The technology of our age profoundly influences contemporary theatre production. The industry needs professionals who can apply emerging mechanical and electronic technologies to meet artistic goals — and at FSC, you build those skills on real productions from your very first semester.
Great theatre happens because of what goes on backstage.
Scenic design transforms a bare stage into another world. Lighting shifts the emotional tone of a scene. Costumes tell a character's story before a word is spoken. Sound design stirs emotions that words cannot express. Stage management keeps the entire production running smoothly.
FSC’s Technical Theatre and Design BFA develops the artists who design and build the worlds performers inhabit. he program combines a solid ensemble-based approach, treating the whole production, including acting, improvisation, script analysis, and collaboration, with hands-on experience in tools and techniques from the first year of the program. Once your foundation is set, you specialize in your area of greatest interest and build a professional portfolio through hands-on production work in FSC’s three performance venues, including the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Theatre-in-the-Round.
With a 14:1 student-faculty ratio, FSC students receive individualized mentorship on every project, from concept to final performance. This hands-on guidance helps build standout portfolios and collaborative skills that set our graduates apart in theatre and entertainment. Here’s how we make it happen.
Design for three distinct spaces: the Loca Lee Buckner Theatre, a 336-seat thrust stage with hydraulic lifts, Branscomb Auditorium, an 1,800-seat proscenium, and the only Frank Lloyd Wright–designed theatre-in-the-round.
Stage-manage or design costumes, sets, lighting, or sound for four main stage productions and a second-stage lab production each year, building a professional portfolio before you graduate.
Scenic, lighting, costume, and sound design plus stage management — the five core technical disciplines that every professional production in theatre, touring, film, and live entertainment depends on.
Florida Southern is the only Florida school on The Princeton Review's Best College Theater list, a recognition of the quality of our productions and the artists behind them.
Training begins with the whole play — not just the scenery, the lighting, or the acting, but the full collaborative product — before developing specialized expertise in a chosen area. Small class sizes, award-winning faculty, and a full season of realized productions mean every semester adds to your professional portfolio.
All freshman applicants to Florida Southern Colleges full-time degree programs must submit the following information:
Applying to Florida Southern as a transfer student is easy. Submit:
If transferring fewer than 24 credits, also include your official high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores.
Learn More about transfer admissionsStudents interested in pursuing a BFA in Technical Theatre and Design must submit a portfolio for review and complete an interview.
FSC also offers BFA programs in Theatre Performance and Musical Theatre for students focused on performance, as well as a BA in Theatre Arts for students seeking a broader interdisciplinary theatre education. No audition is required for the BA.
FSC's Technical Theatre and Design curriculum is built around a principle that distinguishes it from programs that immediately channel students into a single discipline: training begins with the whole production.
In the early stages of the program, all Technical Theatre and Design students develop creative expression through acting, improvisation, and script analysis — learning to see a production from the inside out before developing the technical skills to design it from the outside in. This holistic foundation ensures that FSC graduates understand not just their own craft, but how it serves the story and supports the work of every collaborator they will ever work with.
In the early stages of the program, all Theatre students develop creative expression through acting, improvisation, and script analysis—learning to see a production from the inside out and work together as an ensemble. Technical Theatre students simultaneously develop the technical skills to design it from the outside in. This holistic foundation ensures that FSC graduates understand not just their own craft, but how it serves the story and supports the work of every collaborator they will ever work with.
The curriculum emphasizes the collaborative nature of theatre production, focusing on the complete creative ensemble working toward a single artistic goal, while developing skills in an area of technical specialization.
The BFA in Technical Theatre and Design is a 124-credit-hour degree with 75 hours of major requirements.
Core Coursework All Technical Theatre and Design students complete Production Practicum across six semesters, embedding them in the department's full production season from day one. Core coursework covers acting, improvisation and creative expression, stagecraft and production practice, script analysis, scene design, lighting design, costume design, directing, theatre management, drafting for the stage, advanced technical topics, and two semesters of theatre history and literature — along with a Senior Project in Technical/Design as the capstone experience.
Applied Production Experience Five hours of Applied Production Experience — repeatable credit for work on departmental productions — are required as part of the degree. Students may accumulate additional Applied Production Experience hours as elective credit, building an even richer portfolio of realized production work.
Specialization Electives: Two courses totaling eight hours are selected from one of five specialization areas: Scene Design, Lighting Design, Stage Management, Sound Design, or Costume Design. This elective structure allows students to develop genuine depth in their chosen area while the shared core ensures cross-disciplinary understanding.
Choose the area of technical theatre that matches your talents and professional goals. All specializations share the same holistic foundation — what differs is the depth of focus in your chosen field.
Scenic Design: Design and build the production's visual world. Coursework in scene design, drafting for the stage, and advanced technical topics develops the drawing, drafting, model-making, and construction skills that scenic designers use in professional theatres, film and television studios, and live event production.
Lighting Design Paint with light. Lighting design coursework develops the technical and artistic skills to design and execute lighting for theatrical productions — including light plot design, light board operation, and the use of industry-standard software and equipment.
Costume Design: Tell a character's story through their wardrobe. Costume design coursework covers the design process, construction, pattern-making, draping, dyeing, and the art of presenting a character's visual identity through clothing and accessories.
Sound Design: Create the production's sonic world. Develop skills in soundscapes, mixing, and operating professional sound equipment and digital software for live theatrical productions, through live hands-on application on the main stage.
Stage Management holds the whole production together. Stage management coursework develops the organizational, communication, and leadership skills that stage managers bring to every rehearsal, every technical run, and every performance — from the first production meeting to closing night.
Technical Theatre and Design students play a pivotal role in artistic life of FSC's theatre department and the broader Lakeland arts community. Get involved with:
Technical Theatre and Design students work alongside performers, directors, and musical theatre students on every production, building the collaborative relationships and professional habits that careers in this field demand.
FSC's location in Lakeland puts you at the center of one of the most active performance markets in the country. Theme parks, regional theaters, dinner theaters, and the cruise ship industry are all within reach, offering audition and performance opportunities that surpass those of other programs.
But Central Florida is just the beginning. Junior Journey trips offer direct industry exposure in New York City. Faculty-led study abroad programs in England and France immerse you in some of the world’s most storied musical theatre traditions. Back on campus, the department hosts guest artists every semester—working professionals who bring real-world experience straight to you.
Technical Theatre and Design graduates are among the most versatile and in-demand professionals in the entertainment industry. Graduates earn roles with regional theatres, national touring productions, theme parks, cruise lines, television and film industries, major live event companies, and educational institutions. FSC's holistic training, real production portfolio, and Central Florida location give graduates a meaningful head start in all of these markets.
The direct career path from FSC's design specializations. Professional theatre designers work in regional theatre, touring productions, Off-Broadway, Broadway, film and television, live events, and theme park entertainment. FSC graduates enter this market with a realized production portfolio built across four years of main stage work, not studio exercises but fully produced shows in three distinct venues.
Stage management is one of the most in-demand careers in professional theatre and one of the most transferable. The organizational, communication, and leadership skills stage managers develop apply across entertainment, events, corporate production, and beyond. FSC's production-heavy curriculum gives stage management students real experience across every type of production the department mounts.
Central Florida's theme park industry and live entertainment sector are among the largest employers of technical theatre professionals in the world. FSC's location puts students within reach of Disney, Universal, and the broader live events industry — and the skills developed through the program translate directly to the scale and complexity of professional theme park production.
The cruise ship entertainment industry and national touring productions are significant employers of trained technical theatre professionals, particularly in lighting, sound, and stage management. FSC graduates are prepared for the demands of touring and shipboard production environments, where versatility, independence, and strong collaborative skills are essential.
For students who want to further develop their craft or pursue careers in academic theatre, FSC's rigorous production-based training and faculty mentorship provide a strong foundation for MFA programs in scenic, lighting, costume, and sound design, as well as stage management and technical direction. Samuel Marchitto '20 is an MFA Design and Technical Direction candidate at the University of Alabama.
The design skills developed in a technical theatre program — spatial thinking, visual storytelling, construction, and production management — transfer directly to careers in film and television art direction, production design, set decoration, and wardrobe. As the line between live entertainment and screen production continues to blur, technical theatre graduates are increasingly sought in both worlds.
"I am so grateful for my time in the FSC Theatre Department. The Buckner Stage was where I discovered my love for Lighting Design–through the time, effort and mentorship of my teachers I was able to make my way from Florida to Broadway. I can’t think of a better place for young artists to find themselves!"
"The theatre department is hands-on. I wanted to go somewhere where I would be working on a show right away. I didn't want to wait to get that engaged learning because I very much learn by doing. I have worked on every show that has been put on at Florida Southern since being here, which has built up my portfolio to the point where I have to pick and choose what to include because there are too many things!"
"I love theatre in general, and I love how, through the Technical Theatre major, I get to work on shows and have the chance to try multiple positions and get real-world experience. I like the student-to-teacher ratio the most. It makes me feel like I can get more out of my education, and gives me the ability to be more involved through hands-on experiences."
During my internship as a Sound Intern at Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC, I got to work with Lee Ann Womack, learned live mixing, and I'll be the soundboard operator for the first opera of the season.
From main stage production work from semester one to professional collaborations with Florida Dance Theatre and the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, FSC Technical Theatre and Design students are always in the work — building the realized portfolio, the professional relationships, and the collaborative instincts that careers in this field demand.
FSC's Technical Theatre and Design faculty are working artists who bring the industry into every classroom and rehearsal hall. Faculty credentials include a three-time recipient of the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival award, multiple award winners from Broadway World Orlando and the Orlando International Fringe Festival for scenic design and theatre technology, and a finalist in the BBC's Voice of Musical Theatre International Competition.
These are not teachers who have stepped away from the profession. They are professionals who have chosen to invest their expertise in the next generation and who use their networks to connect students with the opportunities that launch careers.
Professor of Musical Theatre, Musical Theatre Program Coordinator
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
Assistant Professor of Costume Design
The BFA in Technical Theatre and Design at Florida Southern College is an intensive, portfolio-based conservatory degree that prepares students for professional careers in scenic, lighting, costume, and sound design, as well as stage management. The four-year program combines an ensemble-based holistic approach, treating the whole production, combining acting, improvisation, script analysis, and collaboration, with hands-on experience in tools and techniques from the first year of the program, and continues with development of specialized expertise through coursework and realized production work on FSC's Main stage.
Admission requires a portfolio review and interview in addition to the standard FSC application. See Theatre Auditions for deadlines and portfolio requirements.
The BFA in Technical Theatre and Design develops the artists who design and build the production's world — scenic, lighting, costume, and sound designers, as well as stage managers. The BFA programs in Theatre Performance and Musical Theatre develop the performers who inhabit that world. Both are essential to great theatre. FSC trains both exceptionally.
Students may specialize in scenic design, lighting design, costume design, sound design, or stage management. Specialization is pursued through elective coursework after completing a shared holistic foundation in the first part of the program.
Yes, from your very first semester. The department presents five productions each year, and Technical Theatre and Design students design, stage manage, and execute production work across all five shows in three distinct venues. Every student creating a main-stage work has a dedicated faculty advisor guiding them from the initial concept to the final performance.
Graduates pursue careers as scenic, lighting, costume, and sound designers in regional theatre, touring productions, and Broadway; as stage managers in professional theatre and live events; as technical professionals in theme parks, cruise ships, and entertainment companies; and as production designers in film and television. FSC's location in Central Florida puts graduates within reach of one of the most active entertainment employment markets in the country.
Most technical theatre programs immediately channel students into a single discipline. FSC starts with the whole production — acting, improvisation, script analysis, and the collaborative creative process — before developing specialization. This holistic foundation means FSC graduates understand how their craft serves the story and how to collaborate across every discipline in the production. It is the approach that professional theatres value most, and it is built into every year of the FSC curriculum.
Yes. FSC students have collaborated with Florida Dance Theatre and the Lakeland Symphony Orchestra, designing professional ballets and operas for organizations that perform for real audiences — a level of real-world professional experience that most undergraduate programs cannot offer.
Read the latest from FSC's Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, from main stage production design credits and student achievements to faculty recognition and alumni in the field.
Ready to bring your vision to life? Our team is here to answer your questions about the BFA in Technical Theatre and Design, portfolio review requirements, and what life in FSC's theatre department looks like.
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
Explore the full range of degree options in FSC's School of Arts and Sciences:
Great theatre needs great designers. Take your next step toward a BFA in Technical Theatre and Design at Florida Southern College.
