Admission to the Programs in Design and Production is based on portfolio review and a personal interview. The BFA Programs in Design and Production begin the first year in a general art foundation structure which will look at the whole of design while preparing the student to subsequently specialize in a chosen area of interest.
Applicants from a wide range of backgrounds and interests are encouraged to apply. The portfolio submissions should reflect your primary areas of interest and artistic strength. Areas of design and production concentrations include scenic, costume, lighting, video, sound, and technical direction. Students interested in the Management Program should see the Management Program portfolio instructions.
Applicants must include a résumé and an artist’s statement. Your artist’s statement should discuss your goals and their relationship to your past experience, as well as evidence of your interest in performance based design whether in theater, film, installation, writing or other related forms.
BFA applicants
The BFA portfolio may include the following as applicable:
- Examples of drawings, paintings, sculpture, photography, or other artwork.
- Examples of graphic and drafting skills.
- Examples of theater design, including models, sketches, costume designs, light plots, prompt books and photographs of props, scenery and costumes.
- Digital Media— that documents your sound designs, including any accompanying paperwork (cue sheets, equipment lists, drafting, etc.).
- If applicable, include scores, original music compositions and evidence of computer literacy and indicate if you play a musical instrument.
- Examples of work that show your craft skills in scenery constructions, painting, props, and/or costuming and lighting, including photographs of realized work, drawings, drafting, samples, patterns, and artistic ideas.
- Examples of created video work and installations.
- Documentation of fully realized original work as demonstrated by video, slides, or photographs of designs, and/or documentation of works-in-progress.
- Architectural drawing, textile work, performance art, video work, poetry, and creative writing samples are also welcome.
Management Program (BFA)
- Excerpts of prompt and/or production books that display
your stage management style (schedules, call sheets, cue sheets,
reports, etc.).
- Any forms or other materials you have created or worked with, and any other materials that demonstrate your organizational ability or experience.
- Your personal statement should address your interest in theater and management.
MFA applicants
Graduate portfolios should include the following:
Costume Design
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Examples of designs for realized productions including all preliminary work, such as rough sketches, models, technical sketches, and research. Research should be included, but should not comprise of more than 10% of the submission.
- Documentation of realized production designs, and/or fully realized original work through video, still images, scripts, and storyboards, as well as documentation of works-in-progress.
- In addition to theater work, please include any theoretical work and fine art work including drawings, paintings, textile work, sculpture, performance, etc., that demonstrates technical skill and conceptualthinking.
Lighting Design Program
- Lighting plots and paperwork.
- Production still images or video.
- Examples of design, drawing and graphic skills.
- A writing sample communicating visual or theatrical ideas.
Management Program
- Excerpts of prompt and/or production books that display your stage management style (schedules, call sheets, cue sheets, reports, etc.).
- Any forms or other materials you have created or worked with, and any other materials that demonstrate your organizational ability or experience.
- Your personal statement should address your interest in theater and management.
Producing Specialization (MFA only)
- Two writing samples, one of which should address your interest in theater and producing.
- Any materials you have created or worked with that illustrate your experience and organizational ability, such as marketing copy and/or flyers, fundraising appeals, general management materials (budgets, organizational memos, timelines and schedules, company management or systems manuals, etc.).
Production Management Specialization (MFA only)
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Excerpts of prompt and/or production books.
- Any forms or other materials you have created or worked with, and any other materials that demonstrate your organizational ability or experience.
- Your artist statement should address your interest in theater and management.
Scene Design Program
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Examples of production work and design, as well as drawings.
- Pieces that demonstrate photographic and/or graphic skill.
- Fine art work, sculptures, models, or photographic documentation of the aforementioned.
- Documentation of fully realized original work through video, photographs, scripts, and storyboards, as well as documentation of works-in-progress.
- Architectural drawings, textile work, performance art, video work, poetry, and creative writing samples are also welcome.
Video for Performance Specialization
- Examples of video used in performance, installation, cinematic, or single-channel work.
- Video or still image documentation of fully realized original work or works-in-progress.
- Relevant film, photographic, technological, programming art, inventions, gadgets, creative writing, and hacker/maker samples are also welcome.
Sound Design Program
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Audio or video files that document your sound designs,
including any accompanying paperwork (cue sheets, equipment lists, CAD drafting, etc.).
- If applicable, include scores, original music compositions and evidence of computer literacy and indicate if you play a musical instrument.
Technical Direction Program
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Production books and drafting or technical drawings.
- Photos of completed work or works-in-progress. These can include work in disciplines other than theater.
- You may also include examples of organizational ability and technical or artistic experience.