Performance Design and Technology

Inspire, Collaborate & Create

Our Performance Design & Technology program is unique in that it stands strong as an individual area of focus while also being integral to all areas of performing arts. This allows you to explore other interests and expand beyond theatrical design into dance, performance art, site-specific work, production design and integrated media. We are focused on creating for the now, by looking to our past and moving deftly into the future.

School/Division

Campus Locations

Main Campus - Alfred, NY

Major

none offered

Minor

Performance Design and Technology

Performance Design and Technology is designed to inspire and enable emerging artists and technicians while providing many opportunities to gain significant practical experience within a wide range of performances and events.

Foundation Requirements (18 to 20 credit hours)

  • PDAT 120 Technical Theatre
    or PDAT 221 Costume Construction
  • THEA 212 Page to Stage: Script Analysis
  • PDAT 220 Design Fundamentals for Stage, Dance and Film
  • PDAT 270 or PDAT 370 Play Production
  • One Performance Class (Studio Dance course, Music Ensemble, participation in Performing Arts performance)
  • One History Class (Theatre, Dance, Art History class)

Design/Tech Additional Requirements

Choose two Technology Courses and one Design Course or one Technology Course and two Design Courses.

Technology

  • PDAT 200 Special Topics
  • PDAT 200-1 Production Management
  • PDAT 222 Stage Makeup
  • PDAT 224 Theatre Lighting and MultiMedia Technologies
  • PDAT 225 Woodworking Techniques for the Stage
  • PDAT 231 Property Design and Construction
  • PDAT 330 Costuming on the Half Scale

Design

  • PDAT 320 Scene Design
  • PDAT 321 Lighting Design
  • PDAT 322 Stage Costume Design
  • PDAT 323 Sound Design for Performance
  • PDAT 315 Advanced Design Seminar
  • PDAT 350 Independent Study
  • THEA 230 Stage Management

Capstone:

Choose 3 credit hours from the following:

  • PDAT 470 Advanced Projects in Theatrical Design and Technology
  • PDAT 495 Senior Project

It is a requirement for PD&T minor that you complete a capstone project. A capstone consists of being a lead designer or technician on a play or production. As part of this, you will document your process in a portfolio to be exhibited at the end of term.

It is imperative that the next generation of performance artists embrace all the different hats that should be worn. With this in mind, let us work to break the mold. Certainly, artists should be well-versed in all the extremely technical minutia of how a lamp gets plugged in and eventually becomes a tangible element in a plot, but our job is to teach the technical and expand on it. Let us provide the desire and the technique. For each semester that is offered, our process will be two-fold. You will be required to take a technical course paired with courses that are geared toward a designers approach. The technical courses should include CAD, electrics, scenic building, scenic painting and video and projection programming that could be a crossover course between many design disciplines.

There is a vast world of career opportunities to be had in performance design.

Performing Arts and Design faculty and staff are highly successful in placing our stu­dents in discipline specific professional internships in the NY area, nationally and inter­nationally. Due to our location, Alfred is able to access internships at regional theatres as well as in New York City.

In partnership with the Career Development Center, we are able to help you begin your portfolio and resume early in order to connect you with the outreach needed to gain internships and employment during the summer.

As active participants in the national and regional sectors of United States Institute of Technology and with the Kennedy Center American Collegiate Theatre Festival, you will have access to a wide-range of professional development, as well as recogni­tion for their work.

Internships

  • American Dance Festival
  • Lincoln Center Theatre
  • Center Theatre Group
  • Chester Theatre Company
  • Croswell Opera House
  • Olney Theatre Center
  • The Rev

Graduate School

  • Yale Drama School
  • Brandeis
  • Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama

Post-Graduate School Employment

Student Stories

Jason Dearing

*Props* to you, Jason! (Sculpture/Dimensional Studies, Performance Design Tech)

"Combining my interests in fine art and theater, I seek to blur the line that has long separated the two areas by employing my traditional art skills and knowledge into my theatrical design work."

Jason Dearing, 2016
Find out more about Jason

Similar Programs

If you're interested in the Performance and Design Technology minor at AU, you may also consider a major or minor in these related programs:

All Undergraduate Programs