In ancient Greek theatre, actors wore masks with exaggerated expressions to help clearly convey emotions to massive open-air audiences. These masks were essential not only for visibility but also for communicating the catharsis—the emotional release—central to Greek tragedies. Inspired by this historical tradition, MLWGS English teacher Kayleigh M. Conner brought the art of mask-making into her 9th-grade classroom as a culminating project for the reading of Oedipus Rex.
This creative tradition has been part of the MLWGS experience for years. After reading the play, students select a character and design a mask that captures that character’s personality and emotional journey. Starting with a drawn blueprint and ending with a fully crafted physical mask, each student uses artistic elements to represent their chosen figure. The process concludes with a written rationale explaining their design choices and the connections to the character’s role in the tragedy.
“Thanks to the Foundation, I had a lot of art supplies this year for the kids to work with!” said Conner, whose hands-on workshop helps students better understand the power of visual storytelling in ancient drama.