Ever since the merging of the music and performing arts departments in 2010, the two have been working in greater conjunction with one another. Part of this increased communication has led to the formation of a new concentration for those pursuing a bachelor of art degree: theatre design.

According to Kenneth Boulton, head of the fine and performing arts department, the formation of a new concentration typically takes two years and comes from adequate student interest.

Jeff Mickey, sculpting instructor, was the one who initially got the ball rolling on the theatre design concentration. After seeing how art and theater students benefited from taking courses in the other area, he and Steve Schepker, professor of theatre design and technical directing, felt there should be a program which merged the two disciplines.

“Several of my upper level students were involved in the fabrication of props, costumes and scenic elements in some of the theatrical productions in the Vonnie Borden,” said Mickey. “Some of the students that were in theater started taking my classes as well. Both groups of students benefited from the cross-pollination of ideas, aesthetics and methodologies. The art students brought a broader perspective of ideas and practical understanding of art concepts back to their own studio practice. The theater students that had enrolled in art and design classes had a better understanding of artistic concepts such as color theory and activation of three dimensional spaces.”

Though there are other theatre design programs in the country, the Southeastern program is unique in its presentation primarily as an art degree. Students will be taught the core art curriculum with a heavy emphasis on sculpture, new media and animation, and theatre.

“Theatre design is not a unique program,” said Boulton. “But to my knowledge, those programs tend to be more technical in nature, with perhaps some ancillary involvement of these students in the art process. Ours is a true partnership where this is being presented as an art degree. They will acquire a different kind of creative conception; they will express themselves through the standpoint of a working artist and take those sensibilities to the more technical side of theatre design as upper class students.”

Overall, the faculty feels this new concentration will be useful, since the entertainment industry is booming in Louisiana and Mississippi. Thus, there will be no shortage of careers, especially for those looking to work behind the scenes. James Winter, associate professor of acting and directing, feels this could be an ideal recruitment tool for the university.

“It is important for the university because the state legislature wants schools to prepare students for the Louisiana workforce,” said Winter. “This concentration will allow us to better train designers to work in Louisiana’s booming film industry. The concentration lends more credibility and hopefully more supporting funds and other resources to aid the cause.”

Schepker concurs with this view, citing the prominence of the film and television industry in the South.

“I see it as very attractive to a lot of parents who would be concerned that their child would want to be an art major,” said Schepker. “But when you say ‘theater,’ there is work and a ton of it. And in the film industry, there’s also a ton of work. You just have to be hungry and go after it.”

For more information on theatre design, contact the department of fine and performing arts at 985-549-2184.