Design and Theatre Production Students
Experiential learning to find your voice
"The costume department has given me so much room to grow. Between classes tailored to my needs, designing for the main stage in only my second year, and working in the costume shop, I have grown so much as a costume designer and technician."
Grae Goodlett, BFA
Finding Your Creative Path and Artistic Voice
The B.F.A. in Theatre Arts is intended for individuals who seek a professional career in theatre or who wish preparation for graduate work in the discipline. Students must have a successful portfolio review by theatre arts faculty for admission to this B.F.A. degree program.
Students in the B.F.A. in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Design and Theatre Production become immersed in training for costume, scenic, lighting, and sound design as well as arts management and theatre production. Through realized design and tech projects during the mainstage season, student-run productions, and summer internships, this training provides the skills and experiences to compile an attractive professional portfolio.
Welcome to Design and Theatre Production
Our focus as a Design and Theatre Production faculty and staff is helping students find their creative path and artistic voice through experiential learning. We provide opportunities and a supportive environment for students to explore a variety of avenues in the arts, excel in a creative community, and discover what their place is in the creative arts. We offer practical coursework to help students discover who they are as well as open doors for students to look outside their own personal experiences and culture. The success of our program is due to our approach of closely mentoring and guiding students based on life and professional experiences in the ever-evolving arts industry. We hope you will reach out to us to learn more about what our program has to offer undergraduate students interested in design and theatre production.
Carey Blackerby Hanson
Professor of Costume Design
Meet the Design and Theatre Production Faculty and Staff
Our working artists foster student creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking. With a faculty-to-student ratio of 1:6, there is individualized instruction by passionate and hardworking faculty and staff who prioritize student success.
Michael Barnett
- Chair and Professor of Theatre and Film and Interim Chair of Art and Art History
Miriah Borden
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Lighting Design
Corey Brittain
- Costume Shop Manager
Donna Buckley
- Instructional Associate Professor of Costume Technology
Sarah Garrett
- Instructional Assistant Professor of Stage and Production Management
Jeffrey Hannah
- Performing Arts Technical Coordinator
Carey Hanson
- Professor of Costume Design
Cory Kosman
- Sound Designer
Yi-Chien Lee
- Visiting Assistant Professor of Scenic Design
Felipe Macias
- Performing Arts Technical Coordinator
Joseph Neilson
- Scene Shop Carpenter
Holly Rankin
- Costume Shop Assistant
Jared Spears
- Instructional Professor of Technical Direction
Meg Winkler
- Properties Designer
Costume Design and Technology
A million-dollar gift from the Nancye Starnes Theatre & Film Fund helped create the new costume and craft studio in an 8,500-square-foot area of the South Oxford Campus. This fully outfitted studio allows students to produce costumes in an environment similar to a professional setting.
OEDIPUS REX
OEDIPUS REX is an ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles. Carey Hanson, Professor of Costume Design, received a Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Faculty Costume Design Nomination for her work on this play.
Costume Shop
Costume Shop Assistant Holly Rankin helps students create the pattern for a costume in the shop. There is a large production costume shop with attached storage where faculty, staff, and students can work together on different projects.
A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM
In addition to realism, students work on William Shakespeare and other classical texts. A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM is a comedy, written around 1695 by Shakespeare, set in ancient Greece. The department regularly produces a play by William Shakespeare or a modern adaptation of his work.
Dyeing and Wet Paint Room
Carey Hanson, Professor of Costume Design, works with student Andrew Robertson on a fabric dyeing project. Students learn to color modify fabric and other specialty dye techniques using equipment such as a dye vat with hood, a five burner stove with hood, and a washer and dryer. Students also learn costume distressing techniques and use the safety spray booth to color clothing and footwear.
BLITHE SPIRIT
BLITHE SPIRIT is a comic play written by Noël Coward in the early 1940s about a novelist who is haunted by his deceased first wife. Students learn about décor, architecture, furniture, dress, crafts, and art as they relate to various historical periods through classes and productions.
Wig Construction and Styling Space
Students learn the in-demand professional skills of wig construction, including techniques used to ventilate custom wig fronts and facial hair. There are specialized make-up classes for stage and screen.
HEAD OVER HEELS
Written by Jeff Whitty then adapted by James Magruder, HEAD OVER HEELS adapts the plot of a 16th-century prose romance, The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia, into a jukebox musical comedy with music and lyrics from The Go-Go's. Ava Greer, a B.F.A. student won first place for undergraduate costume design for HEAD OVER HEELS at the Southeastern Theatre Conference and landed an apprenticeship with the Santa Fe Opera.
Costume Technology Classroom
There is a specialized teaching studio for sewing classes and to learn patterning, draping, and tailoring techniques. Donna Buckley, Instructional Associate Professor of Costume Technology, assists students Grae Goodlett and Matthew Dersam as they work on flat patterning for bodices. This dedicated teaching space is a smaller-scale costume shop with sewing machines, sergers, and irons.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
With music by Alan Menken and lyrics and a book by Howard Ashman, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is a horror comedy rock musical. The story follows a florist shop worker who raises a plant that feeds on humans. With each production, the costume shop has a wide range of costume and craft projects to challenge the creative thinking of students, including a large plant that consumes actors.
Collaboration Spaces
Students discuss theater costume design with Costume Shop Manager Corey Brittain. The hallways have boards for organizing the costumes for upcoming productions and provide spaces to display the season's work and receive both formal and informal design feedback. Students practice their ability to communicate design ideas and realities to others involved in the production, including directors, other designers, stage managers, and actors.
Beyond The Studio
Student Organizations
Ghostlight Repertory Theatre is a student-run theatre organization providing creative opportunities outside of the department’s main stage season. It has become a beacon for students eager to stretch their artistic wings as students gain first-hand experience in many areas of production while working within a collaborative environment. Alpha Psi Omega is the national honorary society for theatre and creates an atmosphere of fun and friendship through events such as cabarets, movie nights, game nights, and more. UMprov is a student improvisation group that meets weekly.
Travel Courses
Students can earn credit for general education, major, minor, or electives through Study Abroad or Study USA travel courses. There are two-week, faculty-led travel courses supported by scholarships from the College of Liberal Arts.
Some course offerings of interest to theatre students have been the Theatre in London, Musical Theatre in England, and Cannes Film Festival.
Lighting Design and Technology
Students are challenged to apply the artistic and mechanical tools of light, color, and sound to create and enhance the performance space.
MARISOL
A play about a Puerto Rican women living in Bronx, New York, MARISOL was written in 1992 by the Puerto Rican playwright José Rivera. Students are given opportunities to build a professional portfolio from a production season of contemporary plays, musicals, devised theatre, classical performances; film production projects, student-led productions, dance performances, and more.
Lighting Lab
The department's 1:6 scale light lab and corresponding equipment includes a number of Source Four minis, smaller moving lights, LED strip lights, and an ETC Ion control desk. Sound design functions include an array of speakers, a computer to run QLab, a mixing desk, and more. Designers can test different lights on set designs and costume fabric.
CHICAGO
Set in Chicago during the 1920s, CHICAGO premiered on Broadway in 1975, and its 1996 revival has become the second longest-running American musical in Broadway history. Each semester students in the Design and Theatre Production emphasis fulfill specialized roles in the production shops through enrollment in the Production Studies series of classes where they develop an advanced understanding of the progression that occurs within a design process.
Lighting Call
Students hang the lights for upcoming production. They work on the lights as part of the Technology Lab course, a required course for all students in the B.A. and B.F.A. degrees in Theatre Arts. The course provides hands-on skills in the back-stage elements that make theatre come to life. The students refine their collaboration and communication skills as well as gain skills for in-demand job opportunities.
THE CRUCIBLE
Playwright Arthur Miller wrote THE CRUCIBLE about the Salem witch trials in 1953 as an allegory for the 1950s McCarthyism. The UM Department of Theatre & Film's production season is driven by the educational needs and the mission of the department, with an audience from campus and the local community. Over 1,000 students are enrolled in the Theatre Appreciation course each semester and attend at least one production during the semester.
Lighting Design
B.F.A. student Ashton Necaise runs the light board during the UM production of JULIUS CEASAR. Students have the opportunity to be a lead designer, technician, or stage manager on a mainstage production within a supportive environment that allows students to explore a variety of pathways in the arts.
Scenic Design and Technology
Students broaden their mastery of expression in 3-D. The university has begun the process to build a new, large scene and props shop for the department.
RENT
RENT is a rock musical that was one of the longer running shows on Broadway, with music, lyrics, and book by Jonathan Larson. Based loosely on the 1896 opera La bohème, it tells the story of a group of young artists struggling to survive in NYC’s East Village. The UM production of RENT allowed the scenic design students to fully realize a gritty urban set design.
Scene Shop
Scene Shop Carpenter Ed Neilson supervises student Abby Thomas (B.F.A. in Theatre Arts with emphasis in Acting for Stage and Screen) as she works with power tools. In the scene shop, students learn the proper use of a wide variety of tools needed to build sets under the close supervision of the faculty and staff. They learn health and safety codes, best practices, and industry standards for theatrical and entertainment venues.
SILENT SKY
SILENT SKY, a play by Lauren Gunderson, tells the true story of astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, who made groundbreaking discoveries at the Harvard Observatory in the early 20th century. Kayla Jacobs, a B.F.A. student, won second place in the undergraduate scenic design competition for SILENT SKY at the Southeastern Theatre Competition. She had the opportunity to explain her designs to a Broadway scenic designer.
Production Meetings
Elizabeth Burrow (B.F.A. '21) worked as a Scene Shop Assistant and was a production leader on several shows in addition to her actor training. Since graduation she has been a carpenter with the Nashville Repertory Theatre as well as other opportunities in acting, dance, and production management. Students take the lead in building and assembling the sets on stage where they learn the importance of communicating design ideas.
RIDE THE CYCLONE
RIDE THE CYCLONE, which used digital projection in innovative ways, is a 2008 musical by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell about high school students who perished on a roller coaster called The Cyclone. The Spring Open House allowed prospective students to learn about the department, have an audition or portfolio evaluation for admission to the BFA degree and scholarships, and attend a show premier.
Scenic Design classes
Jared Spears, Instructional Professor of Technical Direction, teaches the introductory scenic design course, which includes a focus on critical thinking, analysis, and visual storytelling. Students learn to provide meaningful design critiques, a necessary skill within a fruitful collaboration.
A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM
The department regularly features a William Shakespeare play, such as A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM. In fact, the Executive Director of the Shakespeare Association of America is a professor of English at UM, making this a great university for those interested in Shakespeare's work. Students enhance their career preparation through summer stock work and department connections with professional venues, including alumni working in the many dedicated Shakespeare Theatres.
Advanced Scenic Design Courses
Visiting Assistant Professor of Scenic Design, Yi-Chien Lee, works with B.F.A. student Kayla Jacobs on the conceptual design and digital rendering of the storyboard for the musical SPRING AWAKENING. Students are involved in design and production meetings throughout the four-year degree program. Production meetings are held weekly and design meetings occur in the semester prior to the production being mounted. Students collaborate closely as part of the production team and receive close faculty mentorship.
EURYDICE
EURYDICE, a 2003 play by Sarah Ruhl that retells the myth of Orpheus from his wife's perspective, included a set designed as a drained pool. Students provide formalized, accurate production models and drawings by hand and through the use of current industry standard software programs, skills that are utilized in the development of a career portfolio.
Set Design Models
Set design of model of JULIUS CEASAR stage. Students learn to create white models of their proposed set design to reveal their design ideas and convey concepts, structure, materials and finish.
INTO THE WOODS
With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, INTO THE WOODS combines characters and storylines from Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The set conveys the dark take on the stories and the musical's exploration of the consequences of our choices.
Maker's Space
Antonio Juarez, B.F.A. student, uses the department's maker space that includes a plotter, a large format printer, a 3-D printer, and a space for students to review archival video footage of productions. The equipment enhances students' technical and creative skills.
Professional Preparation
The department has prepared students for a wide variety of jobs in the entertainment industry. Students learn the skills and industry standards through the program, and apply those skills in a professional environment within the department production season. Knowing how to prepare the present a professional portfolio of design- and technology-related work is built into many courses and the portfolio reviews with faculty conducted at the end of every semester.
In this required course, students learn industry standards and expectations. They develop a physical and web-based portfolio as well as practice presenting in a job interview. Faculty help them field questions as they prepare to establish a career in designing for theatre and film.
Faculty help students find professional opportunities during the summers. Recent examples include designers at regional theatres and NYC; working with lighting supervisors in major casinos and major lighting manufacturers.
Special sessions with faculty for portfolio and interview feedback are held in advance of large job fairs such the Southeastern Theatre Conference where they earn awards, network with professionals, and interview for internships and jobs.
Design Alumni
Caroline Rea (B.A. '05)
Costume Designer in Los Angeles
"If you are hard-working, and a good person, and determined, you will continue to work. Your reputation will become known really fast."
Rea emphasized the importance of union membership to get higher-level jobs that big studios offer only to union members. After years of networking and a grueling stint at Western Costume Co., the largest costume warehouse in the country, she achieved membership. This allowed her to get bigger and better movie and television jobs, on shows including Bones, Ten Days in the Valley, Here and Now, Superstore, Unprisoned, Daisy Jones & the Six, Bosch: Legacy, Candy Cane Lane, Shirley, and Only Murders in the Building.
Lee Martin (B.F.A. '09)
Costume Designer, Barter Theatre, VA
"You learn so many things in your time at school that are marketable skills, and even though they may not be where you normally use them – to create a story and to create a show – those skills are there to support you."
Throughout his years in school, Martin sought positions that would both clarify his career goals and allow him to develop new skills or refine existing ones. He has served as costume designer for over 10 years with Barter Theatre, the state theater of Virginia, which creates a dozen productions per year. Martin is intimately familiar with the theater's production processes as he has done the jobs of everyone he now oversees.
Wesley McClain (B.F.A. '09)
Head of Automation, Cirque du Soleil
"The moment you put a human life on the other end of it, it changes the whole ballgame."
At the Southeastern Theatre Conference McClain secured a summer crew position with GA Shakespeare Festival. The SETC interviewer also recommended him for automation with Carnival Cruise Lines in the fall and he was "immediately hooked." He later became a specialist in automation for Cirque du Soleil's "O" in Las Vegas. He is now Head of Automation and is responsible for keeping a lot of moving parts going in the air – and in the water - as the 60 acrobats and swimmers perform both in the air above and in the water.
Kenneth Foster (B.F.A. '10)
Technical Director of Marriott Theatre, Chicago
"Always, always, always take every opportunity to learn. If someone asks you if you have ever done something, and you say no, and that's the end of the conversation, that is such a missed opportunity."
Kenneth Foster has held numerous technical theater positions, including lighting designer, carpenter, electrician, light board programmer, crew supervisor, stage technician, lighting supervisor and technical director. He held these roles at venues across the country, from the Lexington Children's Theatre in KY, to Stagedoor Manor in NY, to the Puppet Hospital at Walt Disney World. Foster's wildly varied resume should come as no surprise; he considers himself a lifelong learner and has always jumped at the chance to learn something new, often adapting skills he already had to learn new ones.
Jill Haley Gugliuzza (B.A. '12)
Hair and Makeup Assistant Supervisor, American Ballet Theatre
"Work ethic and personality always win over talent. If you're a hard worker and have a good personality and you show up on time, you will always be hired. Always!"
After completing an MFA in wig and makeup technology at UNC, Gugliuzza headed to New York City where she soon found herself working in the wig shop of Saturday Night Live and on Broadway productions as The Lion King, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. She sought opportunities to build and practice her skills outside class, in her case, at M.A.C. Cosmetics, a global brand that allowed her to get her "hand on a brush, and that brush to people's faces." She considers this a small but pivotal part of her career.
Kurt Davis (B.F.A. '15)
Head of Audio, Flat Rock Playhouse
"It's all about finding what works for you and how you measure your own success. Success is different for everyone. Every experience, even ones that don't go as hoped or planned, is valuable for the lessons learned and new skills acquired. Be honest about what you want."
Davis had a clarifying experience working as a sound operator for the prestigious Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Despite enjoying the work, he discovered that the fast-paced schedule and stress were not conducive to the kind of lifestyle he wanted: something quieter, with a predictable schedule and plenty of time for family. So he left D.C. to work with New Stage Theatre in his hometown of Jackson then to Brevard College where he was Campus Technical Director and Head of Sound and Video at Brevard Music Center. He is now Head of Audio at Flatro
Alumni Careers
See a sample of job titles and employers of the B.F.A. in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Design and Theatre Production.
- Puppets and Wardrobe with Spiderman on Broadway
- Production Manager and Costume Designer, Broadway Bound Children's Theatre
- Technical Director, Red Mountain Theatre Co
- Sound Engineer, New Stage Theatre
- Founding Member, Kidz Theatre
- Lighting Technician, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
- Costume Technician, Alley Theatre
- Professional Costume Designer
- Technical Director, Circuit Playhouse
- Cutter/Draper, Utah Symphony and Opera
- Associate creative Director, GSD&M ad agency
- Self-employed Costume Technician
- Owner, MJK Alterations
- Cutter/Draper, The Rev Theatre Company
- Designer and Technician Director, Governors School for the Arts
- Scene Design Coordinator and Professor, Northwest Florida State College
- Staff, New York University Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
- Career and Technical Education, Klein ISD
- Assistant Professor, University of Mississippi
- Costume and Fashion Technologist, Austin Peay State University
- Apparel and Fashion Retail Recruiter, Michael Kors
- Staff, Norcostco stage supply
- Counsel, Entergy Services, Inc
- Director of Health and Wellness, sbe Lifestyle Hospitality
- CNC Fabrication Technician, Hawkeye Industries
- Sales, Alabama Cabinet Company
- Hair Stylist, The Local Salon in the NOHO Arts, LA
- Showroom Manager, Lovesac Furniture