Technical Theatre Production Certificate of Achievement

The Technical Theatre Production Certificate with a concentration in stagecraft or costume and makeup is designed to prepare students for entry level occupations as a theatre technician in educational, community, and resident theater venues. Technical theatre technicians may work on set construction, carpentry, lighting design, light board operation, stage lighting, scenery, costumes, props, and various degrees of entry level management positions, such as hours management and stage management. This program is designed to prepare individuals who work in technical production areas with a range of skills, enabling them to select, adapt and transfer skills to different work situations throughout their career in technical theatre. This program prepares students, through coursework and hands on experience, for work in technical theatre. The certificate includes a wide range of topics designed to give students basic skills and knowledge to work behind the scenes in theatre and other venues. 

Career opportunities available to someone completing a technical theatre certificate include lighting designer, lighting operator, scenic painter, stage/set designer, stage manager, costume/make-up assistant, costume/make-up designer, or stage hand. 

Based on the enrollment of our tech courses over the last 10 years, we can expect 10 to 12 technical certificates a year. These numbers are expected to go up with the building of the new Performing Arts Education Center. Once the new facility is built, we will be able to work more closely with the IATSE Local 16 to train students and direct them to union stagehand and costuming jobs.

The goal of the Technical Theater Certificate is to provide students with the basic knowledge and skills required for entry level employment as a theater technician.  There are two optional tracks that a student can follow: Stagecraft or Costume and Make-up.

Upon completion of this certificate, students will be able to:

• Collaborate with other design and crew members in theatrical productions.
• Apply fundamental techniques of stagecraft when participating in the backstage functions of a performance.
• Construct theatrical elements using common materials and techniques.

The program requirements are shown in the table below. The two tracks (Stagecraft, Costume and Make-Up) are shown separately for ease of viewing.

Stagecraft Certificate

REQUIREMENT	DEPT. NUMBER	NAME	UNITS	SEQUENCE
	TH A 30	Introduction to Theater	3	Year 1 Fall
	TH A 61	Technical Theater Production	1.00-3.00	Year 1 Spring
	TH A 150	Beginning Acting Fundamentals	3	Year 1 Fall
	TH A 60	Stagecraft	3	Year 1 Spring
	TH A 62	Introduction to Stage Design	3	Year 1 Fall
	TH A 63	Introduction to Lighting Design	3	Year 1 Spring
TOTAL			16-18

Costume and Make-up Certificate

REQUIREMENT	DEPT. NUMBER	NAME	UNITS	SEQUENCE
	TH A 30	Introduction to Theater	3	Year 1 Fall
	TH A 61	Technical Theater Production	1.00-3.00	Year 1 Spring
	TH A 150	Beginning Acting Fundamentals	3	Year 1 Fall
	TH A 80	Introduction to Costume Design	3	Year 1 Spring
	TH A 81	Introduction to Stage Make-up and Wig Design	3	Year 1 Fall
	FASH A	Introduction to Sewing	1	Year 1 Fall
	FASH 15 A	Apparel Construction 1	3	Year 1 Spring
TOTAL			17-19

These two certificates come out discussions with both the stagehand union and the costuming unions. Both unions are facing the need for more workers. There are two main reasons for this: retirements and increasing workloads. Both unions expecting a large number of retirements as the “baby boomers” in the unions reach retirement age in the next few years. Also, the work load continues to go up. The expansion of the Moscone Center and the addition of the new Warriors Chase Arena mean more stagehands are in demand.

Santa Rosa Junior College has Certificates of Achievement in Costuming, Make-up, and Stagecraft. Diablo Valley College offers a Technical Theater – Certificate of Achievement. Ohlone College offers Certificates of Accomplishment in Costuming and Stagecraft. These schools are all 27 or more miles from CCSF They serve different student communities from CCSF and different job markets. Ohlone College serves the San Jose area, Diablo Valley College serves the East Bay market and Santa Rosa serves the Sonoma County area.