Design Technology Emphasis
Majoring in Theatre Arts at Bloomsburg University
Why choose a Design Technology Emphasis?
Did you ever wonder where all those crazy costumes on Saturday Night Live come from?
The woman who finds them is a Bloomsburg University Theatre graduate with a Design
Technology Emphasis. Other graduates are working in high-profile jobs like Network
Television, Assisting a Broadway Lighting Designer, and traveling around the country with
national tours of shows like Cabaret, The Producers, Movin’ Out and Priscilla Queen of the
Desert. Others are working throughout the country: Philadelphia, Orlando, Cincinnati, in large
companies and small. Some have settled into one location, while others move around. Some are
teaching. And some have pursued other lines of work. A design/technical emphasis at
Bloomsburg University prepares you for a wide variety of options.
The Design Technology emphasis prepares students who to pursue advanced studies as scenic,
costume, and lighting designers and technicians. With nearly 100 years of combined design
and technical experience among the faculty and staff, students will benefit from a wealth of
knowledge. Studio class sizes are small, often with fewer than 15 students, so you will also
benefit from personal attention. The curriculum offers a sequence of courses which examines
and applies techniques of design concepts in each major area as well as construction and
execution for stage production. With these explorations, the student is encouraged to develop
independently as a critical thinker and risk-taker and as a collaborative creative artist.
Production is an integral part of all BU theatre arts major programs. Our newly renovated
scene and costume shops are large, well-equipped, and run professionally. Our lighting
inventory includes both conventional and automated fixtures. Shows are presented in the Alvina
Krause Theatre, a 350-seat venue located in downtown Bloomsburg that is often full for our
performances. Students often design both mainstage and workshop productions. There are lots
of opportunities.
Additional opportunities for technical work are available through the Celebrity Artist
Series. Touring company load-ins enable you to rub shoulders with “roadies,” and learn
practical information about backstage work.
As a theatre arts major, the faculty is dedicated to your total development as a theatre artist and
craftsman. You’ll participate in all areas of production. Most of our “techies” even act on
occasion. The faculty believes strongly that such activity adds greatly to what you have to offer
to the theatre.
All theatre arts majors engage in a core curriculum that introduces and investigates theories and
history of theatre and dramatic literature providing a solid background for advanced studies in
the your area of emphasis. It also provides a vehicle for planning and assessing your progress as
an artist.
Design Technology Emphasis Requirements
Theatre Arts Major
Design Technology Emphasis
Core Requirements
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
Theatre
101
102
112
202
215
270
325
401
416
100
108
Career Seminar: A Theatre Life
Introduction to Theatre
Fundamentals of Acting
Script Analysis
Theatre History 1
Fundamentals of Design
History of Theatre 2
Career Seminar: A Life in Theatre
Modern Theatre
Theatre Forum (every semester)
Theatre Practicum (4 credit min.)
1
3
3
3
3
3
3
2
3
Design Technology Emphasis Course Requirements
Theatre
211 Theatre Production / Stagecraft
Theatre
277 Costume Construction
3 Courses Selected from the Following
Scenic Design
Scenic Painting
Stage Lighting and Design
Theatre & Stage Management
Stage Makeup
Costume design
Theatre
491 Seminar in Tech Theatre & Design
Art Studio 111 Introduction to Drawing
3
3
9
3
3
Recommended General Education Credits from Other Departments
Comm
English
English
Art
Music
Anthro
Public Speaking
Shakespeare
Modern Drama
Introduction to Art
Music Listening
Principles of Cultural Anthropology
For Bloomsburg University General Education requirements and for the current requirements
for the Theatre Division, please consult the Bloomsburg University website:
http://www.bloomu.edu/catalog/current/cola/com_the_ba.php