College for a Light Designer

[Spookz]

Can anyone speak to the quality of education and the expierence someone would gain from DePaul or Loyola in Chicago? I want to study lighting design and technical theatre. I have a fair amount of expierence in both, I'll be a freshman. Thanks

[Writing this as I sit in tech.]

I don't know much about Loyola (I really should get around to seeing one of their shows so I can get a better understanding of the quality theatre they produce..) but I can tell you about DePaul!
I'm a second year in DePaul's Lighting Design program, and I can't tell you how much I love it here. They don't hesitate to throw you into a show and get you involved. All LD and Theater Tech majors are required to help hang, focus, and strike certain shows in addition to their regular production practice. We're given three shows a year to work on, and I guarantee you'll leave with plenty of experience under your belt. There's a lot I could say, but I'm not sure if you have any specific questions I can answer... and I should refrain from letting myself ramble too much. I will say that you'll gain many ties to the larger world of theatre right off the bat (ex. Kevin Depinet, who worked on August Osage County, teaches Technical Drawing 1).

Feel free to throw me any specific questions about the program.

Like others are saying, visit the schools! It adds more cost to the already pricy process of applying to colleges, but it really helped solidify my decision.

 

[theatreguy]

Not sure if I can be much help in this area but I have to say. If I ever had a college-trained LD walk into my theatre. I'm not sure if they would know what to do with themselves. It was a shock going from my college (MATC, Madison WI.) which had this huge stage, tons of lighting (3 electricals over the stage, 2 over the house with 2 electricals on each side of the house, etc...) all run off an ETC Expressions to where I am at now. 2 Electricals over the stage of 12 circuits each and one 12 circuit bar over the house all going into a 24 channel dimmer pack. I guess what I'm trying to say is, whereever you go, make sure you can get tons of "hands-on" so you know how to light a huge house or light on a shoestring. I've seen some LDs whose goals seems to be "its not working, I know we throw more lights at it!" which in some houses, that's easy. In others, you might not have the firepower to do that way, and you have to be, shall we say, more inventive to accomplish the desired effect with less lights.

 

[Pie4Weebl]

I want to toss in my suggestion that you look into Webster University's Conservatory in St. Louis, MO. Great program, especially for lighting designers. The STL Rep is based in the same building so you will ALD for some amazing Pro designers and you will design as an undergrad. The town also has some great opportunities for college students if you get yourself out there. I haven't even graduated yet and I will be ME on a Cirque show for two weeks your mileage may vary, but it is a great school worth checking out.

 

[RichMoore]

I have to pitch Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi, because that is where I work. The theatre department is growing amazingly fast and the faculty is excellent. No super huge and fantastic theatre in which to work yet, but one is in the pipeline, two to four years down the road. Not much in the way of state of the art equipment, but if you can use the older stuff well, when you get your hands on the new stuff......you get the picture. You will get opportunities to work and show what you can do and you won't get lost in the crowd or fall through the cracks.

A nice little town on the Gulf coast of Texas and one of the easiest places in the country to get that most important piece of paper for working in our industry, the I.A.T.S.E. card. Regardless of the level of education that you receive, you are going to have to pay your real world dues and shove lots of boxes up and down ramps.

My $.02.

 

[Esoteric]

As always I have to pump The Univeristy of Texas at Austin.

Awesome program where you get experience in scenery, costuming, lighting, electrics, technical direction, design, stage management, and rigging. You get basic experience in all of them as a freshman and then have a chance to specialize as you go on. For me it was lighting design, electrics, and rigging. You have to work a crew, for you it would be electrics and possibly a run crew. It has the largest moving light program in the country (second largest in the world), and you get to use them in a concert and theater setting. There are a myriad of theaters from a small lab theater to a black box to a large thrust, to a large procenium theater and you will get to work in all of them. You will work on shows from 24 lights on 12 dimmers with a 2 scene preset (in class) up to a 300 instrument show, with over 144 dimmers, and an Obsession II. In addition you will have a chance to work at a PAC with union electrics and in a union scene shop. You will have professors with experience on Broadway, internationally, at the regional level, in theme parks, major concert tours, the list goes on and on. You will get to work and gain experience also from a cadre of grad students.

A wonderful place to study theater in the classroom and in the theater.

Mike

 

[Jinglish]

I can't say how much I appreciate all the advice, guys. It's great to hear from actual students and alums about the programs, especially since it's not practical for me to visit most of the schools I'm considering (although I did manage to get to Linfield, Oregon State, and UW).

I have to say that UT Austin sounds like what I'm looking for; I've only started looking into it now that it's been mentioned, but it looks like it's on its way to becoming my top choice.

Thanks again!

 

[Esoteric]

I always say, do a ton of research. If you have any other questions feel free to post them or b/c me or email me and I will provide any information that I can. I loved it there and I have to say it prepared me in a way that few other programs can (I would say better than any program in the nation, but I am a bit biased).

As with all education, you get out of it what you put into it. They will not give you anything, you will have to earn your shots, but if you work hard, take your lumps, and abandon yourself to your work, you will get opportunities that you would not get anywhere else.

Mike

By the way, it is also located in the best city in the best state in the union.

 

[skienblack]

Can anybody speak to some of the colleges in Chicago for LD/Tech theatre? I know as long as you get hands on experience and such, but I am curious to get professionals opinions. Thanks