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Set & Lighting Design

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Directing and Designing

Opportunities are always available for students interested in directing or designing to gain hands-on experience by becoming part of a production's creative team. Students working on these projects benefit from close mentoring relationships with theater professors and guest artists from the professional theatrical world.  

  • "Hair", Spring 2018. Directed by Virginia Ogden '18; set Evan Wetzel '19; costumes Armando Ortiz '19; lighting Jonathan Briffault '21; sound Will Maresco '19.

  • "Citrus", Spring 2018. Costumes Celeste Jennings '18; set Brenna Gourgeot '18; lighting Ashley Dotson '18; sound Jaclyn Pageau '18; hair & makeup Raegina Hill '18.

  • "Medea", Fall 2017. Directed Kelleen Moriarty '19; costume design by Celeste Jennings '18; set design by Annie Furman '19; lighting design Robert Cueva '17. Photo Rob Strong.

  • "What Every Girl Should Know", Spring 2017. Directed Virginia Ogden '18; set Ashley Dotson '18; costumes Armando Ortiz '19; lighting Robert Cueva '17. Photo Rob Strong.

About Directing and Designing at Dartmouth

The Department of Theater is privileged to be able to nurture the creative initiative and ingenuity of our students; creative teams consisting entirely of students are the norm for student-driven productions and performances. These can include traditional scripted plays or any other kind of performance texts (devised work, installations, etc), offering a wide range of theatrical opportunities for directing and designing.

Students wishing to propose a project to direct or design in a given term may submit an application in any of our student production tracks: YourSpace, Studio Lab, Workshops, of Full Productions. Visit the Student Productions page of this website for details.

In addition, experienced students sometimes take the role of Assistant Director or Designer on our MainStage productions, working closely and in collaboration with their professors and other veteran theater professionals. 

Students interested in directing and designing are strongly encouraged to take the course(s) relevant to their interest:

THEA 54: Directing
THEA 42: Scenic Design
THEA 44: Lighting Design
THEA 48: Costume Design

Those wishing deepen their knowledge in a particular area often choose to continue their academic studies with a individual professor via THEA 80: Independent Study.