About the Program
Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a concentration in lighting design/technical production program have many opportunities to work nationally, regionally, on our mainstage and in our student theater. Under the supervision of 10 faculty and staff, students receive individualized attention in small studio classes and lectures. VCUarts is rare amongst college and university training programs in that it provides opportunities for accomplished undergraduate students to actualize their designs on the mainstage.
Our theatre faculty have won awards for producing, directing, and designing including Tony Awards, Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards, Hollywood Drama-Logue Awards and many others. You’ll meet guest artists and directors at the top of their fields and build contacts in the industry.
Theatre students and faculty have worked on AMC’s Turn: Washington’s Spies, Lincoln and Loving. Our department also has a partnership with Virginia Repertory Theatre, Richmond’s leading professional theatre company. Students have landed positions with The Public Theater, Seattle Children’s Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre (D.C.), and Santa Fe Opera, and on-screen performances in productions from Netflix, FOX, Disney and Paramount.
Some classes you might take in this major:
- Computer-assisted Design and Drafting for the Theatre
- Theatrical Rigging and Welding
- Stagecraft
- Electricity for the Stage
- Lighting Design
Our alumni are:
- Lighting designers
- Projection designers
- Lighting technicians
- Sound and special effects designers
Theatre Foundation
All freshman and transfer students entering the department are initially classified as Theatre Foundation students. After successfully completing the first two years of core theatre courses in their foundation areas of emphasis, students apply for admission to a specific degree program (B.F.A. or B.A.). The department offers B.F.A concentration areas in performance, including musical theatre, and stage management, as well as three areas of design/technology: scenic, lighting and costume.