Beau Hamilton brings a passion for nontraditional students and 30 years of industry expertise to the College of Theatre & Dance.
Beau Hamilton may have one of the most extraordinary curricula vitae of any instructor on campus. The costume supervisor is in his first year on faculty at Texas Tech University’s School of Theatre & Dance.
He brings thrilling experience to the classroom, enhancing the education of his students. Disney, Cirque du Soleil and Houston Ballet are a few of the places he’s worked over the years.
Originally from rural Nebraska, Hamilton knew he eventually wanted to return to a smaller town and find a teaching role. Not only did Texas Tech’s state-of-the-art facilities and faculty pique his interest, but he also leaped at the chance to work with students coming from rural areas.
“I can connect to the students here,” Hamilton said. “This university has so much to offer. The success that comes out of the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts is impressive. I knew I wanted to be part of that.”
A Calling
Hamilton first starred in a Christmas pageant at his family’s small Methodist church at 5 years old. In sixth grade he was cast as Dracula for his school’s Halloween musical. He quickly realized he loved music and theater – even better, musical theater.
“It was a good experience for me growing up,” he said.
By high school, he was participating in speech class, one-act competitions and every creative outlet he could find. One day, his speech teacher suggested he audition for a summer dinner theater program hosted by the University of Nebraska at Kearney. The university’s theater department had rented an abandoned school building in an unincorporated town close to where Hamilton lived.
“Harlan County Lake draws lots of people during the summer and they created a successful summer dinner theater out there,” he said.
Hamilton became so involved he couldn’t compete in one-act any longer because the hours he logged made him a professional. With all that experience, Hamilton was still not sold on what he’d study in college. It wasn’t until a trip to Washington D.C. where he saw “Les Misérables” at the National Theatre that he knew this was more than an extra-curricular. It was a calling.
Hamilton went to the University of Nebraska to study acting the next year. However, after one semester, he left.
“I was not ready for college at 18,” he recalled. “A lot of people are, but I was just in a different place.”
Coming from a hard-working family, Hamilton knew he needed to chart an alternative path and make a living. He began the process to earn his cosmetology license and remained involved with the summer dinner theater through his early 20s. During that time, Hamilton met Charlie and Kristeen Davies. Directors of the summer program, the Davies took Hamilton under their wing and coached the young artist. Hamilton’s hesitancy to commit to the college program never deterred them from investing in him.
Eventually, Hamilton was ready to leave the Midwest. There was a lot more of the world he yearned to see. With styling experience in-hand, he relocated to Arizona.
Going Further
The years of styling taught Hamilton a lot about storytelling.
The natural rhythm of conversations at the styling chair taught Hamilton about captivating attention, framing stories and how to work with different kinds of clients.
One afternoon when he was 29, he got a phone call at work.
“Charlie had suddenly passed away from a heart attack,” he recalled.
Stunned by the news, Hamilton started thinking more deeply about his life. His mentor had always seen something in him, perhaps something Hamilton didn’t even see in himself.
Realizing most of the mentors in his life were professors, Hamilton decided he might give college another try. Graduating would be a huge accomplishment, but in the back of his mind, Hamilton wondered if he could go even farther – becoming a mentor to others.
He did go farther.
After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Arizona he also earned a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine. And while Hamilton can convey a list of technique, pedagogy and theory he learned in school that helps him to this day, he says the most important thing he earned was connections.
“It’s very hard to break into the entertainment industry,” he said. “The relationships you build in college are paramount to achieving those connections.”
Hamilton says it can be done without college, but it’ll take much longer. When directors and professors know your work ethic firsthand, it opens a lot of doors. One such door opened for Hamilton through a former professor who recruited him to help with “Simply Shakespeare.”
And if the bard doesn’t grab your attention, perhaps Tom Hanks will.
Tom Hanks and wife Rita Wilson host the annual fundraising event in Los Angeles. Hamilton explains the fast-paced, often off-the-cuff day, that leads up to the show.
Hanks recruits different A-list actors for the annual performance. The actors show up at the beginning of the day for quick measurements and then spend the day rehearsing whichever Shakespeare play they’ll perform that evening.
Hamilton says the costumes for the event are rarely perfect, seeing as it’s a one-day production, but that’s the fun of it.
“The whole thing is a bit satirical,” he said. “We have very little time to put this play together and we’re trying to fit these celebrities and get their measurements and just pray to God we have everything ready to go.”
Hamilton recalls the celebrity he assisted the first time he did “Simply Shakespeare.”
“I was assigned to Bette Midler,” he said, with a grin. “I remember sitting in her dressing room watching her get her hair and makeup done as I set up her costumes, all while listening to her sing ‘The Rose’ and just thinking, ‘This is heaven.’”
The seats for the performances are sold at very high dollars. All proceeds go to the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles and its programs for chronically unemployed veterans and urban youth.
Hamilton also had a regular job at Disneyland while living in Los Angeles. He was hired to operate the machinery for the floats in the parade each night.
“Being from Nebraska, I knew how to drive a tractor, and I think that’s probably why I got the job,” he said, laughing.
He happily ran the parade route, but one day, was itching for something new.
“Disney parks are always holding open auditions, and I saw there was one that night and just thought, ‘Why not?’”
Hamilton explains the multilevel audition process that started with the simple question of “Tell us something interesting about yourself.”
Hamilton answered he was voted best hair in high school, over all the girls. And now ironically, he had none left.
“They must have liked that answer because I advanced to the next round,” he said.
Hamilton was hired as a puppeteer in California Adventure for beloved characters in Cars Land. He keeps most tricks of the trade close to his chest. But looking back, he attributes his ability to think on the fly to entertaining many demanding toddlers.
Hamilton’s career catapulted from there. He did costumes, hair and makeup for television, commercials, music videos and film around Hollywood. He became a wig and makeup technician for Cirque du Soleil and most recently was the wardrobe coordinator for the Houston Ballet.
After 30 years of experience working with some of the biggest names, he began to desire a different pace, though.
Entering Academia
“The pandemic changed the landscape of the industry,” Hamilton said. “Theater and entertainment are still feeling the aftereffects.”
Like many in the arts, Hamilton began to assess what would allow him to do what he loved, long-term. He’d had a desire to teach for quite some time.
“In the arts, you don’t go and get an MFA if you don’t plan to teach at some point,” he said. “I just thought it would be much later in life.”
Hamilton became a visiting professor at a university in the Midwest. He quickly realized his wealth of experience was needed by theater students and university programs. As with many academic ventures, education has long been theory-based, sometimes more than it has been practical. However, in theatrical costume design, both are important. Bringing in faculty who know how the industry works and how to prepare students is paramount.
Thus entered Texas Tech.
Callback
Ebony Madry is a 2013 Texas Tech alumna. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design Technology. She met Hamilton when they both attended UC Irvine.
“I’ve kept in touch with Beau over the years,” she said of her friend. “When I saw the costume supervisor job posted at Texas Tech, I knew he would be a good fit.”
Madry told Hamilton about the job. He wasn’t sure if he had enough teaching experience to be considered, but he applied. The administration at the School of Theatre & Dance were immediately intrigued by Hamilton as a candidate.
“I had an amazing interview,” he said. “Everything was perfect. It felt like the right fit.”
School of Theatre & Dance Director of Curriculum & Associate Professor Mallory Prucha was impressed with Hamilton.
“It was important to not only hire someone who was a superb designer, but also someone who had expertise in workflow management,” Prucha said. “Beau’s experience in the industry is absolutely critical in underscoring our training model.”
Prucha explains that costumers need immense organizational skills to provide dozens of costumes to performers in a tight time span. It’s a high-stakes environment, but Beau makes it feel comfortable.
A balance that’s key for learning.
“I love going into the costume shop,” Prucha said. “Beau is nothing short of phenomenal.”
Being from a small town, Hamilton enjoyed the slower pace of life Lubbock had to offer compared to Houston and Los Angeles. But what drew him in most were the students.
“I went back to college as a nontraditional student at 29,” he said. “Many students at Texas Tech are nontraditional or from rural areas, or both.”
The prospect of mentoring students like himself was compelling.
When Hamilton started at Texas Tech this semester, he hit the ground running. His students just finished costumes for the sharp new comedy “The Antelope Party.” In October, their work can be seen in the musical “Bright Star.”
Tenille Nagareda is a graduate student who’s quickly built rapport with Hamilton.
“It’s my first year at Texas Tech,” she said. “Everyone has been so kind and generous. The faculty is wonderful to work with, especially Beau.”
Nagareda didn’t get much experience in costume design during her undergraduate in Hawaii. As part of her scholarship to Texas Tech, she clocks hours in the costume shop each week.
“Beau makes it a lot of fun,” she said. “We all have a lot of fun in the shop; he’s made it a safe environment. I can learn new things without feeling inexperienced.”
Nagareda says one of her favorite moments of the semester was brushing out a wig. The hours-long task would regularly be painstakingly dull, but Hamilton made it a learning experience.
“That thing was a rat’s nest, but we took out all the pins and washed it and combed it out,” she said. “Beau’s hardworking like that, and it makes all of us want to work as hard.”
Feels Like Home
Hamilton will still travel and work on large projects globally, but he’s excited to have a place to return to that feels like home. He is even entertaining the idea of pursuing a doctoral degree at Texas Tech.
In addition to costume, hair and makeup, Hamilton is skilled in drawing, painting and millinery. He is a tremendous role model for his students, in reminding them that you don’t have to pick just one thing to learn or one time to learn it.
Learning is continuous.
“I have had wonderful mentors and experiences in my life, and I want to give that to the students here,” Hamilton said. “At Texas Tech, the sky is the limit.”