Theatre BFA, Specialization in Design and Production

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Theatre BFA, Specialization in Design and Production

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About this Program

Earn your Theatre BFA, Specialization in Design and Production while gaining hands-on experience in costume, lighting, scenic or sound design through collaborative productions and professional mentorship.

Our Theatre BFA, Specialization in Design and Production emphasizes practice-based learning, creative collaboration and professional development, giving you the skills and experience to succeed in live performance production. Guided by faculty who are experienced theatre artists and designers, you’ll receive personalized mentorship as you build a strong foundation in technical theatre, production and design.

You’ll develop core production skills before concentrating in costume design, lighting design, scenic design or sound design. Working in theaters, costume and scene shops, and rehearsal studios, you’ll collaborate on mainstage theatre and dance productions that reflect professional practice. Throughout the program, you’ll build a portfolio, expand your professional network and connect with theatres, production companies and arts organizations in Seattle and beyond.

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Quick Facts

Program Type

Major with Specialization

Degree

Bachelor of Fine Arts

School

Cornish College of the Arts

Campus

South Lake Union

Learning Format

In-Person

Duration

4 years

Start Date

August, January

Credits

120 semester credits

two back of house crew members inspect theatre costumes

Find YOUR Creative Path

Our Theatre programs are designed with flexibility in mind. Students can explore different academic and creative paths early in their studies and, if their interests evolve, easily transition between the BFA and the BA without losing progress toward their degree. BA students benefit from the freedom to study across disciplines by pursuing a double major or minors, while students pursuing a BFA receive specialized training. This structure helps you find the program that best supports your artistic and professional goals as they evolve through your course of study.

At a Glance

Choosing a college is about finding the program that best supports your goals. At Cornish, we look for students who are passionate about their area of study and eager to grow.

Stage Management and Production Minor

The Stage Management and Production Minor introduces you to the collaborative, technical and organizational skills that bring live performances to life. You’ll gain practical experience in stage management, production processes and backstage operations while working alongside students across theatre and dance productions. Whether you plan to complement another major or explore a career in live entertainment, the minor provides valuable experience in leadership, communication and production management.

Core Skills & Techniques

  • Technical Theatre: Wood & Steel Fundamentals, Fabric & Construction Fundamentals, Stage Management Fundamentals, Lighting Fundamentals, Sound Fundamentals and Graphic Fundamentals. Studio Practice Rotations in: Prop Making, Costume Construction, Scenic Painting, Production Management, and more.
  • Theater History and Theory: Understanding the historical and theoretical contexts of Theater, Musical Theatre, Global History of Dress.
  • Management: Intermediate and Advanced Stage Management, Production Practicum and Internship opportunities.
  • Collaboration: Communication skill building, problem solving, and respectful exchange of ideas. Developing the ability to critique artworks constructively and engage in critical discourse. Multiple opportunities to engage with creative teams in support of productions.
  • Professional Practices: Career development, portfolio showcase, artist website development, and networking in the performing arts industry.
  • Interdisciplinary Practice: Encouraging collaboration across various visual art, design, and production disciplines to create innovative performances.
  • Performance Practice: Options to take stage combat, directing, intimacy, voice, podcast, and other experience complementary to the role of the stage manager.

Learning Outcomes

  • Collaboration: Employ effective collaborative approaches in the creation of interpretive and generative (devised) works
  • Communication: Articulate complex artistic ideas verbally, visually, and in writing.
  • Analysis & Critical Thinking: Integrate research, critical thinking and contextual analysis from a diversity of sources
  • Professional Standards Craft: Generate and apply discipline specific craft and communication within the creation of live performance, adhering to professional industry standards
  • Personal Aesthetics: Articulate an emerging personal aesthetic grounded in both historical and contemporary theatre-making practices, and apply one’s artistry through a racially- and culturally-aware intersectional lens
Degree Combinations

Connect Your Passion to New Possibilities

Explore purposeful academic combinations while pursuing a rigorous arts education to enhance your career preparation. At Seattle University, you can customize a Theatre BFA by pursuing any minor offered across Seattle University without extending your time to degree.

While this is not an exhaustive list, explore some of the many ways Theatre can be paired with other disciplines to enhance your academic journey and strengthen your professional preparation:

Around Campus

Explore Facilities

Create with confidence in professional spaces that encourage experimentation, collaboration and artistic exploration.

Skinner Theater

Gain professional production experience in Skinner Theater at Raisbeck Performance Hall, where you’ll design, build and support live performances in a fully equipped performance venue.

Learn About Raisbeck
Scene from Mother Courage and Her Children; actors standing in front of a large set piece.
Stage production of The River Bride at the Cornish Playhouse

Cornish Playhouse

Develop your design and production skills in the Cornish Playhouse, a professional 434-seat theater where you’ll contribute to public mainstage performances.

Learn About the Playhouse

Jon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio

Build practical production skills in the Jon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio, where you’ll gain hands-on experience with scenic construction, props and production materials.

Fabrication Studio
Two people work in the Jon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio
Visit Us

Visit Cornish College of the Arts

For more than a century, Cornish College of the Arts has inspired artists, performers and designers to push creative boundaries and shape the future of their fields. Today, at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, you can experience that legacy firsthand while exploring the studios, performance spaces and collaborative community where creativity comes to life. Schedule a campus visit, take a virtual tour or connect with our admissions team to discover how you can make this historic creative community your own.

Visit CornishVirtual Tour
List of Faculty Members

Design & Production Faculty + Staff

Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of creatives, Cornish faculty combine extensive professional expertise with a passion for teaching students how to develop the skills, confidence and vision to succeed in the arts.

Performance Production
Heidi Zamora
Instructor
Faulty or Staff placeholder image
Performance Production
Thorn Michaels
Instructor
Performance Production
Carl Bronsdon
Adjunct Faculty, Costume Shop Supervisor
Performance Production
Melanie Burgess
Chair of Theater "professor"
Performance Production
Matthew Smucker
Professor of Scenic DesignInstructor
Performance Production
Bret Torbeck
Performance Production Program Director
Performance Production
Matthew McCarren
Scene Shop Supervisor
View All Staff