The Renowned Design Program At The Cmu School Of Drama Works With The Student To Pave New Creative Pathways In Live Storytelling.
Students study idea-building, explore a myriad of design techniques and meld a knowledge of theater and art history with cutting-edge techniques in order to actively apply their skills to classroom projects, workshops and fully realized productions. Involvement with a large array of collaborators including cutting-edge international companies, installation artists, professional theaters, roboticists and celebrated professionals prepare students to be the leaders of their industry.
A greeting from our Option Co-Coordinators, Sartje Pickett & Narelle Sissons.
Costume Design
Students in the School of Drama Costume Design Program are innovative leaders in the design and production fields of clothing for the stage, television, and film industries. They are well-rounded citizens of the world, capable of bringing insightful interpretations of the human condition to the work they create. They are trained to be industry vanguards who set new standards and are prepared with the tools to explore their own paths and be leaders in the inventive and inspiring theater of tomorrow. School of Drama Costume Designers are prepared to be the collaborative and forward-thinking innovators of their field.
Scenic Design
Students in the School of Drama Scenic Design Program are poised to shape the future of the industry and are inventive and engaged thinkers, inquisitive about the world around them and capable of working across all media. Students are collaborative artists ready to pave new creative pathways in live storytelling, explore their unique imaginations in world building and are eager to create universes that transport audiences into new realms from surreal dreamscapes to realistic interiors. School of Drama Scenic Designers are prepared to be the leaders and creative drivers of their field.
Video and Media Design
Students in the School of Drama Video and Media Design Program are dynamic artists, the skilled critical thinkers who comprehend the impact of the mediated space on individuals, relationships and society and who explore these issues in the form and context of their work. These students are capable of conceiving of fresh media-based theatrical experiences and have the technological savvy to realize them at a variety of scales. The range of experiences and skills these individuals possess places the School of Drama Video and Media Designers at the forefront of their dynamic field.
Sound Design
Students in the School of Drama Sound Design Program are tomorrow’s leaders in the profession who can utilize traditional tools as well as cutting-edge technologies to enhance their work as inventive storytellers with the capacity to communicate through sound. These artists have the ability to guide audiences on an aural journey eliciting human emotion, driving the narrative, creating rich and percussive landscapes connecting us in a deep and resonant way. They are the skilled, imaginative thinkers accomplished at collaborating across a wide range of media. These School of Drama Sound Designers are poised to become the voice of the industry.
Lighting Design
Students in the School of Drama Lighting Design Program are the visionary storytellers capable of shaping and defining theatrical worlds, taking audiences on a journey by controlling an ephemeral medium. These designers have broad training and strong understanding of the most modern technologies and how to leave gear behind to choose best what will be in service to the idea. These collaborators help to enliven and enrich the performative space taking us on an emotional journey of discovery and revelation. School of Drama Lighting Designers are poised to be the luminaries of the industry.
Join Us!
We hope you can join us to celebrate the connection, generosity and resilience of our unified community of industry professionals, alumni and educators, as we navigate through uncertain times. We are grateful for your support of our class of 2020 and of the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama Community.