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Contacts

Nick Embree \ nembree@uarts.edu \ 215.717.6426
Program Director

Description

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Design + Technology provides education and broad training in the full range of theatrical design and technical areas followed by more concentrated study and practical work in a chosen area of focus. The program foundation includes art history, theater history, theater studies and script analysis, and stage management classes. Students are trained in each of five core areas: set design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, and technical theater, and then choose one or more of these areas as a focus.

The choice of focus area affects the production assignments and the coursework taken in the second, third, and fourth years. Upper-level studies include realized design or technical work; a significant professional-theater internship; and the development of a professional-grade display and interview portfolio. Students design for all Brind School production levels including for the main stage. Students frequently work alongside faculty and guest professional artists on productions. Students completing this program are prepared to enter the theater industry or to pursue further studies at the graduate level.

Learning Objectives

Students graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Design + Technology will:

• Demonstrate the ability to analyze plays to determine essential design and production elements, to identify appropriate, strong, and feasible design opportunities, and to present those effectively to the production team for discussion and evaluation.
• Demonstrate creativity, flexible thinking, and problem-solving skills, and the ability to collaborate with the director and the production team.
• Demonstrate knowledge of important artists, movements, practices, and history in the arts and in theater.
• Know and understand in detail the duties and functions of the director, design team, and all technical support staff, and meet professional expectations for production work done in the area of focus (set design, costume design, lighting design, sound design, or technical theater).
• Understand that all design and technical elements exist to serve the overall production and to enhance the acting performance; show empathy with performers and work with their performance in mind.
• Be able to understand and interpret all theater drawings and specifications including scaled plans, renderings, plots, swatches, and other theater documentation, and to produce complete production documents as necessary in the area of focus.
• Demonstrate competence as an entry-level professional in the chosen area of focus, with documented work in portfolio and resume formats; demonstrate the ability to find entry-level work in theater and related fields (Film, TV, Dance, Music, etc.) through job research, communication skills, and effective self-presentation.

Program Requirements (129 credits)