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Earn Your BFA in Scene Design from the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts

With a BFA in Scene Design from Webster University's Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts, students will receive professional theatre scene design training alongside experts in scene and stage design, and gain hands-on experience as they develop insights into professional theatre.

Webster produces a full season of theatre each year on campus, providing numerous opportunities to collaborate with local and national scene and stage design professionals. Our professional theatre partnerships enable you to build a network of contacts.

Each design shop is staffed by the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis during the day, offering ample opportunities to learn from working professionals in theatre scene design and stage design.

In your third and fourth years in the program, you will gain extensive design and conceptual experience in the shop and through actual production work. Webster's theatrical productions are entirely designed by students, providing real-world experience and professional examples for your portfolio.

Seven women inside a cage looking across the theatre to a screen that reads, "Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again."

2021 Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. Photo by Philip Hamer

Two men wearing facemasks take selfies with women in a cage in the background while one woman catwalks the length of the stage next to them.

2021 Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. Photo by Philip Hamer

Woman holding doll head in conversation with two others while a group of three are against a screen that reads, "Revolutionize the World. (Don't Associate with Men) Revolutionize the Body (Stop Eating) Revolutionize the Body/the Language (Stop Speaking)"

2021 Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. Photo by Philip Hamer

Actress with brown shoulder-length hair wearing a red dress with crinoline sleeves poses at the end of the runway with arms held out to sides with bent elbows and wrists.

2021 Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. Photo by Philip Hamer

The actress sits on her knees leaning inside a tire swing talking with an actor sitting on the floor with legs straight out and feet angled outwards.

2020 Picnic Photo by Philip Hamer

The actress stands on a picnic table looking upwards while two actors and an actress look on.

2020 Picnic Photo by Philip Hamer

Two women in 1950s dresses wearing white gloves stand on the house porch looking on.

2020 Picnic Photo by Philip Hamer

An actress in a red dress smiles widely while holding up a cardboard sign that reads, "Just Married." Other actors are in the background.

2020 Picnic Photo by Philip Hamer

A woman in a yellow dress with red hair holds out a full Coke bottle to a blind man.

2019 Ismene Photo by Philip Hamer

A woman with brown hair in a dirty and tattered brown dress stands over a table with a still man laying on it wearing dirty, brown clothing.

2019 Ismene Photo by Philip Hamer

Two Coke delivery people stand in front of two women in dirty brown dresses and a man with a dark drown vest on; the woman in yellow is lying on the floor.

2019 Ismene Photo by Philip Hamer

A woman with brown hair in a dirty and tattered brown dress with no sleeves looks at another with long sleeves who is holding a Coke.

2019 Ismene Photo by Philip Hamer

Two Union soldiers talk to each other in between a seated sister wearing a black dress and a standing sister wearing a light blue vest over a white shirt and dark blue skirt.

2018 Three Sisters photo by Eric Woolsey

The youngest sister wearing an all-white dress with an orange sash stands with a Union soldier, pointing upwards as she talks.

2018 Three Sisters photo by Eric Woolsey

The scene in the play where the cast poses around the dining room table for a photo taken by one of the soldiers.

2018 Three Sisters photo by Eric Woolsey

Choose Webster for Your BFA in Scene Design

Study with Professionals from World-Class Cultural Institutions

As a BFA Scene Design student, you will work with scene and stage design professionals from a number of local theatres. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis are located on campus, with performances held in our Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts. The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Dance St. Louis collaborate with Webster on curriculum and various productions throughout the year. In addition, Webster has an ongoing partnership with the internationally acclaimed Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Apply for Numerous Theatre Student Scholarships

There are a number of scholarships available to Sargent Conservatory students. Some are designated specifically for Scene Design majors (e.g., Jeffrey Struckman Endowed Scholarship). Other scholarships are open to theatre BFA degree students in general, including:

  • Robert G. Slowiak Scholarship
  • Maritta Woodruff Scholarship
  • Mueller-Russell Family Endowed Scholarship
  • Marilyn R. Fox Endowed Scholarship
  • David Huffman Memorial Endowed Scholarship
  • Marcus and Barbara Trice Scholarship
  • Edward Chase Garvey Memorial Fund

Learn from Professional Scene and Stage Design Faculty

Webster’s theatre design faculty are all professional designers and members of United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829. Our design faculty members are active in designing off-campus professional productions, and some enlist their students as design assistants on productions. You will study hand drafting, computer drafting, rendering, model making and scene painting with professional theatre artists. You will also learn to sharpen your theatre scene design skills, learn the business, establish professional contacts and develop your resume with professional production credits.

Become Part of St. Louis' Vibrant Theatre Scene

The St. Louis area hosts a thriving professional theatre community. Beyond working with our professional theatre partners, our students enjoy access to additional theatres and theatre scene design professionals. You can also access a respected history museum, an internationally renowned opera company and orchestra, a vibrant music scene and a number of curated art museums.

Become a Successful, Professional Scene and Stage Designer

Graduates of the BFA in Scene Design degree have become Broadway set designers, television set dressers and art directors, award show set designers and regional theatre designers. Within six months of graduation, 96% of our students are employed or in graduate school.

The Conservatory’s Scene Design program has produced a long list of impressive graduates who now design for Broadway, television, professional theatre companies and more. Some alumni highlights include:

  • Caitlin Ayer: TV series art department for "Blindspot," "Manifest," "Werewolves Within" and "The Equalizer"
  • Frank McCullough: Associate Scenic Designer for "Back to the Future" (Broadway), "Once Upon a One More Time" (Broadway) and "Leopoldstadt" (Broadway)
  • Stephen Gifford: Los Angeles-based scenic/production designer and owner/artist of Stephen Gifford Design
  • Jay Heiserman: Television scenic designer and owner/artist of Jay Heiserman Production Design
  • Andy Hull: Scenic Artist and Prop Artisan at San Diego State University
  • Kendrick Lawson: Assistant Scene Designer at The Muny
  • Maggie Nelson: TV miniseries art department for "Tiny Beautiful Things"
  • Chris Peters: Associate Scenic Designer for "Bad Cinderella" (Broadway), "Some Like It Hot" (Broadway) and "King Kong" (Broadway)

Our Instagram and Facebook accounts frequently highlight alumni accomplishments.

 

See more alumni highlights

Actors on stage in performance

Join Us at the Theatre

Actors on stage in performance

At Webster's Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts, we'll help you achieve academic excellence, preparing you for future career successes. The first step is to fill out an application.

Contact: John Wylie, Head of Design/Tech

Step 1: Complete Your ApplicationStep 2: Schedule Your Interview
Fallon Podrazik
Miles R. Vesich Memorial Endowment Scholarship in Scenic Design Recipient

“I want to do stage designs that tell the stories and world of the characters. I want the audience to be inspired by the world around the characters, but I also want the set to highlight the struggles and triumphs throughout the play.”

Fallon Podrazik
Fallon Podrazik

BFA in Scene Design and Graphic Design, '23

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BFA in Scene Design

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