ilearning mmersion sinking or swimming with undergraduates by Erik Viker and Andrew Rich T he teaching of theatre design and technology at the graduate level traditionally includes practical experience along with classroom instruction and coursework, but undergraduate students, especially those at smaller schools, are less frequently afforded opportunities to take on leadership roles or see their designs realized on stage. This trend seems counterproductive when we consider how our students are expected to acquire fundamental skills and begin forming professional attitudes during their undergraduate theatre education. Through discussions with colleagues and students, the authors explored the benefits and challenges of making practical application experience more available to our undergraduate students. 38 F A L L 2 0 0 5 TD & T