When Billy Blue ’21 began his undergraduate degree at Illinois State University, he never imagined graduate school as a possibility. This December, he will earn a Master of Fine Arts in theatre and costume design.

“I never thought getting a master’s degree in costume design was a possibility for me, so it’s crazy to think about walking across the stage in a few days,” said Blue, a native of Clinton.

As the Beatles’ song goes, you “get by with a little help from (your) friends.” This is true for Blue.

“My favorite moments have been the people that I’ve met in my cohort,” said Blue. “Grad school is not for the faint of heart, and so it’s all about surrounding yourself with the people that are going to help you get there. I consider them family at this point.”

Blue has always been a creative person, skilled in sewing, crafting, and painting, in addition to his almost 10-year career as a drag artist. His creativity drew him to study costume design. 

“I got a little taste of costuming while in undergrad,” said Blue. “Being friends with people in production design and technology gave me an opportunity to kind of see a different side of theatre.”

For Blue, coming back to Illinois State for his master’s degree was a “no-brainer” due to his strong faculty relationships and established community in Bloomington-Normal.  

His schedule as a graduate student involved working 20 hours a week in the costume shop, teaching an introduction to costuming lab, and taking classes.

His favorite costume designs were for his first show Capitalist Confessions, a dance piece centered on how inescapable capitalism can be.

“Each person had a money-printed item of clothing, whether it was a shirt, a pair of pants, or socks, and we used the color of money to be the color motif,” said Blue. “So, we had browns and greens mixed in. It solidified my love of conceptual, fun, crazy designs.”

Blue is also proud of the musical In Pieces, for which he designed costumes inspired by people in his own life.

“It was about eight people just living life, and what the relationships between those people look like,” said Blue. “I designed these characters based on people that were in my life. That’s another reason why I hold it dear to my heart. It was kind of a love letter to most of my friends.”

Blue credits Susie High, the director of the costume shop, for supporting him throughout his program.

“I was really struggling and not getting concepts,” said Blue. “Susie saw that and refused to give up on me or let me give up on myself. I don’t think I would be graduating if not for her. She really has made such a huge impact on my quality of learning and teaching, but also my quality of life. She’s really given me the confidence to know that I can do (costume design) professionally.”

The undergraduate students who Blue teaches have also made an impact on him.

“Sometimes you don’t see the impact of your labor until someone points it out to you,” said Blue. “Having students come up to me and be sad that I’m leaving or tell me they enjoyed my class keeps me going.”

Blue, who plans to teach at the college level after graduation, hopes to mirror the support and encouragement he received at Illinois State for his future students.

“It’s an opportunity for me to thank the people in my department who never let me fail by getting to be that person for students somewhere else,” said Blue.

As a self-proclaimed socially awkward person, he understands it can be hard to put oneself out there. He encourages students to try anyway because the payoff is worth it in the long run.

“Don’t be afraid to get involved,” said Blue. “And find the people that are willing to tell you the truth when no one else will.”

This story is one of a series of profiles on Redbirds who are celebrating graduation this December. For more information about how Illinois State is celebrating commencement this semester, visit the Graduation Services website.