Theatre: Design and Technical Theatre Concentration, BA
This major provides comprehensive training for collaborative theatre-makers.
In our program, you’ll engage with theatre on multiple levels—creative, intellectual, and practical. Guided by our outstanding faculty, you’ll receive conservatory-caliber training in a small class setting. As a Design and Technical Theatre emphasis, you’ll immerse yourself in dramaturgy, communication, and visual literacy, while also gaining consistent hands-on production experience.
You’ll have the opportunity to attend shows throughout the Bay Area and work with a diverse range of guest artists. Your studies will culminate with a self-generated project that demonstrates mastery in your chosen field.
Students graduate well-equipped for fields such as stage management, scenic or lighting design, and technical direction. Others put their critical, technical, and creative skills to work outside of the arts, in technology, health care, and beyond.
Myriad possibilities await you, and we are here to prepare you for them!
Learn more about the program
Get to know our well-respected faculty and their specialties, as artists and scholars. Or explore scholarship opportunities and an array of performance possibilities.
Earn an Theatre: Design and Technical Theatre, BA and a Single-Subject Teaching Credential at Saint Mary's in just four years through our Single Subject Teaching Credential Integrated Pathway!
What can you do with a degree in Design and Technical Theatre?
A degree in Design and Technical Theatre prepares you with a strong foundation in skills applicable to a wide variety of professions.
(*Some careers may require graduate school or additional study).
Stage Manager
Run rehearsals and performances; call cues, track blocking, and coordinate artists and crew.
Scenic Designer
Create visual worlds; draft ground plans/renderings and collaborate on builds and paint treatments.
Lighting Designer
Design plots, program consoles, and sculpt mood, focus, and visibility for stage and events.
Sound Designer / Engineer
Design playback and reinforcement systems; mix shows, edit cues, and manage mics and routing.
Costume Designer / Technician
Research, design, build, and maintain costumes; oversee fittings, wardrobe runs, and quick changes.
Projection / Media Designer
Integrate video, mapping, and interactive media; align content with dramaturgy and sightlines.
Technical Director
Translate designs into safe, buildable plans; budget, schedule, and supervise shops and load-ins.
Production Manager
Oversee calendars, contracts, and resources across multiple shows; align teams and deliverables.
Event & Venue Technician (Union Stagehand)
Install lighting, audio, and scenic for touring and corporate events; operate boards and backline.
Additional pathways
Careers in K–12 education, event planning, project management, dramaturgy, group facilitation, inclusion/belonging work, and community outreach for nonprofits.
Saint Mary's Testimonials
Since graduating Saint Mary’s, I have been hired to be a performer, director, teaching artist, production manager, and writer. I currently work full-time at American Conservatory Theatre, but have worked with other theaters in the Bay Area theatre community such as Crowded Fire, California Shakespeare Theatre, Shotgun Players, TheatreFirst, Town Hall Theatre, Bay Area Women’s Theatre Festival, and Z Space.
Alejandra Maria Rivas, Class of 2019
