Technical Theater

The Technical Theater Certificate will provide students with classwork and practical experience across a broad base of technical theater disciplines, including set construction, set rigging, lighting, and stage management. There is an emphasis on supporting classroom instruction with both practical application and participation in main stage productions. Students will expand their resumes by virtue of their participation on build and running crews. This certificate may aid in the student’s search for an entry-level position as a shop technician or running crew in theaters and theme parks.

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The Technical Theater Certificate is intended to address a need for our students interested in working in technical theater. It will give students both classroom instruction and practical experience in a broad range of disciplines including lighting, set construction, audio, costuming and stage management. It is a central tenet of the program that classroom instruction is reinforced with crew assignments on main stage productions. A student who completes the certificate will get hands-on experience with state of the art technology in the various disciplines. They will also learn the collaborative process and the work ethic necessary for working in professional theater. In order for the training to be useful to our students, we must stay current with rapidly changing technology and practices in our industry. Recently, there has been a push to include LED lighting fixtures into the inventory of professional theaters. Those fixtures require lighting consoles that can logically process parameters for intensity, color and other functions. Similar changes are occurring in audio. Technical Theater will be a new program at the Mt. SAC campus. We have a growing and robust Theater Department. However, we lack what the top Theater Departments have—a technical theater program. Employment in technical theater is solid. The Otis Report on the Creative Economy reports there are over 34,000 jobs in the LAOC area for the visual and performing arts. Moreover, this area is projected to grow by 14% in the next three years. This is steady, sustained growth that will provide good jobs for our graduates. Moreover, there are numerous four year programs in the field for which our graduates will also be prepared should they decide to transfer.

Courses THTR 9 - Introduction to Theater Arts (3.00 units) & THTR 21 - Introduction to Theater Design (3.00 units) & THTR 13 - Play Rehearsal and Performance - Technical (1.00 units) & THTR 18 - Technical Theater Practicum (1.00 units) & THTR 14 - Stagecraft (3.00 units) & THTR 22 - Stage Lighting (3.00 units) & THTR 26 - Sound for Theater (3.00 units) & THTR 27 - Introduction to Stage Management (3.00 units) Required Electives (0 Units) Total of 6 to 7 units from the electives below THTR 11 - Principles of Acting I (3.00 units) & THTR 16 - Theatrical Make-Up (3.00 units) & THTR 19 - Theatrical Costuming (3.00 units) & THTR 28 - Directing for the Stage (3.00 units) & THTR 60A - Theater for Young Audiences - Performance (2.00 units) & THTR 60B - Theater for Young Audiences - Design (2.00 units) & THTR 60C - Theater for Young Audiences - Stage Management (2.00 units) Recommended Electives None

This is a new program. There are no similar programs at Mt. SAC.

Citrus College - Technical Theater Santa Monica College - Technical Theater Fullerton College - Technical Theater Cerritos College - Technical Theater El Camino College - Technical Theater Cypress College - Technical Theater Glendale College - Technical Theater Golden West College - Scenic, Lighting and Projection Design Irvine Valley College - Technical Theater Los Angeles City College - Technical Theater Entertainment Technology Los Angeles Valley College - Technical Theater Pasadena City College - Technical Theater Saddleback College - Technical Theater Santa Ana College - Technical Theater

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