clean, commercial makeup for professional headshots. These are considered “commercial” looks, very simple, showcasing the subject, not the makeup. I love making a client feel like they look GREAT, but more importantly, like themselves. I work with a lot of non-binary and trans actors, and making sure they see themselves, wherever they are in their life, is so important to me. It requires a lot of communication, and making space for my clients to feel they can express themselves, and their gender identity, without feeling disphoric. Makeup is powerful, and just a bit too much, or too little, can really change how we view ourselves in an image. I want my clients to get back their images and see THEMSELVES, not an overly-glammed stranger.
My other specialty is theatrical makeup, which is about as far from clean commercial makeup as you can get! I design for theatrical productions, and my home theatre company, Hell in a Handbag, is a drag/parody company. They have me designing big, bold drag looks, or celebrity impersonation. Theatre’s in Chicago call on me when they need macabre designs, someone who isn’t scared to get big and bold with a design concept. I love when a company comes to me and asks me to go wild on a concept…what a treat!

That being said, I work with a lot of store front theatre in Chicago, where budgets are incredibly tight. Most companies don’t even think to hire a makeup designer into their production team, because they think they can’t afford it, or haven’t experienced the VALUE a makeup designer brings to their production. (The amount of costume designers who tell me they get makeup tossed into their department responsibilities is astounding! They are not the same skill…)
I often work within very tight budgets, and I pride myself on bringing cohesive, smart designs to any budget. I explain that we spend thousands of dollars on sets, lights, costumes (all of which are VERY IMPORTANT)…but at the end of the day, the audience spends 90% of the show looking at the actor’s faces. It’s smart business to make sure someone has an eye on just the makeup, the faces, because if makeup is bad, the audience will be distracted by it. If it’s too much, the audience will be distracted. If it’s cohesive to the show’s concept, if it’s just the right amount, the audience will simply believe, and get lost in the story. For me, thats the goal!

Like many artists, during the pandemic, I ended up on social media more than I ever thought. At the urging of a friend, I got onto TikTok (@madcbs). My friend kept telling me I should be, that my comfort on camera (from being an actor) and my professional take on the beauty industry as a makeup artist and designer, would be refreshing. I never thought anyone would watch me, I was just “bored in the house” like everyone else. And now I have a lovely little following of folks who appreciate my lessons and opinions on makeup, and watch me regularly. I am inconsistent, as I am a working MUA, but my audience knows this, and they show up when I post, and patiently wait when I’m busy. It’s been really fun to connect with people from all over the world about makeup. I chat about pro makeup artist topics, consumer vs pro makeup, technique, and more! I’m no influencer, but I have fun!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

The short answer is: consume art! Art is eternal. It will always be. But the quality, and the quantity, depend on society. Once upon a time, wealthy members of society would fund an artist, a company, in their philanthropic endeavors. Now, artist beg for grants donations, and audience, hoping to piece together enough funds to make some magic happen. If we as a society want art, we have to support it! At a local level! Take in a local theatre show, attend a gallery night, see a new local band. Support the art, the artists, and the content will keep coming!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The biggest reward is seeing the faces of my clients, whether that be in a professional image or onstage. When my clients get to take a look at their makeup, after I’ve finished, I love hearing them exclaim “I LOVE IT!” as they look into the mirror. When they start sharing and posting their headshots, I know they love them, and want everyone to see. And even BETTER, when I see a casting notice, and I see headshots that I did the makeup for, promoting that the actor has been cast. That’s awesome! Their talent is what got them cast, but I like to know I was a little part of it!
For theatrical makeup, it’s split between the reaction from the actors, and the audience. Actor’s are so often left to “figure it out” on their own for their characters makeups, and they rarely have that skill set *really* down. When they see their final design, when I’ve taught them how to do it, and they now get to apply it themselves and step on the stage…they BEAM! The confidence they have in knowing their makeup, their face, looks RIGHT for their characters, is awesome. They know that someone took the time and patience to care about their faces onstage, and it’s one less worry, so they can focus on their craft.
Similar to experiencing a private client seeing their face, when I get to watch an audience see the show, see the makeup…wow! I only thought I could get that kind of “high” by performing onstage myself! But Makeup Design has shown me how satisfying it is to see all the parts come together in a production, and know that even from watching in the wings, my creative work can dazzle an audience. It’s very powerful, and while I never expected to ever find something I loved more than being onstage…seeing my designs live on an actors face makes me smile for days!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madcbs.com
• Instagram: @madcbs
• Facebook: MAD Creations By Syd
• Other: TikTok- @madcbs

Image Credits
Marissa Pileggi Kokandy Productions- Evan Hanover