Programs in theatre design and technology prepare people to work on plays and other live dramatic productions. Students learn to design sets, paint scenes, and make costumes. They also learn to use computers to manage lights and sound.
Even those who have never seen it live know about the Broadway musical The Lion King. Many are familiar with it because it first was a popular Disney movie. However, the Broadway production, directed by Julie Taymor, became well-known because of its fantastic set, costumes, and choreography. Actors wore costumes, masks, and operated puppets (over 100 in the entire show!) to "become" their characters. The hot African sun was made of orange paper; and the actors, dancers and singers used the entire theater as its stage for the opening number! Twenty-five different kinds of animals take the stage, including fish, birds, a 13 foot long elephant, and a flying giraffe measuring 26 feet tall!
From the sparest set consisting of a lamp, table, and chair, to the spectacle of The Lion King, live theatre can make us forget that we are just members of an audience. Theatre design and technology programs teach you how to create sets and design original costumes that bring a production to life.
In theatre design and technology programs, you learn how to take a written script and transform it into a working stage. You study how to use lighting to illuminate the actors and create the right mood. You learn how to build and rig sets that are easy to set up and move and most importantly, transform the stage into a believable (or perhaps unbelievable!) world. You study costume design and production, from creating period costumes to clothes "everyday" people wear. You learn how to manage sound, from amplifying actor's voices to using music and noise to echo the emotion of the scene. You also can study other aspects of theatre, including directing, acting, and screenwriting. In addition, nearly all programs allow you to develop and polish your skills by working on a school production of a play or musical.
Over 100 colleges and universities offer programs that lead to bachelor's or master's degrees in theatre technology and stagecraft. In most cases, you earn your degree in fine arts. This means that you get a BFA or a MFA in theater. Many people who desire to work in theatre professionally pursue their MFA because these programs typically encourage individual, original projects. BFA programs typically take four to five years while MFA programs usually take three years.
Two-year colleges often offer the first two years of study. Independent schools of art and design may offer associate and bachelor's degree programs. In addition, many schools offer doctorate degrees in theatre design. Most people with doctorates become professors.