Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1987 - 79

etc.), and differing national styles of historic dress
and costume.
4. knowledge of historic textiles and textile decoration, including theatrical materials and artifacts
such as masks.
5. knowledge of art history (artists, historic styles,
and genres), including architecture and decor.
6. knowledge of social and popular history, including
period manners, mores, and movement styles, and
of economic history (consumer desires and needs).
7. knowledge of the history of makeup, hair, wigs, and
masks.
C. Administration
1. strong competence in the oral and written communication methods needed to secure a sensitive
translation of the design into a wearable stage
costume.
2. ability to work and collaborate with various artists,
technologists, and technicians, many or all or
whom may be relatively unskilled students, under
pressure.
3. competence in fiscal management of costume production, including budget development and materials acquisition.
4. ability to oversee the technical execution and production useage of costumes.
5. knowledge of studio and wardrobe personnel management and scheduling as needed in planning for
productions.
6. competence in the higher level planning required
in seasonal or repertory con texts
Competence in the costume designer requires the ability to
consistently integrate knowledge, in the areas noted above,
with understanding of the conceptual requirements of given
productions to produce costume designs which are both artistically and technologically sound and within the limitations of
budget and available labor for the producing organization. Such
expertise is demonstrated by participation in production, either
on or off campus. The costume designer is best evaluated by
professional peers in costume design and theatre, who should
be agreed on in advance by the costume designer and the
administration.
It is the responsibility of the candidate to provide evaluators
with evidence of his/her competence. The costume designer
should submit for evaluation a portfolio which might include a
resume, original or photocopied costume design renderings or
drawings, and photographs of completed costumes. For a few
selected designs, we suggest that the following information by
provided for use by the evaluating team:
. I. Basic information-title of the play; names of the playwright, producing theatre/organization, director, other designers; costume designer's educational level at the time
the design was completed; date of completion.
II. Costume breakdown - total number of costumes required,
source of costumes (new construction, re-made costumes,
stock, purchase, rental), sources for wigs and accessories,
budget for costumes and accessories.
III. Costume studio information which influenced the design,
possibly including number and type of sewing machines
available, availability of equipment for dye work/fabric
modification, approximate worker-hours available for
building costumes, skills levels of available technicians and
artisans.
Iv. Design information
A. approximate time available for research and design.
B. a brief written script analysis and statement of the
design concept.
C. identification of artistic and technological innovations
associated with the production.

V Statement of the candidate's perception of the institution's
standards and a self-evaluation
Among devices for evaluating costume design quality; listed in
random order, are:
a. evaluations by professional peers, including scenic and
lighting designers and directors, of work done over an extended period of time.
b. evaluations by professionals in the field.
c. evaluations by other members of the production team, including support personnel.
d. participation in design panels/programs for professional
societies.
e. reviews; adjudications from regional/national festivals.
f. repeated engagements with an off-campus producing organization, as indicative of work satisfactory to the
organization.
g. inclusion in exhibits, particularly juried ones.
h. awards won.
Those charged with evaluating the work of the costume designer may expect to address appropriate issues among the
following:
1. Is the design appropriate to the production concept? (As
the costume designer is not solely responsible for the
production concept, the evaluation team is not expected
to determine the appropriateness of that concept.)
2. Does the design satisfactorily solve the problems presented by the script of scenario?
3. Is the design appropriate to the budgets of time and labor
(including skills levelsl?
4. Is the design appropriate to the theatre, the stage, and
the production schedule?
5. Does the design satisfactorily support or enhance the
work of the other designers, the director, and/or the
choreographer?
6. Does the candidate contribute to the creation of a positive learning environment?
7. Does the work demonstrate competence appropriate to
the professorial rank (instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor) of the candidate, based on
the prevailing written standards of the institution?
TECHNICAL DIRECTORS

The technical director is an artisan/scholar/teacher charged
with directing the technical aspects of a theatre's production
operation. The technical director typically oversees the work of
staff, student, and volunteer technicians, and sometimes student designers. Thus the technical director must be evaluated
as both a practicing technologist and an administrator.
Though competent individuals vary greatly in their depth of
knowledge and ability in anyone area, the range of proficiency
typically required of the technical director includes:
A. Technology and design
1. understanding of theatrical, scenic, costume, lighting, and sound design practices.
2. ability to effectively translate the designer's renderings, models and/or sketches into practical
stage settings, commonly requiring the following:
a. competence in communicating technological
solutions, including technical drafting, sketching, model building.
b. knowledge of the materials commonly used in
scenic construction, the strengths of these materials and their safe use.
c. competence in the various methods of scenic
construction, including plastics fabrication,
metal working, carpentry; and cabinet work.

TD&T SUPPLEMENT

FALL 1987

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