If ever a student dreamed of leaving their spring classes during a breezy afternoon with a beard, the spring session makeup class taught by Douglas McCullough could fulfill their wishes of neck fuzz and more. DRAM 372 — Make-up Techniques I, offers basic makeup as well as specialized make-up and prosthetics.
The class was traditionally taught during the regular academic term, however, as a result of downturns, the class was moved to the spring session.
“I had in the past, probably before the dinosaurs died, taught makeup as an undergraduate and used those things that I had learned also to make money during my undergraduate years,” joked McCullough.
Students who participate in this small class, which is usually capped at 18 students, can expect to learn enough basic skills to work for high school drama departments and, if one cultivates their training enough, potentially move on to semi-professional theatre companies within Calgary.
Even though the course itself is geared towards Fine Arts students, especially drama majors, others are welcome to take the class.
Marcia Liber, a fourth-year drama major who took the makeup class last spring, believes that the class “is a creative outlet” for non-theatre students.
“It would be like taking a painting class where you get to go and create for a while,” said Liber. “There is a lot of work inside the class and an average amount outside of the class, but what you get out of it is definitely worth it.”
According to McCullough, the skills learned are essential for anyone entering the theatre industry. However, if a person is looking to take advanced training in theatre or film makeup the best places to apply are on the west coast, like the Blanche MacDonald Centre in Vancouver.
“We have had a couple of people go on out to the west coast and take one or two of those courses with hope of breaking into movies,” said McCullough.
Unfortunately, this is McCullough’s last year teaching at the U of C, but he believes that the university will hire someone to take over the course after he is gone.
“It’s one of those skills without which you can’t do any shows of any quality.”
This spring’s class is filling quickly, with only a few spots left.