Riccardo Hernández, Cochair
Toni-Leslie James, Cochair
The purpose of the Design program is to develop theater artists who are accomplished, committed, daring designers of costume, lighting, projection, set, and sound for the theater. The program encourages students to discover their own process of formulating design ideas, to develop a discriminating standard for their own endeavors, and above all to prepare for a creative and meaningful professional life in the broad range of theater activities.
It is hoped that through their David Geffen School of Drama experience, design students discover a true sense of joy in working with other people and realize the excitement of evolving a production through the process of collaboration.
The program endeavors to create an atmosphere conducive to creative experimentation, tempered by honest, open criticism and disciplined study.
Students are admitted to the program on the basis of their artistic abilities as shown in their portfolios, as well as their commitment to the theater and their ability to articulate their ideas.
Approximately seventeen students are admitted each year. There is a high faculty-to-student ratio. We make a strong personal commitment to each student who is accepted, and we work to provide the resources necessary for all students to succeed in the program.
The student’s training is accomplished through approximately equal parts classroom work and production experience. A balance between theoretical work, which students conceive of and develop in the classroom, and projects that are realized on stage, is the ever-present goal. Collaboration among disciplines, both within and without the Design program, is a constant practice.
All design concentrations are closely interrelated. Each is part of a greater whole. Therefore, with some exceptions, students in their first year of study take classes in all five design concentrations. Starting in the second year, the required sequence of courses for each student focuses more closely on the student’s primary area or areas of concentration.
The program reserves the right to alter the required sequence when necessary in order to provide each student the experience best suited to the student’s particular circumstances and goals.
The Design program is committed to dismantling racism by engaging in an ongoing examination of the policies and practices of the program and the profession in general in order to expose biases and systemic advantage/oppression where they exist and to build a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment through anti-racist practices.
Plan of Study: Costume Design
Our Costume Design concentration is dedicated to the training of new generations of designers in a diverse community of students and teachers where we fully embrace different perspectives and backgrounds as we actively promote diversity through our curriculum, performances, and student experiences. The study of costume design requires us to continuously explore new ways of storytelling as we examine the human spirit to be able to communicate the life condition of the character through clothing on the stage. Students must have knowledge of the vocabulary of design and be able to communicate all aspects pertaining to the profession in order to achieve this goal in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment that promotes anti-racist practices. Through class projects, practical and theoretical, and real experience working on academic and professional productions, students will leave the university setting and become valuable, vocal, and seen members of the entertainment industry.
The first year of study is dedicated to the background and practice of costume design to develop the students’ technical skills in life drawing and costume construction, their knowledge of costume history, and a thorough grounding in the business of professional costume design, integrating technical skills with theoretical understanding as students take courses in every design concentration. The second year enhances the students’ analytical/dramaturgical thinking and critical aesthetic voices in the execution of designs in collaboration with student and professional directors, with advanced classes in life drawing and digital costume illustration. The third-year students continue their training based on professional-level processes and practices with an established director, culminating in the design of a professional production. Our training strives to create new and lasting relationships between designers, directors, actors, and technicians, evolving into a diverse community that shares a unique and bold aesthetic as our students enter the professional world.
Class of 2025
Required Sequence
Year one (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 3(02)a/b | Toward Anti-Racist Theatre Practice in Design |
| DRAM 89b | Costume Construction |
| DRAM 102a/b | Introduction to Set Design and Design Techniques |
| DRAM 115a/b | Introduction to Costume Design |
| DRAM 125a/b | The History of Costume |
| DRAM 162a/b | Life Drawing Studio |
| DRAM 189a | Costume Production |
| DRAM 489a/b | Costume Seminar |
| Costume Design assistant assignment(s) | |
Year two (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 124a/b | Introduction to Lighting Design |
| DRAM 135a/b | Advanced Costume Design |
| DRAM 165a/b | Costume Life Drawing |
| DRAM 185a/b | Digital Costume Illustration |
| DRAM 232a/b | Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography (2YCC) |
| DRAM 489a/b | Costume Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second and third years of study | |
| Design assignments for School productions | |
Year three (2024–2025)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 145a/b | Advanced Professional Costume Design |
| DRAM 155a/b | Evolution of Cut and Cloth |
| DRAM 165a/b | Costume Life Drawing |
| DRAM 185a/b | Digital Costume Illustration |
| DRAM 489a/b | Costume Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second and third years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Repertory productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Class of 2024
Required Sequence
Year three (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 145a/b | Advanced Professional Costume Design |
| DRAM 155a/b | Evolution of Cut and Cloth |
| DRAM 162a/b | Life Drawing |
| DRAM 185a/b | Digital Costume Illustration |
| DRAM 489a/b | Costume Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School productions | |
Year four (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 489a/b | Costume Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third, and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Class of 2023
Required Sequence
Year four (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 489a/b | Costume Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third, and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Plan of Study: Lighting Design
Lighting cannot be taught in the classroom. Words and two-dimensional representations are not adequate to express all that needs to be expressed or to communicate all that needs to be communicated when exploring and discovering the role light can play in live theatrical performance. Light must be experienced firsthand, in space and in time. Moreover, like playing an instrument, the skills involved in lighting must be practiced constantly. Therefore, in the Lighting Design concentration, we prioritize realized production work and exercises done in theaters or the light lab over theoretical, paper projects.
Light is intricately intertwined with all the other design concentrations. The configuration of the scenery determines what lighting possibilities exist in any given production; the silhouettes created by the costumes and their color palette have everything to do with the composition of the stage picture and the color palette of the lighting; the aural landscape and the rhythm of the lighting are two parts of a single whole; projected imagery is a kind of light itself. For these reasons, lighting students study the other concentrations, and we include students of the other concentrations in our lighting classes, as far as the schedule will allow. Lighting students also study figure drawing, as the human figure is the basis of our sense of composition, and drawing is the best possible training for the eye.
Class of 2025
Required Sequence
Year one (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 3(02)a/b | Toward Anti-Racist Theatre Practice in Design |
| DRAM 104b | Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Lighting Design |
| DRAM 112a/b | Introduction to Set Design |
| DRAM 115a/b | Introduction to Costume Design |
| DRAM 134a/b | Advanced Lighting Design |
| DRAM 162a/b | Life Drawing Studio |
| DRAM 222a | Drafting for Designers |
| DRAM 224a/b | Intro to Projection Design |
| DRAM 404a/b | Lighting Seminar |
| Lighting design assisting assignment(s) and Design assignment(s) for School productions. | |
Year two (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 6a/b | Survey of Theater and Drama |
| DRAM 104b | Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Lighting Design |
| DRAM 158a | Introduction to Sound Design |
| DRAM 162a/b | Life Drawing Studio |
| DRAM 164a/b | Professional Lighting Design |
| DRAM 202a/b | Advanced Set Design II |
| DRAM 224a/b | Introduction to Projection Design |
| DRAM 404a/b | Lighting Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second and third years of study | |
| Design assignments for School productions | |
Year three (2024–2025)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 162a/b | Life Drawing Studio |
| DRAM 174a/b | Advanced Professional Lighting Design |
| DRAM 184b | Pre-visualization for Lighting Design |
| DRAM 404a/b | Lighting Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second and third years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Class of 2024
Required Sequence
Year three (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 6a/b | Survey of Theater and Drama |
| DRAM 174a/b | Advanced Professional Lighting Design |
| DRAM 404a/b | Lighting Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School productions | |
Year four (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 184b | Pre-visualization for Lighting Design |
| DRAM 404a/b | Lighting Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Class of 2023
Required Sequence
Year four (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 184b | Pre-visualization for Lighting Design |
| DRAM 404a/b | Lighting Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Plan of Study: Projection Design
The professional future of projection designers will most likely expand beyond collaborative work in text-based, director-driven work to include independent work in concerts, ballets, installation, and even film. The goal of this program is to strengthen student skills in all areas. The focus of the first-year core curriculum is to explore communication in the various modalities and languages of theatrical design as well as development of storytelling skills, whether it be through the generating of technical drawings, the expressive communication of a sketch, the construction of a scenic model, or setting moving image to music. Student designers may be assigned as assistants, content creators, or programmers.
Collaborative projects anchor the second year of study. Students take part in an interdepartmental course with the Directing Program called DRAM 232a/b, Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography. This course seeks to cultivate and reinforce the creative relationship and professional-level processes between directors and designers, concentrating on an in-depth analysis of a selection of twentieth- and twenty-first century plays and operas. Shorter collaborative projection projects range from classroom exploration of a moment from a new play, student curiosity, as well as two produced evenings of Opera Scenes with Yale School of Music. In the second year, there are elective slots students should program according to their specific needs and interests and in conversation with the faculty. Student design assignments can include design work on student directors’ thesis projects.
In the third year students will prepare and present an original work as their thesis project. There may be a professional assignment at Yale Rep as well. As teachers our role is to mentor and support the exploration, discovery, and creation of a thesis project, as well as to prepare students to enter the ever-changing landscape of media design.
Over the course of the three years it is our goal to provide significant opportunity to explore opera, dance, installation, and self-devised work in addition to text-based works. Technical classes and workshops will be offered on a rotating basis.
Class of 2025
Required Sequence
Year one (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 3(02)a/b | Toward Anti-Racist Theatre Practice in Design |
| DRAM 102a/b | Introduction to Set Design and Design Techniques |
| DRAM 104b | Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Lighting Design |
| DRAM 122a/b | The History of Set Design |
| DRAM 124a/b | Introduction to Lighting Design |
| DRAM 162a | Life Drawing Studio |
| DRAM 172a/b | Digital Imaging for Designers |
| DRAM 222a | Drafting for Designers |
| DRAM 224a/b | Introduction to Projection Design |
| DRAM 239b | Projection Design Engineering |
| DRAM 334a/b | Advanced Projection Design |
| DRAM 384b | Projection Production Process |
| DRAM 414a/b | Projection Seminar |
| Projection design and assisting assignment(s) | |
Year two (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 141b | Law and the Arts |
| DRAM 158a | Introduction to Sound Design |
| DRAM 232a/b | Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography (2YCC) |
| DRAM 244a/b | Motion Graphics |
| DRAM 264a/b | Animation Studio |
| DRAM 334a/b | Advanced Projection Design |
| DRAM 384a/b | Projection Production Process |
| DRAM 414a/b | Projection Seminar |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Projection faculty) | |
| Projection design and assisting assignment(s) | |
Year three (2024–2025)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 334a/b | Advanced Projection Design |
| DRAM 344a/b | Advanced Professional Projection Design |
| DRAM 384a/b | Projection Production Process |
| DRAM 414a/b | Projection Seminar |
| DRAM 444a/b | Professional Development |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Projection faculty) | |
| Projection design and assisting assignment(s) | |
| Thesis Project: conception, creation, and presentation of a live performance in which projection ideas and content are fully integrated into the performance and are essential to the design | |
Class of 2024
Required Sequence
Year three (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 244a/b | Motion Graphics |
| DRAM 334a/b | Advanced Projection Design |
| DRAM 384a/b | Projection Production Process |
| DRAM 414a/b | Projection Seminar |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Projection faculty) | |
| Projection design and assisting assignment(s) | |
Year four (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 344a/b | Advanced Professional Projection Design |
| DRAM 384a/b | Projection Production Process |
| DRAM 414a/b | Projection Seminar |
| DRAM 444a/b | Professional Development |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Projection faculty) | |
| Projection design and assisting assignment(s) | |
| Thesis Project: conception, creation, and presentation of a live performance in which projection ideas and content are fully integrated into the performance and are essential to the design | |
Class of 2023
Required Sequence
Year four (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 384a/b | Projection Production Process |
| DRAM 414a/b | Projection Seminar |
| DRAM 444a/b | Professional Development |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Projection faculty) | |
| Projection design and assisting assignment(s) | |
| Thesis Project: conception, creation, and presentation of a live performance in which projection ideas and content are fully integrated into the performance and are essential to the design | |
Plan of Study: Set Design
The Three-Year Curriculum Arc (Scenography)
In the first year, students delve into a wide spectrum of classic texts, operas, and musicals alongside modern and contemporary works. The goal is to create three-dimensional models every week and present the completed model (1/8-in. or 1/4-in. scale) the following week. This structure provides the foundation on which the following two years are based. During the course of the year the students will also assist on student productions and at the Yale Repertory Theater.
In the second year, the set designers meet twice per week. On Wednesdays the students take part in an interdisciplinary course with the Directing program in DRAM 232a/b Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography. This course seeks to cultivate and reinforce the creative relationship and professional-level processes between directors and designers, concentrating on an in-depth analysis of a selection of twentieth- and twenty-first-century plays and operas. On Fridays the students meet with the Set Design faculty in discussions that expand and deepen the exploration of the texts discussed in the Wednesday collaborative class from a scenographic perspective. There are two projects per term, each culminating in a final presentation. During the course of the second year, students will also be designing for David Geffen School of Drama productions.
In the third year, the students will choose their own texts and operas, including adaptations. Having a strong foundation in classic, modern, and contemporary works to draw on, the students will be able to develop a more personal approach. The second term of the third year will concentrate on a thesis that will be presented to the entire Design faculty. During this year the students will also be interviewing with directors for Yale Repertory Theatre productions.
The overall mission of the program is to nurture a thorough appreciation of existing scenographic traditions as well as a vigorous commitment to developing individual voices for a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive American theater.
Class of 2025
Required Sequence
Year one (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 3(02)a/b | Toward Anti-Racist Theatre Practice in Design |
| DRAM 112a/b | Introduction to Set Design |
| DRAM 115a/b | Introduction to Costume Design |
| DRAM 122a/b | The History of Set Design |
| DRAM 124a/b | Introduction to Lighting Design |
| DRAM 162a/b | Life Drawing Studio |
| DRAM 222a | Drafting for Designers |
| DRAM 222b | Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Set Designers |
| DRAM 242a/b | Drafting Review |
| DRAM 402a/b | Set Seminar |
| Set Design assisting assignment(s) | |
Year two (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 132a/b | Advanced Set Design |
| DRAM 152a/b | Scenic Painting |
| DRAM 224a/b | Introduction to Projection Design |
| DRAM 232a/b | Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography (2YCC) |
| DRAM 242a/b | Drafting Review |
| DRAM 402a/b | Set Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second and third years of study | |
| Design assignments for School productions | |
Year three (2024–2025)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 142a/b | Advanced Professional Set Design |
| DRAM 242a/b | Drafting Review |
| DRAM 402 a/b | Set Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second and third years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Repertory productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Class of 2024
Required Sequence
Year three (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 122a/b | The History of Set Design |
| DRAM 142a/b | Advanced Professional Set Design |
| DRAM 152a/b | Scenic Painting |
| DRAM 242a/b | Drafting Review Session |
| DRAM 402a/b | Set Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third, and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School productions | |
Year four (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 242a/b | Drafting Review Session |
| DRAM 402a/b | Set Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third, and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Repertory productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Class of 2023
Required Sequence
Year four (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 242a/b | Drafting Review Session |
| DRAM 402a/b | Set Seminar |
| Two one-term electives over the course of second, third, and fourth years of study | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project: a comprehensive design for a theoretical production | |
Plan of Study: Sound Design
Sound is inherently personal. Beautiful sonics for any two people will be different, yet the overall goal of the Sound Design concentration at David Geffen School of Drama is to find the bridge between the personal and the universal, to discover the essence and atomic quality of sound such that one can bring one’s personal perspective while being able to effectively communicate one’s concepts with anyone. Openness, inclusiveness, and rigorous work ethic are the necessary qualities one must have to achieve this goal in the Sound Design concentration. There will be many collaborative circumstances, from the classroom to the professional stage at Yale Repertory Theatre, for students to have an opportunity to sharpen their technical skills and develop their creative voice.
The Sound Design experience at the School is unique in that the five areas of design—set, costume, lighting, projection, and sound—are integrated. This ensemble approach provides a foundation for the collaborative experience at the School. Students must be dedicated and willing to work hard. The course work covers design aesthetics, script interpretation, dramaturgy, music composition, critical listening, professional collaboration, sound and music technology, acoustics, aural imaging in large spaces, investigations into psychoacoustics, digital audio production, advanced sound delivery systems, advanced problem solving, advanced digital applications, production organization, and professional development, all in concert with a wide variety of practical assignments.
Class of 2025
Required Sequence
Year one (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 3(02)a/b | Toward Anti-Racist Theatre Practice in Design |
| DRAM 6a/b | Survey of History and Drama |
| DRAM 124a | Introduction to Lighting Design |
| DRAM 138a | Production Sound Engineering |
| DRAM 158a | Introduction to Sound Design |
| DRAM 158b | Recording Arts |
| DRAM 188a/b | Music Lessons |
| DRAM 418a/b | Sound Seminar |
| Sound design and assisting assignment(s) | |
Year two (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 224a/b | Introduction to Projection Design |
| DRAM 232a/b | Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography (2YCC) |
| DRAM 238a | Advanced Engineering for Sound Design |
| DRAM 258a | Music Production for Drama |
| DRAM 258b | Music Production for Drama |
| DRAM 278a | Advanced Sound Design |
| DRAM 288a/b | Music Lessons |
| DRAM 418a/b | Sound Seminar |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Sound faculty) | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Rep productions | |
Year three (2024–2025)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 338a | Professional Audio Engineer Development Skills for NY Sound Practitioner |
| DRAM 358a | Professional Development |
| DRAM 388a/b | Individual Music/Composition Lessons |
| DRAM 418a/b | Sound Seminar |
| Two one-term electives (in consultation with Sound faculty) | |
| Design assignments for School and/or Yale Rep productions | |
| Thesis Project | |
Class of 2024
Required Sequence
Year three (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 258a | Music Production for Drama |
| DRAM 258b | Music Production for Drama |
| DRAM 338a | Professional Audio Engineer Development Skills for the NY Sound Practitioner |
| DRAM 388a/b | Individual Music/Composition Lessons |
| DRAM 418a/b | Sound Seminar |
| Up to three production assignments (if prepared) | |
| One term of music elective (optional) | |
| One term of general elective (optional) | |
Year four (2023–2024)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 358a | Professional Development |
| DRAM 418a/b | Sound Seminar |
| DRAM 488a/b | Individual Music/Composition Lessons |
| Up to three production assignments (if prepared) | |
| One term of music elective (optional) | |
| One term of general elective (optional) | |
| Thesis (full production, research paper, or an original creation) | |
Class of 2023
Required Sequence
Year four (2022–2023)
| Course | Subject |
|---|---|
| DRAM 358a | Professional Development |
| DRAM 418a/b | Sound Seminar |
| DRAM 488a/b | Individual Music/Composition Lessons |
| Up to three production assignments (if prepared) | |
| One term of music elective (optional) | |
| One term of general elective (optional) | |
| Thesis (full production, research paper, or an original creation) | |
Additional Requirements for the Degree
Anti-Racist Theater Practice Requirement
Design students are required to enroll in DRAM 3(02)a/b, Toward Anti-Racist Theater Practice in Design, in order to fulfill the School’s anti-racist theater practice requirement. Combined with the prerequisite workshop, Everyday Justice: Anti-Racism as Daily Practice, this course offers vital strategies for the lifelong development of individual and communal anti-racist practice.
Theater History Requirement
Lighting and sound design students are required to enroll in DRAM 6a/b, Survey of Theater and Drama in order to fulfil the School’s theater history requirement. First-year costume design students are required to enroll in DRAM 125a/b, The History of Costume, and first-year projection and set-design students are required to enroll in DRAM 122a/b, The History of Set Design, in order to fulfil the School’s theater history requirement. These courses are considered a crucial foundation for the program’s students.
Courses of Instruction
DRAM 3(02)a/b, Toward Anti-Racist Theater Practice in Design This course meets five times per semester with students, using readings, viewings, and discussions in pursuit of these goals: to identify the roots and branches of racism and white supremacy in the structures and practices of theater making in the United States, including at David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre; to interrogate where the practices do harm and hinder; and to invest in the future by inviting students and faculty to imagine and uplift systems and cultures that do not depend upon or promote supremacy, to build a more just and equitable field. Required for first year students and open to middle- and final-year students. Zahida Sherman
DRAM 6a/b, Survey of Theater and Drama See description under Dramaturgy and Dramatic Criticism.
DRAM 66a/THST 414a, Lyric Writing for Musical Theater See description under Playwriting.
DRAM 89b, Costume Construction See description under Technical Design and Production.
DRAM 102a/b, Introduction to Set Design and Design Techniques This class concentrates on initial design ideas on a series of plays while also introducing the process of idea building, discovery, and point of view as an artist. With the goal of exploring how to craft space for a production, we also explore fundamentals of craft using the various means and materials available to communicate effectively with all members of the production team. From the initial read of the script into the collaborative process and production, we provide the tools to be a collaborator in the theatrical process. Maruti Evans, Mikiko MacAdams
DRAM 104b, Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Lighting Designers This course covers techniques, workflows, and best practices for using computer-assisted design (Vectorworks) to bring a lighting design from concept to professional drawing package. Students develop skills including drawing techniques; drawing structure and layout; utilizing working drawings; managing data and working with Lightwright; developing templates and libraries; and creating clear, well-styled drawings. Students receive individual guidance on approaching design project challenges and critiques of their drafting presentation. Open to non-Design students with prior permission of the instructor. Joshua Benghiat
DRAM 108b, Fundamentals of Music Literacy An eight-week module in the basic musical concepts of pitch, interval, and rhythm with the aim of building fluency in musical terminology, sight singing, score reading, and analysis. With an emphasis on practical exercises in class, students learn to sing notated melodies, execute rhythms, and hear harmonies by following musical scores from a variety of traditions. We cover musical terms and concepts commonly used in music notation and develop an understanding of musical form and structure through examples from the literature useful to theater professionals. Matthew Suttor
DRAM 112a/b, Introduction to Set Design A two-term introduction for all first-year designers and interested non-design students to the process of scenic design through critique and discussions of weekly projects ranging from classic texts, operas, and musicals alongside modern and contemporary works. There are projects every two weeks. The goal is to create an in-depth examination of the assigned works leading to a three-dimensional model (1/8-in. or 1/4-in. scale) at the end of the second week. Emphasis is given to the examination of the text and the action of the play, the formulation of design ideas, the visual expression of the ideas, and especially the collaboration with directors and all other designers. There are invited speakers and playwrights discussing some of the works in class, expanding on the history and context in which the texts were written in order to have a more comprehensive and dramaturgical understanding of the play. Riccardo Hernández, Michael Yeargan
DRAM 115a/b, Introduction to Costume Design This course addresses the process and documentation of designing costumes. Designers are encouraged to develop their eye by careful study of primary source research, while developing the student’s knowledge of paperwork and budgeting used by professional costume designers in the creation of industry-standard production costume bibles. Course work requires that students produce many design sketches weekly. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students. Toni-Leslie James
DRAM 122a/b, The History of Set Design A survey of the history of the visual aspects of storytelling through the ages, from the Greeks to the present day. Though the course focuses primarily on the history of western culture, comparisons with theater techniques of other international cultures are also explored. A key element of the course is the relationship of the actors, storytellers, and performers to the observers of the events we call “theatre” and the evolution of the architectural structures that focuses this exchange of ideas, that have become known as “theatres.” Michael Yeargan
DRAM 124a/b, Introduction to Lighting Design This course is an introduction for all non-lighting design students to the aesthetics and the process of lighting design through weekly critique and discussion of theoretical and practical assignments. Emphasis is given to the examination of the action of the play in relation to lighting, the formulation of design ideas, the place of lighting in the overall production, and collaboration with directors, set, costume, and sound designers. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with prior permission of the instructor. Alan C. Edwards
DRAM 125a/b, The History of Costume A detailed survey of the history of apparel worn throughout Western civilization to provide the student with a working vocabulary of period clothing and the ability to identify specific garments throughout history. Fall term: Ancient Greece–1600. Spring term: 1600–1900. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students. Toni-Leslie James
[DRAM 132a/b, Advanced Set Design This course continues the work started in DRAM 112a/b. The course seeks to cultivate and reinforce advanced, professional-level processes and practices in scenography. It concentrates on an in-depth analysis of twentieth- and twenty-first-century plays and operas, with emphasis on transitions as a fundamental rhythmic element of contemporary design. This course is an extension of DRAM 232, focusing on design realization involving story boards, model making (1/4-in. and 1/2-in. scales), and detailed plans. Prerequisite: DRAM 112a/b. Riccardo Hernández, Michael Yeargan. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 134a/b, Advanced Lighting Design This course is designed to help the student develop a sense of, and a facility with, light as an element of a production. By the culmination of the course students should be comfortable calculating and predicting the behavior of light in three-dimensional space, the interaction of color in light with color in pigment and have an understanding of the contributions light can make to the meaning and style of a production. Projects are prepared consistent with best professional practices. Open to non-Design students who have taken DRAM 124a/b with permission of the instructor. Four hours a week. Stephen Strawbridge
[DRAM 135a/b, Advanced Costume Design In parallel with DRAM 232, and building on the foundation established in previous classes, costume design students work on a conceptual design conceived through discussions and practices that give equal weight to all collaboration members. This course focuses on in-depth dramaturgical study, character analysis, and the psychology of clothing, exploring how character and story are revealed through clothing choices, starting at the beginning of the process with the text/music and culminating in a complete, conceptual design. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 138a, Production Sound Engineering This intensive engineering course covers the process of planning and installing professional sound delivery systems, focusing on the fundamentals of professional practice with the goal of preparing students for their production assignments. The course consists of lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on lab work. Software requirements are updated annually by the instructor and include programs for budgeting, drafting, and tuning large sound systems. Four hours a week. Mike Backhaus
DRAM 141b, Law and the Arts See description under Theater Management.
DRAM 142a/b, Advanced Professional Set Design The course seeks to cultivate and reinforce advanced, professional-level processes and practices in the work of third-year set designers. In designing plays, operas, and other dramatic works of their choosing, students are encouraged to evolve their own points of view and aesthetics. Work must be complete and comprehensive. Riccardo Hernández, Michael Yeargan
DRAM 145a/b, Advanced Professional Costume Design The course seeks to cultivate and reinforce advanced, professional-level processes and practices in the work of third-year costume designers. Students are encouraged to evolve their own points of view and aesthetics as designers. Ilona Somogyi, Toni-Leslie James
DRAM 152a/b, Scene Painting A studio class in painting techniques. Problems in textures, materials, and styles, preparing students to execute their own and other designs. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with prior permission of the instructor. Three hours a week. Ru-Jun Wang
DRAM 155a/b, Evolution of Cut and Cloth This class is taught collaboratively with Costume Design faculty and senior drapers of the Costume Shop staff. This is a hands-on class examining the development of cloth with respect to fiber and technology paralleling the development of clothing creation throughout the world. Ilona Somogyi, Clarissa Youngberg
DRAM 158a, Introduction to Sound Design In this course, students develop an understanding about how sound and music can be used effectively as a tool to enhance meaning in a play. Students analyze scripts, develop critical listening skills, and learn the fundamentals of sound delivery systems as well as terms used to describe the perception and presentation of sound and music in a theatrical setting. This course is required of first-year lighting, projection, and sound designers and second-year stage managers; it is elective for second-year costume and set designers. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with prior permission of the instructor. Limited enrollment. Two hours a week. Sadah Espii Proctor
DRAM 158b, Recording Arts In this course students learn basic recording practice for remote and studio sessions. Topics include analog and digital recording systems, spatial audio, elements of psychoacoustics, microphone theory and application, field recording, music recording, foley recording, monitoring, mixing practice, mastering, and setting expectations for professional practice in a studio environment. There are five recording projects. Required of all sound designers. Open to non-Drama graduate and professional school students with prior permission of the instructor. Not open to undergraduates. Enrollment limited to six. Two hours a week. Justin Ellington
DRAM 162a/b, Life Drawing Studio A course in figure drawing for design students. Drawing is not merely a technique for presentation; it is the language that reveals one’s thoughts and thus creates a dialogue among the director, the designers, and their colleagues. Through drawing, one observes and records one’s world. Drawing informs and clarifies one’s vision and is an integral part of the formulation of a design. Drawing should be as natural to the visual designer as speaking; therefore, the program offers a weekly life drawing class so that design students can keep their skills honed. Two and a half hours a week. Ru-Jun Wang
[DRAM 164a/b, Professional Lighting Design This course aims to prepare students for the demanding artistic and practical situations faced in the professional theater environment. Projects will involve large-scale, complex challenges such as multi-set plays, musical comedies, operas, ballets, and repertory situations. Students are encouraged to evolve their own points of view and aesthetics in finding their solutions. Projects are prepared consistent with best professional practices. Open to non-Design students who have taken DRAM 134a/b with permission of the instructor. Two hours a week. Not offered in 2022–2023]
[DRAM 165a/b, Costume Life Drawing The course serves as a visual language that translates human body and space through conscious observation. Each designer can look at the same object and/or space, but the translation becomes personal. Learning to observe and personalize the translation is the main goal of the course. The three-hour class sessions are an opportunity to focus only on the drawing task at hand. Using notebooks and journals, as well as reading and research methods to process ideas, students utilize the act of drawing to advance and integrate their individual studio practice both technically and conceptually. Group critiques, in conjunction with the drawing sessions, as well as individual meetings with the instructor, serve as integral components of the course. Permission of the instructor required. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 172a/b, Digital Technology for Designers A comprehensive introduction to two-dimensional computer graphics as it applies to designing for the theater, with coverage of multiple media formats and delivery options. Students develop a working understanding of a digital workflow that includes input (online asset acquisition, scanning and digital photography), computer-aided editing and manipulation tools (Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and other 2-D image-editing applications), and output (printing, streaming, and web delivery options). Inclusion of digital video workflows will be considered based on class profile and contextual need. The course focuses on the possibilities creative computer technology offers scenic, lighting, and costume designers in professional practice. Open to non-Design students with permission of the instructor. Offered as a combination of real-time classroom, virtual and asynchronous Zoom sessions, and one-on-one tutorial time. David Biedny
DRAM 174a/b, Advanced Professional Lighting Design This course seeks to cultivate and reinforce advanced, professional-level processes and practices in the work of third-year lighting designers. In designing plays, operas, and other dramatic works, students are encouraged to evolve their own points of view and aesthetics. In the fall semester the class meets concurrently with DR164 -Professional Stage Lighting Design. Projects align with the projects in that class. (See syllabus for DR164). In the spring term projects will be based on theoretical or realized productions chosen by the student with advice from faculty. The second project will constitute the lighting designer’s’ thesis. This project should be large in scale and should be completed according to the highest professional standards. Stephen Strawbridge, Alan Edwards
DRAM 182b, Portraiture This course is designed for second- and third-year design students who are interested in further developing their painting skills with a live sitter. Through portrait painting, students refine fundamentals including color blocking, paint application, brushstrokes, and balance of painting. Although students are free to choose their paint medium, an opaque approach is preferred. Most students use acrylic. Figure-drawing skills such as composition, perspective, plane break, structure, contrast, and sense of depth are continually addressed. One-on-one guidance and critique are provided in an effort to help students identify and best resolve problem areas in their own paintings. Ru-Jun Wang
DRAM 184b, Previsualization for Lighting Design A survey of pre-visualization programs, their uses and application in the field of lighting for live entertainment. Joshua Benghiat
DRAM 185a/b, Digital Costume Illustration This course provides instruction in introductory and intermediary digital illustration techniques, focused on costume design application. Emphasis is placed on creating cohesive digital artwork through direct painting and drawing in Photoshop, as well as using existing photo resources to assist in the design and illustration process. Students begin with the basics of creating and manipulating line work, layer management and blending, and color application. Intermediary skills include understanding Smart Objects and their use, shading techniques, creating and manipulating patterns and layer fills, use of special tools and brushes, blending modes, nondestructive editing procedures, and the manipulation of existing photos into the cohesive whole. Prerequisites: a drawing tablet and access to and basic familiarity with Photoshop. Emily Tappan
DRAM 188a/b, Music Lessons This is a music lesson that will take the form of a laboratory for exploring music; for exploring how musical ideas, techniques, theory, traditions, and improvisation can be of use to designers for all sorts of problem solving. Sessions will be group-oriented and will involve a combination of improvisation, instruction in musical technique, and the sharing of our ideas and curiosities as the year progresses. This student-driven course is aimed at addressing the musical concerns and needs of the individual by strengthening performance skills and expanding our musical vocabulary. Musicians of any level of “experience” are welcome: this is not a class about “becoming” an accomplished musician, but about broadening our abilities to think musically. James Monaco
DRAM 189a, Costume Production See description under Technical Design and Production.
[DRAM 202a/b, Advanced Set Design for II Focusing on idea building, discovery, and point of view, this course concentrates on design development, allowing students to explore theatrical space for several productions. The class work builds upon students’ first-year experiences by giving a longer design and exploration period to dive deeper into both the text and the design process, while also exploring fundamentals of craft using the various means and materials available to communicate effectively in the collaborative process. Maruti Evans, Mikiko MacAdams Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 212a/b, Independent Study There may be special circumstances in which a student is allowed to pursue a particular area of inquiry independently, and on the student’s own time. Faculty supervision and approval is required in formulating the goals and the methods to be employed and a timetable. Faculty
DRAM 222a, Drafting for Designers This course focuses on drafting for the stage. Students learn how to create a complete set of drawings suitable for budgeting and/or soliciting bids from shops in the professional theater. Maruti Evans, Mikiko MacAdams
DRAM 222b, Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Set Designers This course covers techniques, workflows, and best practices for using AutoCAD and Vectorworks to bring a set design from concept to professional drafting package. Students develop skills and techniques needed to create clear, well-styled drawings that communicate effectively. The class offers individual guidance on approaching design project challenges and critiques of drafting presentations. Open to non-Design students with prior permission of the instructor. Maruti Evans, Mikiko MacAdams
DRAM 224a/b, Introduction to Projection Design In this yearlong course, students develop an understanding of how projection can be integrated into the theatrical space, beginning with the technical requirements of space, light, and workflow, and the consideration of media as a storytelling tool. Emphasis is on exploration, collaboration, and thinking in pictures as well as movement. Students are expected to participate in a number of digital skills seminars that are offered concurrently with this course. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with prior permission of the instructor. Wendall K. Harrington, Shawn Boyle
[DRAM 232a/b, Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography (2YCC) Second Year Collaboration Class. This course seeks to cultivate and reinforce the creative relationship and professional-level processes between directors and designers. The class concentrates on in-depth analysis of twentieth- and twenty-first-century plays and operas, with emphasis on unearthing visual landscapes and mise en scène from the given texts and scores. The class is offered jointly with the Directing program. Design and Directing faculty and guests. Not Offered in 2022–2023]
[DRAM 234a/b, The Musical Image This is a lecture, film, and discussion course that explores the various ways in which idea and emotion have been expressed for the eye and mind. Lecturers and filmed documentaries cover topics in art history from cave painting to the graphic novel, color theory, cinema history, graphic design, typography, photography, and an exploration of the visual in avant-garde theater. Vision is our language; we see before we speak. The goal of this course is to create expressive polyglots. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with prior permission of the instructor. Limited enrollment. Priority given to Drama and School of Art students and to students in their last year of study. Special registration procedures apply to non-Drama students; students must email wendall.harrington@yale.edu prior to the first week of classes to request permission. No shoppers. The first class of each term must be attended. Course is graded Pass/Fail. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 238a, Advanced Engineering for Sound Design This course is designed to provide a practical examination of large-scale sound delivery systems using examples from professional production practice as well as current production assignments. The objective is to explore all aspects of sound reinforcement and conceptual design theory, practice, and contemporary tools including networks, large-format consoles, and loudspeaker arrays, and the use of assessment tools such as SMAART. Students have the opportunity to shape the course content through the critique of their current design projects. Enrollment limited to second-year sound designers. Two hours a week. Michael Backhaus
DRAM 239a, Projection Engineering See description under Technical Design and Production.
DRAM 242a/b, Drafting Review Session This class provides an open studio environment for students to receive support for both production and in-class work on model making, drafting, and general design techniques and processes. Maruti Evans, Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams
DRAM 244a/b, Motion Graphics and Film Production Digital video and motion graphics have become a central asset in the theater, and this course covers a diverse set of topics relating to video capture and delivery formats, compression fundamentals, utilization of graphics elements in motion graphics animation, nonlinear video editing techniques, special effects, and the digital video production pipeline. Students primarily utilize Adobe After Effects and Apple Motion to create motion graphics and animation content and Adobe Premiere to edit and produce finished assets, with an emphasis on the technical and creative challenges of projection in a theatrical environment. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with permission of the instructor. David Biedny
DRAM 258a, Music Production for Drama This course covers making and dealing with music for drama, with a focus on workflows, methods, and practical skills. Topics include: spotting, writing methods, demos, orchestration, creative studio techniques, sampling, budgeting, recording session preparation, mixing, delivery. Required of all sound designers. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students with prior permission of the instructor. Limited enrollment. Two hours a week. Daniel Kluger
DRAM 258b, Music Production for Drama This course covers making and dealing with music for drama, with a focus on workflows, methods, and practical skills. Topics include: spotting, writing methods, demos, orchestration, creative studio techniques, sampling, budgeting, recording session preparation, mixing, delivery. Required of all sound designers. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students who have completed DRAM 258a. Two hours a week. Daniel Kluger
[DRAM 262a/b, Advanced Computer-Assisted Design Techniques for Set Designers This course covers advanced techniques for using AutoCAD and Vectorworks to bring a set design from concept to professional drafting package. Students build on skills learned in DRAM 222b. The class offers individual guidance on approaching design project challenges and critiques of drafting presentations. Prerequisite: DRAM 222b. Not offered in 2022–2023]
[DRAM 278b, Advanced Sound Design This course focuses on practical problems that face many sound designers. Students execute eight to ten challenges with a variety of potential outcomes, each critiqued in class. Critical listening, musicality, system design, digital signal processing, radio-play-style scripting, and real-time digital signal processing are part of these challenges. All class work is intended to promote creativity, innovation, and adaptation. Required of all second-year sound designers. Open to non-Design and non-Drama students who have completed DRAM 158a and 158b. Limited enrollment. Two hours a week with substantial homework. Not offered in 2022–2023]
[DRAM 288a/b, Music Lessons Individual project-oriented studies in music composition, either acoustic or technological, aimed at addressing the musical concerns and needs of the particular student, including notation and performance skills. Limited enrollment. Open only to sound design students. One hour a week; meeting time arranged with faculty. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 289a, Patternmaking See description under Technical Design and Production.
[DRAM 324b, The Personal Film: Exploration and Expression The mining of memory and personal history is crucial to expanding our consciousness of the interplay of self with all humanity. It is at the core of all art making. This Spring Module 1 course explores examples of the craft while supporting students in producing a short film or personal essay. Open to non-Drama students only with permission of the instructor. No prerequisites. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 334a/b, Advanced Projection Design This course is built in a series of modules preparing students for the collaborative task of creating projection for the stage. For grading purposes, any two modules constitute a full-term course. Subject matter changes on a three-year sequence. Fall Module 1: opera works in collaboration with Yale Opera to create imagery for the Fall Opera Scenes in Sprague Hall. Fall Module 2: the use of projection in dance including participation in the design of a new Rite of Spring. Spring Module 1: Visual Music. Spring Module 2: Exploratorium of image, light, and content with School directors. Open to non-Design students who have taken DRAM 224a/b. Shawn Boyle, Wendall K. Harrington, and others
DRAM 338a, Professional Audio Engineer Development Skills for the NY Sound Practitioner Working in sound in New York is like working nowhere else. In this course, we discuss the skills needed to navigate life in the city, both from the industry’s standpoint and from a more human angle. We discuss assistant design paperwork, broadway style mixing, unions as well as finances, subsistence jobs, and finding an apartment. This class is mostly in the form of discussion with limited homework or suggested readings. Elizabeth Sesha Coleman
[DRAM 339b, Advanced Projection Engineering See description under Technical Design and Production. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 344a/b, Advanced Professional Projection Design This course provides professional preparation for work on School productions and other venues, as well as creation of an original dance and collaborative design work. The class meets weekly and in a monthly joint session with Advanced Professional Set Design, Advanced Professional Costume Design, and Advanced Professional Lighting Design. Prerequisite: DRAM 334a/b and prior permission of the instructor. Class meets by arrangement with instructors. Wendall K. Harrington, Shawn Boyle, Marjorie Folkman
DRAM 354b, Advanced Media Production This combined classroom/online course focuses on the production of a collaborative music video utilizing advanced imaging and motion graphics techniques—including visual synthesis, motion tracking and stabilization, compositing, audio synchronization, and motion design—combining four on-site class sessions with custom-scheduled online production meetings, virtual tutorials and instruction, progress reviews, and a real-world, virtual digital production pipeline. David Biedny
DRAM 358a, Professional Development This class is limited to sound design students and is focused on the development and execution of the final year thesis project. The class will also serve as a professional mentorship seminar for developing the student’s careers through their portfolio and other online materials as well as networking techniques to be most effective as an independent working professional. One hour each week. Limited enrollment. Mikaal Sulaiman
DRAM 364a, Animation Studio A hands-on workshop aimed at creating expressive animations. From a simple movement to an expressive action, how do we create the appearance of intention, emotion, and materiality in moving images? The class is focused on experimentation: after reviewing the fundamentals of a particular style of animation, such as hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, cutouts, pixilation, or digital animation, students apply the concepts to exercises resulting in short films. The course emphasizes fundamental animation tools—timing interpolation, arcs, eases and squeezes, storyboarding, animatic—as well as animation software and basic camera techniques. Students learn how to use appropriate techniques to portray personality, create fluid body motions and organic movements, staging gesture, thought, material, weight, and lip-synch. The sessions consist of demonstrations, viewing of related works, hands-on experimentation, and critique. Computer editing and the use of digital cameras, scanners, and Wacom tablets are critical skills that provide the foundation for this class. Manuel Barenboim
DRAM 384a/b, Projection Production Process This course explores the projection designer’s process on projects including drama, opera, dance, musical theater, and themed entertainment. Students encounter, discuss, investigate, and prepare for the design challenges found in each unique production environment. The course functions as a guided brain trust for experimentation in design planning, presentation, and execution. Students are challenged to explore and refine the process by which they generate, develop, and communicate their design ideas, as they would in the process of developing a production. Permission of the instructors required. Shawn Boyle
DRAM 388a/b, Individual Music/Composition Lessons See description under DRAM 188a/b.
DRAM 394a/b, Advanced Topics in Projection Design This course is a series of scheduled workshops in technology and design craft with invited specialists. It offers a range of opportunities, from insight into an artist’s way of working and exposure to new control systems, to exploring one’s own artistic interest and deeper explorations of known control software. Past technical workshops include: Touch Designer, Isadora, Mapping Matter, and Disguise. Previous guest artists include Miwa Matreyek, Cynthia Hopkins and Jeff Sugg, Dan Braun, Larry Reed, Lenore Malen, Josh Weisberg, and Kym Moore. Facilitators: Wendall K. Harrington, Shawn Boyle
DRAM 398a Storytelling in Sound Design In this course students explore the role of sound in story and how the character of a sound may influence both psychological and biological response. Students investigate the effect that audio frequencies have on mood and emotion and the function of music and sound throughout varying cultures. Students explore the balance of contemporary and historical sound when developing a period piece. There are three projects. Required of all sound designers. Not open to undergraduates. Enrollment limited to six. Two hours a week. Justin Ellington
DRAM 402a/b, Set Seminar A weekly meeting of student set designers in all years of the program to discuss specific issues arising out of current School and Yale Rep productions so that all can learn from the challenges encountered and solutions discovered in actual production. The focus is on a horizontal, student-to-student exchange of knowledge, as opposed to the vertical, faculty-to-student teaching that happens in many classes. This forum is also open for discussion of any other topics that might influence the thinking of designers in the contemporary world, such as the work of influential designers, artists, and films. Michael Yeargan, Riccardo Hernández
DRAM 404a/b, Lighting Seminar A weekly meeting of student lighting designers in all years of the program to discuss specific issues arising out of current School and Yale Rep productions so that all can learn from the challenges encountered and solutions discovered in actual production. The focus is on a horizontal, student-to-student exchange of knowledge, as opposed to the vertical, faculty-to-student teaching that happens in many classes. This forum is also open for discussion of any other topics that might influence the thinking of designers in the contemporary world, such as the work of influential designers, artists, and films. Stephen Strawbridge, Alan Edwards
DRAM 412a, Professional Collaboration in Set and Costume Design Graduating students in Set Design and Costume Design will collaborate on a play with professional director Tatiana Pandiani. By invitation only. Sitting in with prior permission is allowed. Riccardo Hernandez, Oana Botez, Tatiana Panidani
DRAM 414a/b, Projection Seminar Each production has unique challenges, and this course is an opportunity for all projection design students to learn vicariously through the productions designed by their colleagues. The seminar provides a time and space for the community of projection designers to examine their process throughout the production period, getting weekly feedback in areas where they have asked for help or guidance in areas where their mentors see they need support, and brainstorming with the group. Using the analogy of Yale Repertory Theatre as a teaching hospital, this seminar is the skills lab. This is also a time to discuss what’s happening in theater, film, motion graphics, music, dance, opera, visual art, and sculpture as it relates to, or inspires, our field. Facilitated by Shawn Boyle
DRAM 418a/b, Sound Seminar These regular meetings are required of all sound designers. Sound Seminar is a lab for sound designers to unpack their process for current projects they are developing for their production assignments for DGSD as well as an opportunity to further cultivate their skills with in-class creative assignments. As for the DGSD production assignments, each sound designer and assistant sound designer formally presents their current production as they are working on it; tools like PowerPoint and Google Slides can be used. From design, dramaturgy, budgeting, and a post-mortem analysis of the production, the class dissects and discovers the nuances of each show at DGSD. All sound design students must read each play. In addition, sound design students have an opportunity to develop their sound skills on the fly with in-class creative assignments meant to develop their impromptu skillset. We also include guest artists (designers, composers, directors, engineers, consultants, and other theater professionals) to further understand the sound design industry at large. Class meets two hours a week. Mikaal Sulaiman, Matthew Suttor, Justin Ellington
DRAM 424a/b, Lighting Field Study In their third year, schedule allowing, students are permitted to accept observance-ships and/or positions as assistants with professional theater productions in New York or at nearby regional theaters. The student participation/involvement is intended to be sustained, so that the evolution of the design, from focus to public performances, can be seen.
DRAM 428b, Auditory Culture How do we listen to the world around us, and how does that awareness inform our sound practice? This course is a deep dive into our own listening practices, tendencies, and habits. Through readings, writing, soundwalks, and various sonic studies, we reflect on our work and expand our knowledge as designers and creatives. Open to nondepartmental and non-School of Drama students with prior permission of the instructor; preference given to theater, music, and art majors. Enrollment limited to twelve. Two hours a week. Sadah Espii Proctor
[DRAM 434a/b, Advanced Discussions in Directing and Scenography Projection Companion Class This companion course section seeks to support the projection designer in navigating the creative relationship and design process between directors and designers. This section concentrates on strategies for meaningful participation in the design process prior to the realized vision of a physical space. The class interrogates the dramaturgical implications and impact of projection design on each production, and the ways projection design could layer into, or lead, the visual storytelling. Shawn Boyle Not offered in 2022–2023]
[DRAM 440b, The World of the Play Offered to students in Projection Design and open to other students by permission of the instructor. See description under Directing. Not offered in 2022–2023]
DRAM 444a/b, Professional Development in Projection Design Limited to graduating design students and focused on the design and development of an original, staged piece of dance with projection and lighting design, as well as thesis development. Professional review of student’s portfolios and internet-based materials for professional promotion. Classes for dance module (6) are held in person. Professional materials review and thesis support are individual, one hour a week by appointment. Wendall K. Harrington, Marjorie Folkman
DRAM 468a/b, Independent Study in Sound Design The student who desires to pursue a specialized course of study in the area of Sound Design may elect an independent study. A proposal might focus on a guided research project, artistic exploration, or advanced audio technology. Proposals must be submitted in writing, and program approval must be obtained prior to enrollment for credit. Subsequent to enrollment, the student must meet with the project adviser to plan an appropriate course of action and discuss assessment. Credit is awarded based on the project adviser’s recommendation in consultation with any other assigned advisers/tutors. Regular meetings are scheduled to track progress. Mikaal Sulaiman, Konrad Kaczmarek, Matthew Suttor
DRAM 488a/b, Individual Music/Composition Lessons See description under DRAM 288a/b. Mattew Suttor
DRAM 489a/b, Costume Seminar See description under Technical Design and Production.