Ms. Rebecca Britton: Education by Design
Ms. Rebecca Britton, Associate Professor of Theatre and Dance, is in her 30th year
in the College of Arts & Sciences. She specializes in Theatre Design and Technology,
which includes costume design, costume technology (mask making, hat making, and pattern
development), and stage makeup.
Her biggest accomplishment to date has been developing her department’s Costume Design
and Technology program. When she first arrived on campus, costume design was housed
in the basement of the Seaman’s Bethel—then the University’s theatre, and now the
headquarters of the Honors College. Theatre and Dance has been housed with the Department
of Music in the Laidlaw Performing Arts Building for many years. According to Britton,
“Today [at Laidlaw] we have a full Costume Shop with nine sewing stations equipped
with Bernina sewing machines, as well as three industrial sewing machines, two cutting
tables, two industrial irons, a small but working craft area and laundry/dye room.”
Each fall semester, Britton teaches her favorite class, Makeup. She says students
in this class learn “everything from very basic glamour looks, to 20th century period
styles (the 1920’s vs 1930’s, 1940’s etc.,), to “blood, guts, and gore (which usually
hits around Halloween, of course).”
Britton did not go to college with the plan of a career in University Theatre. Instead,
she planned on being a music teacher. Her career goals shifted when she accompanied
a friend to a play audition and, unexpectedly, was cast for the production (her friend
was not). This unanticipated role changed her life. According to Britton, “Theatre
became my passion. It fit everything I loved: performing, creating, history, music,
and literature.” After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Britton earned her M.F.A.
at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. There, she was the program’s first M.F.A.
Costume Design candidate.
Students who get cast for a play at USA have compressed amount of time to prepare
for the first performance. Those who will work under Britton’s supervision learn a
host of skills such as sewing by hand and with a machine. The basic domestic sewing
machines offer a stage for learning multiple stitches; the industrial sewing machines
are designed for single purposes such as industrial straight stitch or blind hem stitch.
Students also learn basic pattern development that deals with flat as well as with
draping methods. For some productions, students must learn millinery (hat making),
mask making that requires a wide variety of materials, and the making of jewelry or
armor.
In reflecting on the strengths of USA’s Theatre and Dance majors, Britton says “Most
of the good theatre majors bring a drive or passion with them. They are creative and
intellectually curious. They are also problem solvers who can think outside of the
box, make intuitive leaps in their thought processes. Most people think students who
want to major in theatre are looking for an easy degree. While that may be true for
some, I can tell you students like that don’t usually stay the course and graduate.”
Britton has been involved in approximately 100 shows while at USA. Favorites of hers
include MacBeth, The School for Scandal, The Little Mermaid, The Addams Family, Metamorphoses,Seussical,
and The Rivals. Of all of the shows, however, Britton singles out the musical Children
of Eden as her favorite.
Over the next five years, Britton hopes to produce an “undergraduate text for Period
Styles that will work for both Costume and Scenic designers and technicians.” She
says “The existing texts tend to be more heavily architecture and décor related with
minimal clothing or vice versa. Many are extremely generalized and simplistic while
others deal only with a specific era.”
In addition to her love of theatre, Britton is passionate about music and interior
design. She loves to cook and to read fantasy and mystery novels, and she is a Trekkie.
Cats are also a love of hers. Indeed, she has a 14 year-old gray tabby, O’Reilly,
and a 9 year-old gray long-haired princess named Lilly. According to Britton, “There
is nothing like the look a cat can give you to keep you grounded and put you back
in your place.”