Areas of Study [Costume Design]

 

• Costume Design
• Costume Production
• Entertainment Technology
• Lighting Design
• Set Design
• Sound Design
• Stage Management
• Technical Direction

The Division of Design and Technology of the School of Theatre Arts offer study of costume design for the theatre at the undergraduate and graduate level.

For undergraduates, scenic design is an area of emphasis within the BFA degree program. The program includes through grounding in all areas of theatre design and production as well as broader study of theatre (history, acting, directing) and the University of Arizona general education core of classes.

Topics of study in the costume design courses including: basic and advanced costume construction, costume design, costume crafts, fabric manipulation, fabric dying, pattern drafting and draping, men’s tailoring, period women’s wear, millinery and wig-making. Students have the opportunity to participate in and receive credit for production work each semester. Production assignments may include: design assistant, wardrobe crew head, costume crafts specialist, stitcher, or costume designer.

Graduate level study of costume design is an area of specialization with a demanding MFA program. Graduate students receive one-on-one training from the faculty specialists in design. Production assignments are normally positions of responsibility such as assistant costume designer, first hand or costume designer. An MFA student will design costumes for at least one fully produced main stage production in the three years of their training. Many graduate students in this program have designed two or more productions. The graduate curriculum is a balance between design training and advanced theatre studies.

 

Undergraduate only costume design classes are:

• Costume Construction (TAR 116) Basic theatrical costume construction techniques.
• Costume Run Crew (TAR 118) Participation with a wardrobe crew for a major production.
• Intro to Design (TAR 121) Fundamentals of design process for costume and scenic designers.
• Intro to Costume Design (TAR 229) Instructs design analysis and research, costume designing and costume rendering.

 

Undergraduate and Graduate co-convened courses in costume design are:

• Advanced Construction Techniques (TAR 401/501) Advanced training in crafts including, but not limited to, Fabric manipulation and dying, mask-making, millinery, wig-making and styling, and mask-making. This course can be re-taken when available with an increased level of complexity.
  
• Rendering (TAR 416/516) Life drawing and color work. Taken 3-4 times for undergraduates, 5 times for graduates.
• Advanced Costume Design (TAR 425/525) Advanced study of costume design process, styles and theory.
• Advanced Costume Construction I (TAR 427/527) Advanced training in pattern drafting and draping. This course can be re-taken when available with an increased level of complexity.
• Advanced Costume Construction II (TAR 428/528) Advanced training in men’s wear tailoring. This course can be re-taken when available with an increased level of complexity.
• Costume Production (TAR 497B) Production assignments.

 

Graduate costume design courses are:

• Graduate Production Study (TAR 580) Small seminar in costume production. Taken 6 times
• Special Topics in Theatrical Design (TAR 596D) Advanced work in period costume design and rendering techniques
• Costume Production (TAR 597B) Production assignments
• Thesis Production (TAR 597B) Thesis production
• Master’s Report (TAR 909) Comprehensive design project.