The Design and Production Program at Purdue University seeks to expand the young designer/technician's range of knowledge and expression through the performance of drama. The director/designer must possess the ability to comprehend the playwright’s message and communicate it through visual and auditory designs.
The student will receive a solid foundation in all aspects of theatre as part of a well-rounded liberal arts education. Working as part of a team, the student learns to collaborate artistically and technically toward the realization of a theatrical production. Each student may choose to focus in any given area.
The major consists of Theatre Core Classes, Specialized Training, and Related Required Courses. Upon completion, the student may choose to enter any communication-related field or pursue further graduate study for a career in the entertainment industry.
Points of Pride
- Two new theatres in Purdue’s new Visual Performing Arts Building opened in 2005. The Nancy T. Hansen Theatre is a proscenium house seating 300 people, while the Gordon Mallett Studio Theatre features a flexible configuration and seats 105-155 people. These new theatres complement additional, larger campus venues.
- The study of Theatre includes both the classroom study and practical application of those studies. Therefore, the student is encouraged and expected to be an active member of our production community. In this laboratory setting, the student not only applies information and ideas learned in classes, but also learns the critical life lessons of responsibility, commitment, and cooperation, which are crucial skills needed for survival in the 21st century.