Page 40 - NCAT Magazine Fall 2018

folloW your art

Gregory Horton’s colorful journey

By Jordan M. Howse

Gregory J. Horton has attended the “She said the students had told her all Derrick Batten, a junior theater arts
National Black Theater Festival every about me and the position was finally student, said Horton made him feel
year since its inception, so it took him open,” he said. “We scheduled an accepted at a time when he was
by surprise in 2017 when he was chosen interview around Mother’s Day and I experiencing some tension about
as a guest of honor for his outstanding was here the next fall.” his sexuality.
work in costume design.
And he’s been here for 14 years, leading “He brings comfortability to all of us,”
“I never thought that in my lifetime students in costume design and Batten said. “He’s accepting of us and
I’d win an award there,” said Horton, construction, makeup and set design, makes us feel comfortable enough with
interim chairman of North Carolina and working tirelessly for the success of ourselves to keep moving forward even
A&T’s Department of Visual and the program. when it’s hard to.”
Performing Arts. “You never (know
when) people are watching you, so you “It’s not easy work,” he said. “It’s crazy Horton’s understanding has been a huge
have to make sure you’re doing the and it doesn’t end.” asset to the team, said Donna Bradby,
work and doing it right.” who has worked with Horton in the “We used to have makeup either in the
Horton has always known who he was theatre department for several years. fall or spring,” Horton said. “It’s gotten
It was a long road back to North and what he wanted to do. He has so popular that now we offer it both
Carolina for the Durham native. He an intense process of researching, “He’d never say it about himself, but semesters. Students love that it’s a
graduated from Hillside High School, designing and constructing costumes he is a voice for our LGBT students,” working class.”
then North Carolina Central University that will do each character in each Bradby said. “He’s equipped for that
with a degree in clothing and textiles, show justice. in a way that the rest of us aren’t. He’s Mashawna Peterson, a theatre arts
then Michigan State University with his helped us through … the bathroom bill performance major from Baltimore,
master’s in costume design. After some “It’s about the integrity of the work,” and equal rights.” Maryland, has had Horton as an adviser
teaching gigs, he landed at St. Louis Horton said. “Knowing your character, since she transferred to A&T last fall.
University. their motivations and purposes help you About five years ago, Horton began an
know the nuanced things like the kind assignment for students in his acting for “He’s so supportive of us,” she said. “I
“I was very happy at St. Louis,” he said. of cufflinks a character would wear.” non-majors class that requires them to was having a hard time getting used to
“I was tenured, and I was next in line to write a personal monologue. North Carolina and he would check up
become the chair of the department.” He also connects with his students. on me to make sure I was doing well
“These monologues have provided real academically as well as my mental state.
But one summer, Horton ran into Horton said that many of his insight into what our students are going He goes above and beyond and really
students from N.C. A&T at a trade experiences as a gay man in the arts through and dealing with,” he said. “It believes in his students.”
conference. They mentioned how and as a costume designer helped him can be intense sometimes, but it’s often
much they would love to have him as relate to and mentor students with the things they needed to share.” Horton displays his students’ work of
a costume design and construction similar situations. aging makeup, scars and wounds, and
professor. Horton’s stage makeup class has prosthetics on the “makeup wall of
“In the arts, we accept people for who made him popular across campus. It is fame” in the common area of the VPA
Horton didn’t think anything about it for they are,” he said. “It’s about having always a high-enrollment elective. His department.
years and one day he got a phone call the talent to do the work. We’ve had professional experience and the hands-
from the late Frankie Day, then-director students come through who were on work make it a fun and educational “It gives the students a sense of
of the theatre arts program. transitioning and because I am a elective for non-majors as well. accomplishment that they can see their
costume designer and the interim chair, progress and other students can see
I have to work with those privacy and the work they do,” Horton said.
respect issues while still abiding by
university policies.”

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