Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 1983 - 30

RESEARCH

Costume Training Programs
by Stephen Hild
One of the first projects deemed beneficial when the Costume Commission of
USITT was formed at the Anaheim Conference was to sun'ey colleges and universilies to find out just what was being offered
in the training of future costumers. The student chapter at lorthern Arizona Uni\'ersity and I accepled the responsibility of COJ1lacting all of the instilutions that belonged to
the American Theatre Association or USITT.
The four year study was to investigate and
list current facully posilions, course work,
facililies, and the basic philosophies of
\'arious schools. This work culminated in the
Advisor's Guide fO Cosfullle Prograllls ill fhe

U.S. published by the Institule.
At the Denver Conference we foundlhal
lhe guide was being used for more lhan was
originally intended. By combining indi\'idual
responses some educators have been able to
defend-with statistics-requesls for modifying current offerings or facilities at their
schools. The previous st udy is being updated, but it will take some time to send out
ne\\' questionnaires, receive responses, and
compile the information. Hence, for those
who need backing for the coming year or
lWO, \\'e offer this statistical summary for
your immediate use.
The figures within include programs
ranging from those that state that they offer
no thealre program-9O-0-to those that state
that upon completion of their instilution's
costume training program the undergraduale
is prepared to accept a professional posit ion
-10.90-0. Therefore, thenearly'+OOresponding institulions represeJ1l a wide spectrum of
faculty, offerings, facilities, and philosophies. Because there are many areas in \\'hich
lhe two-year andlhe four-year programs differ greally, the two are treated separately in
most a\·eraging.
Of the inslitutions surveyed some offer
quile an active produclion program, e\'en
lhough they have no formallheatre major.
;'>/0

Theatre Major

2 year 4 year
8.4070
9.7 lT'0

Of those offering a theatre major, the
following percemage allow an undergraduale
sludent an emphasis, or major, in the specific
area of thealrical costuming.

theatre offer some courses specifically
costuming.

Have Costuming Major
Il is e\'ident upon examining the individual responses that some of the schools that
do not profess to train costumers in any way
actually offer more extensive programs of
classes and pracl ical experience oppon unities
than do some of those who state thal lheir
majors are quite complete. An indi\'idual
comparison of these can be made through the
A (!l'isor's Guide fO Coslllme Programs illfhe

U.S., published by the Institule in 1980 1
Faculty-Staff
Programs that acti\'d~ engage in a theatre
program h3\'e an a\ erage facuhv of:
Full-Time Faculty
Members

2.9'+

6.20

On both le\'els 70.9°'0 of the institulions
include at leasl a part-time costumer with the
addition of their third full-time faculty
member. The a\'erage number of full-time
costumers within all responding programs is:

# Of Faculty Costumers

.754

1.12

This still leaves the following percemage
of instilUlions without any faculty member
who professes to have an expertise in
costuming:
0-0 With ;'>/0 Faculty
Costumers
The following percenlage of costume
shops ha\'e an additional 2.14 persons pro\'ided lhrough paid, pan-time help, studenl
\\'ages, assistanlships, and the like:
0-0 With Costume
Assistants

II

0-0 Offering Costume
Courses

Of the above some offer only one, a
more, general technical theatre courses tha
include seclions on the subjects of costumt
design, construction, and history. The cor
relation between this approach and those in
stitulions stating lhal there is a possibility fa
studems to major in-or at least emphasizt
costuming-is higher lhan would be ex
pected. However, nearly all programs pro
fess the use of other departmems-especiall\
home economics departments-for advanc
ed detailed courses such as tailoring, nat pat
tern drafting, and textiles. Also. mosl
theatre departments alia\\' studems lO engagl
in independem study programs, in \'arioU!
areas of specialization under the genera
heading of "cos;uming," beyond the regula]
class offerings. The class syllabi thal \\'er,
submilled, and the texts used-regardless a
course tilles-show the following percemage'
of offerings:
:\0 Costuming Course
Costuming Within a
General Tech Course
Single Costuming
Course Only
Multiple Costuming
Courses Offered

35.-+0-0 25.10-0

25.00-0 10.00-0

18.80-0 16.50-0

20.80-0 '+8.8070

Of lhose offering multiple courses, th,
breakdo\\'n of specifically named courses 01
study is:
Costume History
Costume Design
Costume Construction

33.30-0 23.20-0
38.10-0 .+.+.90-0
28.60-0 31.80-0

Nearly all chao Is quest ioned use volUJ1leers or slUdeJ1ls from related classes lO do
lhe bulk of the costume construction under
lhe supen'ision of the facultv-staff member,.

Produclion \\'orkshops and volumeel
hours supplemem nearly all of the forma
class slUdv.

Curriculum
Course tilles and course COJ1lem oflen
differ enough to make il difficult in some
cases lO determine just what is being laughl
within a specific classroom. Only catalog
descriplions, syllabi, and personal inquiry
give a true pielure of the COJ1lem of each
course.
~ lost schools thal do ha\ e a major in

Productions And Student Design
Opportunity
Production schedules during the
academic year also \'ary greatly. ~lajor and
minor produclions are generally cocurricular and link performance and lechni·
cal classes to public performances or sen'e a~
a laboratory for the academic courses. Thost
schools ha\ ing a year-round quarter system

28 Theatre Design & Technology /USITT /Spring/ 1983
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