Areas of Study [Set Design]

 

• Costume Design
• Costume Production
• Entertainment Technology
• Lighting Design
• Set Design
• Sound Design
• Stage Management
• Technical Direction

The Division of Design and Technology of the School of Theatre Arts offer study of scenic design for the theatre at the undergraduate and graduate level.

For undergraduates, scenic design is an area of emphasis within the BFA degree program. The program includes through grounding in all areas of theatre design and production as well as broader study of theatre (history, acting, directing) and the University of Arizona general education core of classes.

Topics of study in the scenic design courses including: drafting (both CAD and traditional), drawing, designing, conventional and digital model-making and scenic painting. Students have the opportunity to participate in and receive credit for production work each semester. Production assignments may include: design assistant, properties artisan, propmaster, charge artist, scenic artist, and scenic designer.

Graduate level study of scenic design is an area of specialization with a demanding MFA program. Graduate students receive one-on-one training from the faculty specialists in design. Production assignments are normally positions of responsibility such as propmaster, charge artist, assistant scenic designer or scenic designer. An MFA student will design scenery for at least one fully produced main stage production in the three years of their training. Many graduate students in this program have designed two or more productions. The graduate curriculum is a balance between design training and advanced theatre studies.

 

Undergraduate only scenic design classes are:

• Tech Theatre Graphics (TAR 224) Basic hand scenic drafting and perspective drawing.
  Intro to Scene Design (TAR 225) Instructs design analysis, drafting and model-making.

 

Undergraduate and Graduate co-convened courses in scene design are:

• Advanced Scenic Drafting (TAR 415/515) Hand and Cad drafting and 3-D modeling. Uses VectorWorks.
• Rendering (TAR 416/516) Life drawing and color work. Taken 3-4 times for undergraduates, 5 times for graduates.
• Scenic Painting (TAR 423/523) Basic scenic painting techniques including trompe l’oeil.
• Advanced Scenic Painting (TAR 424X/524X) Class under development. Examines advanced trompe l’oeil and faux finish techniques.
• Advanced Design (TAR 425/525) Model making and rendering projects. Taken twice for undergraduates, 3 times for graduates.
• Period Styles: Architecture (TAR 448A/458A) History of architecture and décor.
• Scenic Production (TAR 497E) Production assignments.

 

Graduate scene design courses are:

• Graduate Production Study (TAR 580) Small seminar in scenic production. Taken 6 times.
• Special Topics in Theatrical Design (TAR 596D) Advanced work in model-making, rendering and design.
• Scenic Production (TAR 597E) Production assignments.
• Thesis Production (TAR 597E) Thesis production.
• Master’s Report (TAR 909) Comprehensive design project.

 

Undergraduate only costume production classes are:

• Costume Construction (TAR 116) Basic theatrical costume construction techniques.
• Costume Run Crew (TAR 118) Participation with a wardrobe crew for a major production.
• Intro to Design (TAR 121) Fundamentals of design process for costume and scenic designers.
• Intro to Costume Design (TAR 229) Instructs design analysis and research, costume designing and costume rendering.