The Theatre School’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Theatre Technology is designed to train students as theatrical craftsmen, riggers, theatrical engineers and technical directors. The four-year curriculum in many ways simulates a theatrical craftsman’s professional experience and process. Theatre technology students learn to execute creative design and translate those designs into actual physical structures for the theatre. Students collaborate with directors, designers and our professional production staff as part of our production program.
Students learn from a distinguished and award-winning faculty of professional designers, artists and technicians both in the classroom and through individual guidance and advising during production work. Students receive formal and informal feedback from faculty through portfolio presentations and exhibits of their work each year.
First Year. The first year curriculum is taken in collaboration with other design and technical students and is an immersion into the culture of production and design. Students explore thinking metaphorically and abstractly with an appreciation of design and technology as an aesthetic distinct from other art forms and begin a drawing and technical drawing progression. Students complete three production crew assignments in our public production season.
Second Year. Students begin to focus on the specifics of construction and rigging scenery and lighting for the theatre. Students continue their technical drawing progression and complete elective coursework in other design or technical areas such as lighting and sound. Students work throughout the year on productions in our public season as carpenters, riggers and assistant technical directors.
Third Year. Students begin to specialize into a specific focus while continuing to hone their skills in the areas of lighting, scenery and sound while exploring period style elements through a survey of art, architecture, fashion and furniture. Students typically work as master carpenters, master electricians, sound engineers and assistant technical directors for our public production season and work collaboratively with designers to implement and construct their designs.
Fourth Year. The fourth year is a transition year, both further developing students abilities and preparing students to enter the profession. Students’ coursework includes preparation and study of the roles of managerial staff in theatre. Students typically work as technical directors in our public production season and students have the option of a professional internship of their choosing.
Graduate Showcase. At the end of each year, The Theatre School hosts an event to showcase the work of our graduating students. Under the guidance of the faculty, graduating students prepare a showcase exhibit of their portfolio – which is presented in Chicago for artistic directors and other members of the theatre, film and television industries. The Graduate Showcase includes alumni networking events to introduce and connect our graduates to our large alumni network.
Liberal Studies. In addition to the theatre technology training curriculum, students complete 52 quarterly credit hours (13 courses) in liberal studies. Courses are taken in theatre history, English composition and rhetoric, quantitative reasoning, philosophy, religion, lab or quantitative sciences, world history, multiculturalism and electives. These liberal studies courses are scheduled during the first three years of the program.
Evaluation. Every student receives quarterly evaluation and feedback from the faculty each year. Students’ evaluations are based on discipline, collaboration, professional potential and progress in the program. Based on this evaluation, students are continued from year to year at the invitation of the faculty. There are no pre-determined limits on the number of students returning to technical programs. An invitation to return to the third year of a technical program is for the duration of the respective program provided that all academic requirements are met, and that professional discipline is acceptable.
