Theatre & Interpretation: Design & Technical Theatre
Major
Design and technical theatre concentration overview
Make your mark from behind the scenes with design and technical theatre. You'll learn how to build the spectacle of live performance through costumes, props, sound design, staging, lighting and more.
Beyond the classroom, you'll have opportunities to participate in dozens of performances a year. You can even get paid for working in our on-campus scene and costume shop. All that experience means you'll graduate with a full résumé, ready for a career in theatre production, costuming and beyond.
AT A GLANCE
Why chose design and technical theatre?
You'll first study the foundations of live performance as a theatre and interpretation major. Then, you'll dive deeper into the aspects of theatre that match your interests and career goals with one of two concentrations: acting and directing or design and technical theatre.
Design and technical theatre help bring performances to life. Sound, lighting, scenery, costumes and props all help make the world of theatre feel more real for audiences.
In the classroom, you’ll work closely with experienced faculty and staff who go the extra mile to make sure you succeed. You’ll also partner with guest artists who bring professional insights from the world of directing, acting, design and more.
As a design and technical theatre student, you’ll also have extraordinary opportunities for real-world experience. We present some 25 productions a year, including both mainstage and studio productions.
Our touring summer theatre program even gives you the chance to experience traveling repertory theatre first hand—while earning pay and college credits. Many of our students also compete in national conventions or take on internships with theatre companies across the country.
Highlights of our design and technical theatre concentration
As a design and technical theatre student, you can:
- Tailor your area of study to your goals. On top of your traditional theatre classes, you'll tailor your studies with courses in scenery, lighting, costume design and theatre technology.
- Get paid and earn production experience. Earn a paycheck and valuable experience by working in our scene and costume shops.
- Take on an internship or an apprenticeship. Our students have worked with organizations such as the Purple Rose Theatre, Tipping Point Theatre and Merry-Go-Round Playhouse.
- Use industry-specific equipment right on campus. You'll work with our full scope of theatre resources, including a 50,000-piece costume collection, a new design/tech lab, costume and scene shops, SFX and stage makeup capabilities, advanced digital lighting and projection equipment and CAD/drafting software.
What can you do with a theatre degree?
Our alumni are working all over the world, from Broadway to Disney to regional professional theatres and nonprofit organizations. They’re engaged in dynamic careers in costuming, stage management or even education. As a design and technical theatre student, you'll graduate ready to take on these roles and more.
| Career | Projected Salary |
|---|---|
| Producer/Director | $82,510 |
| Set and Exhibit Designer | $59,490 |
| Art Director | $106,500 |
| Actor | $37,315 |
| Stage Makeup Artist | $93,850 |
| Special Effects Makeup Artist | $98,950 |
Peak behind the curtain
CMU students work on every part of a production, from stage management to character analysis and everything in between. Hear how our students are already practicing the craft of spectacle with our latest on-campus productions.
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