Theatre Design and Technical Production

Overview

About this Degree

Applicants to the program must have completed an undergraduate degree in theatre or have had equivalent training and experience.

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Design and Technical Production at Tulane University places concentration and emphasis on design as a collaborative process with equal emphasis on technical and creative skills as learned both through classwork and practical production.

The program is a three-year program. Two and a half years are spent in residence and one semester of the third year in an internship with a professional theatre. Students with an MA in design or production may, at the discretion of the faculty, complete their degree sooner. Normally, 48 hours of course work are required for completion of the degree. In addition, six hours are earned with the internship assignment and a thesis production.

It is the philosophy of the design faculty that the design process is best taught through the realization of designs in actual production situations. Each year, the Department of Theatre and Dance provides a number of opportunities for such realized design projects. The department produces three to four mainstage productions and one dance concert each year directed by faculty or guest directors. Students in design and technical direction are assigned to these projects as their skills develop. The Third Year Thesis Project becomes the culmination of a number of realized projects. The selection of this production is intended to provide a showcase of each student's talents and skill. Each student's work is reviewed by the faculty on a semester-to-semester basis.