ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The new Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Theatre Design and Technology concentration offers students the opportunity to study with New York theatre professionals, design main stage productions, establish professional contacts, and obtain internships with some of New York’s major theatre designers and theatres while completing the 60-credit B.F.A. course of study. This exciting B.F.A. program combines the study of theatre design with a robust liberal arts education. Our curriculum prepares students for successful professional careers in theatre design and technology while also offering the education needed to be global citizens and contributors to society.
Our faculty is composed of professional designers with careers designing on and off Broadway, in regional theatre, and in film and television. Some of the guest speakers who have come into our design classrooms are Tony Walton, William Ivey Long, and Steven Louis Shelley. In addition, our students have had the opportunity to work with guest faculty in design, which includes a diverse group of working professionals representing the finest New York has to offer, such as F. Mitch Dana, David Segal, Phil Monat, Mike Wood, Sarah Lambert, Campbell Baird, Nicole Wee, Gary Levinson, Martin Perrin, Fitz Patton, and Rocco DiSanti. Since MMC is an undergraduate college, design students do not compete with graduate students for design opportunities. The small class size allows the student to interact closely with the instructor as well as fellow students.
DESIGN AND TECHNICAL PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES
Every semester, qualified students design Mainstage and Studio productions directed by faculty and guest directors, as well as Directing Projects directed by student directors. The MMC Production Committee strives to select a wide variety of productions including premieres of new works, contemporary and period plays, as well as musicals for Mainstage productions in the Theresa Lang Theatre on campus, and off-campus at venues such the York Theatre, as well as Studio productions at New York City venues such as National Dance Institute and New York Live Arts, and the Directing Projects and Playwriting Projects in the Bordeau Box Theatre on campus. In addition, B.F.A. majors establish professional contacts and obtain internships with some of New York’s major theatre designers and theatres.
View a list of past productions produced by the Theatre Arts department here.
OUR THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM
Students in the B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology major complete General Education requirements (42 credits) and a series of core courses for the Theatre Design and Technology major, in addition to requirements in their design concentration (66 credits). Concentrations include: Costume Design, Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Sound Design, Theatrical Media Design, or Technical Production. Through courses in theatre design and technology, majors learn visual and dramatic analysis, technical and construction skills needed to plan and execute designs, and the conceptualization and research skills to support the design process and to effectively present design concepts to directors and other members of the production team. Continuation in the B.F.A. Theatre Design and Technology program is based on the students’ progress and potential.
All B.F.A. students are evaluated each year according to the following criteria:
- Maintenance of a 2.8 cumulative or better G.P.A. in all course work and a 3.0 G.P.A. in the major.
- Participation in year-end portfolio reviews
- Active participation which demonstrates leadership ability in all Design Practicum courses.
- The program usually requires at least a three-year residency at the college, although some transfer students may be able to complete all requirements in less time.
Machinal (Fall 2017) Costume Design by Allie Treacy '18
Students may choose to study one or more of the following six concentrations:
View all curriculum requirements
NEW YORK CITY AS OUR CAMPUS
Students in the B.F.A in Theatre Design and Technology major truly learn to use New York City as their campus. Whether they are attending productions on or off-Broadway, in venues in downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn, doing research at the New York Public Library, or traveling to an off-campus internship, our students experience all that the city has to offer.
APPLYING FOR THE B.F.A. IN THEATRE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
-Sean Linehan '04 (Lighting Designer, Master Electrician, The Lighting Syndicate and The T.E.A.M.)
Prospective students for the B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology must not only satisfy the academic requirements for acceptance to the college, but must give strong evidence of professional promise as demonstrated by an interview and portfolio presentation in the admission process.
Students who apply to enter the B.F.A program must complete the following:
- Satisfy the academic requirements for acceptance to the college.
- Give strong evidence of professional promise as demonstrated by an interview and portfolio presentation (in person or digitally.)
Apply to the B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology