Theatrical Design & Production

About the Program

An Emerson education in Theatrical Design & Production prepares you to enter the theatre industry as a professional in your craft: fluent in the language of design and technology, conversant in the tools you will encounter at theatres throughout the country, and with a strong understanding of the essentials of design.

This program is based on a hands-on, apprenticeship model of teaching, where students learn from highly skilled faculty; and coursework in scenic, lighting, sound, costume, props, and technical design is quickly applied to work done at professional internships or in the College’s producing laboratory, Emerson Stage. As a student in a design program focused exclusively on undergraduates, you’ll have unique access to the College’s performance and production spaces, which include five theatres ranging from the seating-flexible Jackie Liebergott Black Box to the 1,186-seat Cutler Majestic Theatre.

Teamwork and mentorship are essential parts of a career in theatre and core to your experience at Emerson. As a student in this program, you will work with a faculty advisor—a working artist and academic with deep ties to the national theatre community—to develop an individually tailored program of study based on your skills and interests. You will also have the opportunity to learn from your peers: students like you who are engaged, ambitious, and passionate about creating the physical world of a production. The relationships you build here will serve as the core of your professional network for years to come.

Your Emerson experience culminates with a senior-year portfolio review by members of the industry, designed to introduce you to a wider circle of potential colleagues—and launch your career.

*BFA Theatrical Design & Production students take TH 142 Stagecraft Electrics and TH 143 Stagecraft Props to fulfill the Performing Arts Core requirement.

To see descriptions of any of the below classes, please visit our course catalog.

BFA Design Technology majors may substitute TH 141, Stagecraft: Special Topics, for one of their four Stagecraft requirements, TH142, TH 143, TH 144, or TH 145, when offered.

BFA Theatrical Design & Production Advanced degrees require students to choose a certain number of courses from the following: