Rate My Professor Brittney Belz

Brittney Belz serves as Chair of Theater & Dance, Senior Lecturer, Costume Designer, and Technician in the Department of Theater and Dance at Union College, located in Henle Dance Pavilion 109a. She has been involved in theater costume shops since the age of 14, working in professional and educational settings across the country from Alaska to Virginia. Her career includes seven seasons at the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown, NY, where she constructed costumes for six seasons and later designed, as well as four seasons as costume designer for the Saratoga Shakespeare Company. Belz discovered theater through her love of history and historical clothing, which remains her primary passion and specialty. She has worked with textiles and garments in several historical clothing collections, bringing her findings to life on stage and through costumed living history interpretations. Her design credits span theaters nationwide, including Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, Saratoga Shakespeare Company productions such as Macbeth, Twelfth Night, and Cyrano de Bergerac, the East Coast premiere of David Mamet's The Christopher Boy's Communion, world premieres of Lady Randy with WAM Theatre, and Mr. Fullerton with Great Barrington Public Theatre. At Union College, she acts as resident costume designer and costume studio supervisor, creating costumes for departmental productions like the Winter Dance Concert and collaborating with local professional theaters and museums for shows and historic events. When not designing or building costumes, Belz conducts workshops and interprets fashion history for diverse audiences.

Belz earned her M.F.A. in Costume Design and Technology from the University of Virginia and her B.F.A. from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. Originally from Alaska, she has settled in Schenectady with her family after extensive travel and professional experience in the field. Her contributions extend to Union College productions such as "Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play," "The Trojan Women," and "Romeo and Juliet" in post-apocalyptic settings, where she handled costume design alongside other technical roles.