Program Overview

University of Connecticut Academic Catalog

Design and Technical Theatre (BFA)

Overview

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Technical Theatre provides preparation for successful careers in performing arts, entertainment, and cultural industries.

Admission

Admission to the program requires a portfolio review, either in person or via SlideRoom, and an interview. Please consult the Dramatic Arts website for current admission details.

Supplementary Scholastic Standards

To be considered in good standing, B.F.A. in Design and Technical Theatre students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 for all graded coursework as it appears on their university transcript. Design and Technical Theatre majors must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 based on all courses required within the major.

• At the end of each semester, all students are required to fully participate in the “Semester Review Exhibition Gallery,” which affords faculty the opportunity to meaningfully assess each student’s progression and offer a recurring time to evaluate status.
• Through this, each student will be evaluated twice a year.
• Students with a grade point deficiency or who are found by their major advisor and/or faculty to have failed to maintain adequate progress and/or development will be placed on departmental scholastic probation.

Semester Review Exhibition Policy

All Design and Technical Theatre students are required to participate in the “Semester Review Exhibition Gallery” when held each term. Participation is defined as meaningfully supporting the load in, presentation, and strike of the exhibition as assessed by the faculty.

• The Semester Review Exhibition is a pedagogical cornerstone of our program with the following goals:
  • Create an opportunity for students to practice the essential skills of public speaking/interviewing/presenting, which is prevalent especially in our “freelance” focused industry.
  • Create real-world connections and job prospects, network within the industry and with collaborators beyond any individual’s discipline, and scaffold career support beyond four years.
  • Create an opportunity for students to practice the essential skill of self-assessment and self-evaluation in order to become participants in their own education.
  • Assess individual progress and preparedness as students move through our program and in doing so equitably evaluate what the next steps are for each student’s path in the program.

Required Software

Each Bachelor of Fine Arts Student in the Design and Technical area, and any other student taking any of the digital design courses, must own a personal portable computer that meets or exceeds posted departmental performance standards. Students should expect to purchase an up-to-date version of Adobe’s Creative Cloud for Education and install it on their personal computer for most of their time in residence, either for design classes that require it or for production assignments as assistants and designers.

Requirements

Core Courses

The following courses are required:

• DRAM 1201: Drafting for the Theatre (3 credits)
• DRAM 1202: Computer Drafting for the Theatre (3 credits)
• DRAM 1207: Design Fundamentals (3 credits)
• DRAM 1209: Drawing and Painting Techniques for the Theatre (3 credits)
• DRAM 1216: Theatre Production: Lighting And Sound (3 credits)
• DRAM 1217: Theatre Production: Costumes And Makeup (3 credits)
• DRAM 1218: Theatre Production: Stagecraft (3 credits)
• DRAM 2141: Script and Performance Analysis (3 credits)
• DRAM 3199: Independent Study (12 credits)
• DRAM 3201: Scene Construction (3 credits)
• DRAM 3220: Sound for the Theatre (3 credits)
• DRAM 3301: Scene Design (3 credits)
• DRAM 3401: Costume History (3 credits)
• DRAM 3501: Lighting for the Theatre (3 credits)
• Select nine credits from the following:
  • DRAM 3103: Stage Management for the Theatre
  • DRAM 3202: Rigging
  • DRAM 3219: Sound Technology and Production Audio
  • DRAM 3302: Scene Design
  • DRAM 3320: Scenic Painting Techniques
  • DRAM 3402: Costume Design
  • DRAM 3420: Wearable Electronics and Interactive Objects
  • DRAM 3502: Lighting for the Theatre
  • DRAM 3602: Paper Sculpture
  • DRAM 3603: Rod Puppetry
  • DRAM 3604: Puppetry in Television

Additional Required Courses

Diverse Perspectives

All students in the department are required to take at least one course within the major that contributes to the advancing of diverse perspectives. Courses that count toward this requirement include:

• DRAM 1501: Introduction to World Puppetry (3 credits)
• DRAM 2136: Asian Theatre and Performance (3 credits)
• DRAM 3130: Women in Theatre: Gender Identity and Expression on the Stage (3 credits)
• DRAM 3131: African-American Theatre (3 credits)
• DRAM 3132: African-American Women Playwrights, 1900 to the present (3 credits)
• DRAM 3133: Latina/o Theatre (3 credits)
• DRAM 3139: Theatre and Human Rights (3 credits)

History and Literature

Students must complete the following history and literature courses:

• DRAM 2130: Histories of Drama and Performance I (3 credits)
• DRAM 2131: Histories of Drama and Performance II (3 credits)
• Select six credits selected from the following literature and history-based courses:
  • DRAM 2135: History of Popular Theatre and Live Entertainment
  • DRAM 2136: Asian Theatre and Performance
  • DRAM 3130: Women in Theatre: Gender Identity and Expression on the Stage
  • DRAM 3131: African-American Theatre
  • DRAM 3132: African-American Women Playwrights, 1900 to the present
  • DRAM 3133: Latina/o Theatre
  • DRAM 3138: Trends in Contemporary Theatre
  • DRAM 3139: Theatre and Human Rights
  • DRAM 3611: Trends in the Contemporary Puppet Theatre
  • DRAM 3612: Plays for Puppet Theatre
  • DRAM 4135/4135W: Advanced Topics in Theatre and Performance
  • DRAM 4711W: The Director in the Theatre

Writing and Information Literacy Requirements

Writing in the Major

To fulfill their departmental writing in the major requirement, students must complete one of the following courses:

• DRAM 3141W: Playwriting (3 credits)
• DRAM 4135W: Advanced Topics in Theatre and Performance (3 credits)
• DRAM 4711W: The Director in the Theatre (3 credits)

Information Literacy

All upper-level courses in Design and Technology, Puppet Arts, and Theatre Studies build upon the basic information literacy competencies introduced in ENGL 1007 Seminar and Studio in Writing and Multimodal Composition, ENGL 1010 Seminar in Academic Writing, or ENGL 1011 Seminar in Writing through Literature. Students are expected to develop an understanding of how information is created, disseminated, and organized in the performing arts, and develop abilities in accessing, evaluating, synthesizing, and incorporating information into written, oral, or media presentations.

University Common Curriculum Requirements

Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see Common Curriculum Requirements.

School of Fine Arts Degree Requirements

Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's Common Curriculum requirements. For more information, see the School of Fine Arts section of this catalog.