Program Overview

Overview

The Costume Design and Technology Concentration provides opportunities for students to develop their unique artistic visions as costume, makeup, and hair designers and technicians. It offers students practice in the research, technical, and conceptual skills necessary to design and build costumes for the stage, dance, or film, including vocabulary and best practices, the universal language of clothes, primary research, and diverse aesthetic styles to build characters. Students develop an understanding of the costume designer and technician-artisan as a collaborative artist, creative visionary, and working professional.

Learning Objectives

In addition to four CSU Theatre Program Learning Objectives, the Costume Design and Technology Concentration includes the following unique learning objectives:

• COSTUME DESIGN and TECHNOLOGY FOR THEATRE, FILM, and INDUSTRY: Explore the specific techniques that costume, hair, and makeup designers and technicians use to develop and communicate their ideas through research, synthesis of skills including drawing, painting, mockups, and application of emerging technologies. From realized works on mainstage shows, understand how the costume, hair, and makeup designer supports, collaborates, and interacts with the creative team.
• DESIGN ARTISTRY: Develop an understanding of the Costume Designer as a collaborative artist, creative visionary, craftsperson, and working professional by practicing organizational, design, and craft skills to realize a show from concept to production and building a portfolio of creative design and/or technical work.

Portfolio Review

A successful portfolio review with CSU Theatre faculty is required to enter the B.A. in Theatre, Costume Design and Technology Concentration. The program portfolio review is also the scholarship audition.

Facilities and Equipment

• Costume shop outfitted with Berninas and Industrial Juki sewing machines
  • Dye and craft area
  • Makeup station with airbrush
  • Computer lab and iPads for digital rendering

Lab Software and Training

• Adobe Photoshop
• Procreate
• Sketchbook
• Poser

Faculty

• Erin Carignan, Associate Professor of Theatre
• Elise Kulovany, Costume Shop Manager
• Becky Evans, Assistant Costume Shop Manager

Study With

The Costume Design and Technology Concentration is led by experienced faculty, including Erin Carignan, Elise Kulovany, and Becky Evans, who provide guidance and mentorship to students throughout the program.