[frumasarah]

I am playing sarah in our high schools production next week. We have a top notch director and i would like my hair to look from the 1940's. Does anyone have any tips. I have lots of photos but pincurls were used then and they are a pain! Rollers don't seem to do the trick either. HELP!

[me-shellmybelle]

Sarah is a very straight-forward, very conservative character. With this in mind I suggest pulling your hair back somehow and maybe letting it fall out a bit during the Havana mess. I know having hair back isnt always the most fun and falling out and redoing might be a bit of a hassle but maybe this helped a little

[arctic_orange]

I just saw a production of Guys and Dolls, in which Sarah pulled the top half of her hair back, with a large roll in the front, and then the rest of her hair hanging down, she did in loose curls, which became more and more disordered as the show went on. I think your best bet would be a curling iron, and bobby pins. Make sure that the top "styled" part is very much set with hairspray, but don't overly spray any of your hair that hangs down, as it will look unnatural if it doesn't move when you do.

Sort of like this: http://mvgals.net/gallery/gina_40s_style/miss_western_40?full=1

Hope it helps!

[Brigantine]

I always thought this show was supposed to be 50's in style. The original Runyon story is from the late 40's, and the first Broadway run was from 50-53.
Watch the movie "Pleasantville" for hairstyle ideas.

I agree with the basic principle above- something that is half up and half down. How long/short is your hair? Maybe part it on one side, pull half back, and curl the bottom under. Something simple and sweet. You could also put the back up for the first "follow the fold" scene or some other time, or let the top half down for Havana into a simple bob or just all-over curled under style.
50's styles were mostly smooth on top and curled under, and mostly curled towards the face if the hair was longer. Here's Reese:
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0120789/Ss/0120789/6.html?hint=group

[Salome]

it premiered in the 50s. its set in the early 40s.

[BoundBySound]

Sarah is a very conservative character so I would say wear it in a bun or something sort of grandmotherly if you know what I mean.

Or maybe even do one braid hanging low in the back.

[phantomphan85]

Yeah, that's what I want to do with my hair - just a simple bun and maybe let it get a bit messy for Havana and redo it for Act Two but I don't know yet, I'll leave it up to my fantastic director!

[BroadwayChai]

My director personally did my hair every night. It was in a really tight bun, but I couldn't let it fall out during Havana because there was so much hairspray in it! So during Havana, I just took off my hat once I got really drunk.

I'd say wear it in a simple bun, pull some of it out during Havana if you have time to redo the bun during intermission.

[Amy_Vocalist]

[Brigantine]

I'm still confused over time period of this show...
I talked to a director who said there is no indication of year mentioned in the script (like, "setting: 1946" or anything). If it was EARLY 40's, most of the men in the show would be fighting in WWII and we wouldn't have a show. I can buy late 40's-very early 50's. I know in the Runyonland beginning montage there are some girls crossing who are called "bobby-soxers" which is a term first used in mid-late 40's.

BUT.... in my book "Guys and Dolls: The Stories of Damon Runyon" the intro has a quote from Jimmy Breslin: " Damon Runyon invented the Broadway of Guys and Dolls and the Roaring Twenties, neither of which existed, but whose names and phrases became a part of theater history and the American language...."

Runyon's short story "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" was first published in 1933. Most of the stories in that book mentioned above were from the 30's. Runyon died in 1946.

So- 20's, 30's, 40's, or 50's ??? I can see arguements for all of them I think. I was trying to think of other things that would "date" the show, like the products and things Sarah and Adelaide sing about in "Marry the Man Today", but the things I could remember and look up didn't really have any fixed date of popularity, or had a very early beginning. Like Ovaltine.

Anyone else have any info to add? Any supportable evidence to back your date claims? Obviously this is not a life or death situation, but something that bugs me and I'd like to figure it out. Thanks!

[The Drama Queen]

Our show was set in the 50's, but I always thought the show had a more 40's feel. Also, the many "gangster" types in the show make it seem like it should be during the 20's. So who knows??