Technical Design and Production

David Geffen School of Drama and Yale Repertory Theatre require all students, technical interns, faculty, staff, and guest artists to follow Yale University's COVID vaccine policy, which strongly recommends vaccines. The Yale policy is subject to change pending changes to public health conditions. Additionally, community members will be asked to comply with any masking or testing policies set forth by the School, Yale Rep, or Yale University, should they arise.

The faculty of the Technical Design and Production (TD&P) program, through a curated curriculum, aims to train global technical managers and change-makers who center anti-racism in their decision-making. The program brings together dedicated full-time faculty, lecturers, and production staff members with a focus on supporting students in their career goals. In a field with rapidly evolving technology and spectacle, we train technical managers who put people before products while achieving artistic goals. Contemporary theatre design and production technology have become more complex, and practitioners must be trained to understand and apply new technologies.

We are looking for those who appreciate the artistry of our technical systems as much as the science necessary to execute them. For those who enjoy solving challenges through collaboration and who are driven to discover and innovate.

Our alumni can be found in almost every sector of our industry as well as many others. They will also be a source of support for you long after your time at the School.

Conservatory-style classroom training is complemented by a variety of roles on productions, known as professional work assignments (PWA), which serve to reinforce concepts from coursework, expose students to new disciplines, and give everyone practical experience. Students in the program generally concentrate on one of four areas of study: Production Management, Technical Direction, Stage Machinery Design and Automation, and Theater Planning and Consulting. With any of these tracks comes the production planning tools and technical expertise to work on complex projects and with large teams immediately after graduation.

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All students in degree and certificate programs receive full tuition scholarships.

67% of current students receive need-based aid for living expenses.

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Production Opportunities

Students apply theory to professional practice in production work at the School, Yale Rep, and Yale Cabaret.

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Affinity Groups

Coalition-building and networking among students who share common interests, goals, and/or a self-identified background.

Ben Jones (‘20), Martin Montaner V. (’20), and Alex McNamara (’20)

Student Perspectives

“I wanted to be a leader.”

Dramaturg Jisun Kim ’22, Technical Director Dani Mader ’22, Costume Designer David Mitsch ’22, Sound Designer Noel Nichols ’22, and Stage Manager Kevin Jinghong Zhu ’22 about their experiences working at Yale Rep alongside resident and visiting artists, managers, and technicians on the 2022 production of Today is My Birthday by Susan Soon He Stanton ’10, directed by Mina Morita.

Student Perspectives

Working at Yale Rep: Dramaturg Jisun Kim; Designers Dani Mader, David Mitsch, and Noel Nichols; and Stage Manager Kevin Jinghong Zhu

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Program News

Drew Farrow - ShowFab
Sep 08, 2023

Drew Farrow (’06) Keeps the Shows On Track

Without the efforts of ShowFab, many of your favorite Broadway shows, news programs, and broadcast sporting events would not be possible.

Mia Haiman
Feb 08, 2023

Mia Sara Haiman (’23) Wins USITT Award

Haiman will accept the KM Fabrics, Inc. Technical Production Award at the 2023 USITT Conference.