Real-Life Decision Making
Three Brothers Theater Co. is staging a new play for the season. As a wigmaker, you've been commissioned to construct wigs for the entire cast. This will be a high-profile play with a long run. The company speculates that the play could be on the stage for years!
What a great chance to do some excellent work. You take measurements of the rather large cast and begin making foundations for the wigs. Once this is done, you begin ordering hair supplies for the wigs.
"We want good quality, human hair wigs," says George, one of the play's producers. "Everyone must look their best."
Almost all of the wigs must be blond. This means that you will have to order light-colored hair for the wigs. Because this hair tends to be rarer, it is very expensive.
Another option is to order dark hair, which is more plentiful and cheaper, and then bleach the hair so that it becomes light. "The problem is that when you boil the hair, the heat weakens the hair shaft," says Bruce Flemino. He is a wig specialist.
Dark hair boiled and bleached is weaker and fades more rapidly. But this is a large cast, and it might cost an extra $2,000 just to order the light-colored hair. Can you possibly defend such a big expense when the cheaper hair might do?
What do you do?