About
Head of Wigs, Hair, and Makeup at the Guthrie Theater and a Licensed Cosmetologist
I have been making wigs, coiffing hair, painting faces, and thinking about the performance of cultural esthetics for close to 30 years. Currently, I’m the Head of the Wig, Hair, and Makeup Department at the Guthrie Theater and the owner of Jess Rau Wigs. I also hold a Master of Science degree in Cultural Anthropology and worked in performing arts programming and development for more than 15 years.
It’s not just hair….I believe that aesthetic and material cultural tell the stories of our humanity—our social norms & values, our history, our present, our future, our trauma, our glorious self-expression.
My purpose is to uplift and inspire others, to tell stories through the vehicle of hair and makeup design, and give artists a catalyst to fulfill their genius and uniqueness.
