Bakersfield College costume design professor Kat Brinkley said that theater can coordinate with all majors.
“Theater is a combination of a lot of things,” said Brinkley.
“If you like math, physics, or science, you can do set design,” continued Brinkley. “If it’s history, there is plenty of literature. If you’re into business, there is a lot of networking.”
Athough it is not officially in the catalog, BC currently has a costume design class that is offered through the Theater Department, under the technical theater lab.
In the technical theater lab, students will have the opportunity to either learn theater setup such as lighting, sound, and special effects. Or, students can become costumers for BC’s upcoming plays.
Brinkley, who is the instructor for the costuming class, said, “This class is a lot of fun. It’s not the traditional class with a lecture and test; it’s more hands on. We use movies and art for reference.”
The patterns that are used for the costumes come from books.
“We blow up the pictures and take the techniques from the book,” said Brinkley.
Although that is how some patterns are made, there are times when the costume is made completely from scratch, and the material is draped and tailored for the actor.
Brinkley stated that the students who are in the class have never sewed before, so they are learning as they go.
“By the time they finish with the class, I would want them to learn how to sew by hand and machine; they can sew like a dress or shirt,” Brinkley said.
The class currently has six students involved in costuming.
Along with learning how to sew the costumes together, they also learn how to get actors ready for the show, and change their dress for the next scene.
Brinkley stated that these students are the “fearless wardrobe crew.”
Brinkley said she would love to have more people in the class, so that it can become an official class, and students can learn wig making, mask making, costuming, and basic sewing.
Students who are interested in enrolling in this class for next semester can sign up through THEA B28.