<p>My daughter is currently a freshman foundation student at Parsons School of Design. She had planned on majoring in Fashion Design and continuing on with costume design but this week realized that she just wants to concetrate on costume which Parsons doesn't offer. Her advisor has been very supportive and suggested Tisch or Central Saint Martins as transfer options. She's researched it a bit and at this point Tisch seems like it would be a difficult transfer. Central Saint Martins might work BA (Honours) Theatre: Design for Performance or the London College of Fashion which offers a BA (honours) Costume, Technical Effects, Make Up for the Performing Arts program and she already will have done the required foundation year. I think she was looking at CalArts, as well. </p>
<p>Since she's swamped with projects at school right now she asked me to poke around and see what other options there might be for her. She realizes she's down to the wire on this (hence asking for my help! LOL) and has already fired off e-mails to the above mentioned schools. I read some of the theatre threads here on CC and Ithaca College has a program which states:</p>
<p>"You'll love the theatrical design concentration if scenic design, costume design, lighting design, figure drawing, rendering, and art history or other creative areas are more your thing."</p>
<p>This sounds exactly like my daughter but I don't know anything about theatre
except from being an audience member:)</p>
<p>I sent her Ithaca's site as well as North Carolina School of the Arts site since they have two costume options - design or technical. </p>
<p>Are these viable options for a transfer student from an art school with no
theatre training? I'm asking this because I don't want her wasting time on
applications that will just end up in the trash.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for any thoughts, ideas or guidance!</p>
<p>My son started the application season this year with MT school auditons. His first school was Syracuse. I remember him telling me when he returned that the room was filled with MT and acting majors, but only one design major whom they all applauded, and the dean giving the presentation said, "You're in!" Any school with a big theatre program would probably have something in design. I don't know what transfer deadline are, but I know Ithaca is still wide open for undergrad apps. Take a look at the MT and theatre school threads(theatre is under Arts) and here are some lists of schools. </p>
<p>Glad you are posting again, though sorry that she is transferring.</p>
<p>jamimom
Thank you for your reply! She has only received one e-mail reply from NCArts and has already sent off the application and requested recommendations etc.. today. I think she'll be interviewing in March. I still can't believe she's going to all this trouble! She's not a flake, so I'll just sit back and go along with it I guess (and book her flights). I looked at SMU but they they don't have design tech. I thought that would have been too easy, being in Texas:) </p>
<p>I hadn't thought of Syracuse. She's calling me tonight, so I'll ask her if she checked out their website. I did spend some time going through all the theatre/drama discussions as you suggested. Really quite daunting!</p>
<p>I haven't been on CC in a long time as I thought I could sit back and relax - LOL</p>
<p>Since your d wrote to me, I sent her something about our program. Because we offer a BFA in Design/Technology rather than one in Costume Design per se, we may not be right for her. I can recommend Webster as a place where she could major in Costume Design. Here is the link:</p>
<p>I had a question for jamimom about this:
"the room was filled with MT and acting majors, but only one design major whom they all applauded, and the dean giving the presentation said, "You're in!</p>
<p>This intrigued me. Im a theatre mom whos been lurking here a little while and learning much from this site. What were you saying by this, that there are very few design majors and they are welcomed by most theatre schools? The reason I ask is that my D applied to some Design/Production depts with interesting results (which I can share in another post).
I only wish I had come across this site before....Thanks!</p>
<p>Mauretania, do you know if your daughter would prefer a BA or BFA program? If she's going specifically for costume design, it seems like a BFA program would offer more classes, as opposed to BA programs, which might only offer 2 or 3 costume-related ones.</p>
<p>Speaking from recent personal experience, I was one of very few design/production applicants (ranging from the only one to one of 5) at the interview sites for the schools I applied to. My BU interviewer asked if I wanted to switch into sound design since there was only one applicant for that this year ;)
In general, it seemed like the competition, though not as fierce as in the acting field, was still pretty intense, since there are usually less spots open for design vs. acting majors.</p>
<p>I have someone interested in lighting design, and would like to hear your experiences. Anyone find a list of colleges that offer a BFA in lighting design?</p>
<p>I don't even know where to start--what a wild ride this has been. (Allow me to just vent for a moment first?) First off, even finding this board was a miracle. I knew, just KNEW that somewhere on the net parents and students were exchanging tips about colleges and what they had learned from the process, but had NO idea where this shangri-la was. I didn't want to annoy my D's busy GC with too many questions and the other parents seemed to know even less than I did. Well, I'll be happy to share my story, so l'll just start backing up the dump truck. I have a lot of questions of my own as well. Let me mention also, I would love to be real specific but am learning theatre is a small world where everybody knows everyone, so if I'm a little vague on any point, do feel free to contact me.</p>
<p>Sorry about any confusion. It looks I made a new thread--it's "the need for tech students..." under "Arts Majors". I intended for it to follow the above post, but my navigation skills aren't so good yet.</p>
<p>Bears--I happen to know of these schools: CCM, North Carolina School of Arts, CalArts, Depaul, and Boston U. </p>
<p>I've noticed that in many theatre departments that the specialties like sound, costume, and lighting design are sometimes hidden within other departments like "tech" or "design" or "production", so sometimes it takes a little digging in the school's website.</p>
<p>I highly recommend you also check out the USITT website (<a href="http://www.usitt.org%5B/url%5D">www.usitt.org</a>). Go to the "2005 conference" link--it lists what colleges are attending and will have booths there, under "stage expo". They also have a list of student chapters under the "Special Interest Groups" link that you can look at. It should help you start putting a list together. They also have a Lighting Commission with several school reps. And it's a great conference to go to if Toronto is at all possible for you. We went last year and D got so much great information there from the school reps. Is this for your child (I'm assuming)? They might want to join as a student member and it would be a nice addition to their resume.</p>
<p>Another way of course could be to try googling the phrases "lighting design" with "BFA" and see what schools come up.</p>
<p>themockery
BA or BFA - I don't really know what she would like. </p>
<p>TaraMom
"theatre is a small world"
I'm surprised to hear that, since there seem to be theatres everywhere.
I've never seen a play in New York (I've been there many times) only in London.
Since I'm going, this weekend, to NYC, I thought maybe we should "see a show"
but the only one that got me excited was "Spamalot" but it's sold out. My daughter
is dragging us to the new MOMA though:) </p>
<p>bears_eh
Lighting Design - I'm sure Carnegie Mellon would have a good program (all those
engineers there!)</p>
<p>YES! CMU has a great production and design program with the latest lighting technology. Check it out here (click on programs. Design and Production are separate programs):</p>
<p>bears_eh, check out Emerson in Boston. My nephew graduated from there with a degree in lighting design, at least that's how he's described it ;) , and he is now working in the field at Purchase College's Performing Arts Center.</p>
<p>That's it! This expo seems like the mecca of theatre tech and just about every college with a decent department participates in it. When we went, the booths were staffed with not only their faculty, but also at least one student so D was just in heaven talking to them and getting a feel for whether to apply. And we only saw maybe 3 or 4 other kids there like D checking them out. We came home with bags of college brochures, faculty business cards, and email addresses of helpful folks.</p>
<p>If you're going to NY and would like a play recommendation, my D talks incessantly about hoping to see "Avenue Q" someday. Now I hear it has puppets but it's supposed to be quite edgy, not cutesy, and actually pretty wicked & risque--it's def not your typical Broadway musical.</p>
<p>USITT is the professional organization for theatrical designers and technicians in America, which means that virtually all college DT faculty are members. Almost all college DT majors know about USITT and many are student members. Many of the most talented ones are looking to go on to graduate school. What better place for MFA programs to recruit than at the annual USITT convention? The reason some other schools aren't there is that they only have undergraduate programs, and it's the very, very rare high school student (or mom--kudos to you, Taramom) who's even heard of USITT, much less knows anything about it. It wouldn't make economic sense for us to set up a booth there. </p>
<p>Where it does make sense for us to be is the International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Nebraska in June. Many of the schools which offer BFA degrees in areas of design and technology see about 50 kids with portfolios on Friday afternoon at the conference. We're not allowed to make offers during the week of the conference, but it's not unheard of for offers to go out pretty soon thereafter. Potential DT majors should try to find a way to Lincoln.</p>
<p>And, yes, Taramom, your D will, if she finishes a degree in design/tech, get a JOB. Thrilling prospect, isn't it?</p>
<p>Taramom, I can recommend Avenue Q. I saw it with two of my Ds last summer and my D2 who is at Tisch has seen it several times. It's an excellent show and, as you probably know, was nominated for six Tonys, winning three including Best Musical in 2004. It's a clever, thought-provoking, funny show with an amazingly talented cast. John Tartaglia has left now but his u/s who replaced him, Barrett Foa, is equally wonderful, according to D2. It's a popular show so tickets should be ordered well in advance, as with many shows in the city.</p>