Behind the Scenes: Backstage Majors and Careers in Theater

From directing to costume design, there are tons of career options off stage (and beyond).

Theater: where people from all over the world come together to bring writing to life. Of course, being center stage isn’t for everyone. Luckily for those who would rather be behind the curtain, there is a wide range of majors and jobs essential to the art and craft of theater. Without these behind-the-scenes jobs, the show would most certainly not go on!

Directing

Directing is one of the most important jobs in theater. The director is the one with the vision of how the show should look, steering everyone involved toward making the show the best it can be—not to mention a financial success. The director also helps run the show and coordinates with all other departments, from the costumers to the playwright to the actors to the producers. Directors might come to the job with a background in acting or theater studies, and they often work under other directors (as assistants or other roles), gaining lots of experience in the field until they strike out on their own. Careers in this field can go far beyond the theater to Hollywood movies and many other areas of work.

Related careers include:

  • Actor
  • Producer
  • Assistant director
  • Drama teacher
  • Music teacher

Costume design

Costume design isn’t just about fashion (though that’s obviously important!). Costumes help transport the audience into the place and time the actors are creating. A major part of making costumes is learning what’s accurate and appropriate for the show and working with the director to make their vision come to life. Majoring in costume design will teach you how to select, design, and create costumes for characters in plays and various other performances. Not only will you learn to design and create costumes but you will also study the history of costume design, different periods of clothing, and costume theory.

Related careers include:

  • Commercial costumer
  • Fashion designer
  • Film or television costumer
  • Magazine costumer
  • Retail display design

Set/scene design

Whether they’re depicting a grassy field or a bleak city street, set designers dig deep into their imaginations to create the unique worlds in which the characters live. A show’s backdrop not only sets the time and place of the story but also the tone. Set designers work with the director and crew to create their visions. When majoring in this field, you will learn how to translate a script into the perfect place setting, research the given time period to ensure accuracy, use a computer to create models and plan, estimate the exact cost of your design, and more. Truly, a set designer can find work wherever there is something that needs designing, from the background to a Broadway show to the display cases for a department store.

Related careers include:

  • Architect
  • Retail display designer
  • Interior design

Choreographers

Without choreography the musical scenes we all know and love would be bland and boring, without the beautiful waltzes or crazy jazz squares. Choreographers help build the show up from just acting to performing. They go through an intense dance and musical program, learning all different types of dance styles as well as the history of the art. This profession includes late nights, long rehearsals, traveling, and a lot of dedication, but it pays off in the end.

Related careers include:

  • Dancer
  • Dance teacher
  • Music video choreographer
  • Television and movie choreographer

Lighting design

Anyone who has ever worked in theater can tell you that lighting is crucial. Lights can completely change the mood, and they also help direct the audience’s focus. (The same can be said for other events, which is what makes this major so versatile!) While studying lighting you will learn lighting techniques, script analysis, business skills, and special effects. All of these areas are important to making the best lighting choices and working with the rest of the cast and crew to pull off an amazing show.

Related careers include:

  • Architectural lighting designer
  • Event designer
  • Lighting systems design and installation
  • Museum and exhibit designer
  • Opera lighting designer
  • Master electrician

No matter what you decide in the world of theater, with imagination and hard work, there will always be options open to you. And if you're looking for a college with a great theater program, start here!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress
Asia Stockdale

Asia Stockdale

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress helped me overcome a huge hurdle. Because of the small town I live in, I felt like I would never achieve more. I felt like I could never go beyond because of costs. I feared I wouldn’t be able to find scholarships. I had no idea of where to start. With CollegeXpress, I easily found scholarships—they came to me. It was a helper, and I was instantly matched with opportunities to go above and beyond educationally.

Rayan Hamdan

Rayan Hamdan

High School Student

I joined CollegeXpress just a few months ago. I had been struggling with severe anxiety, causing me to not be able to tour schools and make sure a college would be perfect for me. I came across CollegeXpress one day when I was searching for colleges online, and it completely changed the game. I was easily able to choose colleges that would suit me, and I also entered a few giveaways! Thank you so much!

Hailey Riddile

Hailey Riddile

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me find scholarships to apply for and look into more colleges. While there are many websites similar to CollegeXpress, every website is different, and I've found a lot of good insight on this website. Receiving emails from CollegeXpress about scholarships is extremely useful, and getting insight about colleges near, far, and anywhere in between helps me narrow down my choices to what I want, which is also super helpful. The articles are always really good reads, and I can't stress enough how helpful this website has been to me. Anything related to college is beneficial to me as a senior, and I have learned lots of useful things to help me on my college journey this year.

Daniel Ogunlokun

Daniel Ogunlokun

High School Class of 2022

When I started looking at colleges in the beginning of my senior year, I was conflicted about which ones I wanted to attend based on safety, tuition costs, location, academic rigor, and prestige. Searching the internet and getting more questions than answers, I came across CollegeXpress, which made all the steps I had taken look like a minor issue. Everything was summarized and detailed, and I couldn't be more thankful and appreciative.

Sadie Hartmann

Sadie Hartmann

High School Class of 2021

I'm a senior in high school, and CollegeXpress has helped me in so many ways this year in trying to navigate the process of deciding and committing to a university. The COVID-19 Student Resource Center has helped me many times with the most up-to-date and accurate information, along with financial aid and student life [advice]. During these uncertain times, CollegeXpress has been a great recourse to relieve the stress as a senior. Along with the COVID-19 Student Resource Center, I'm constantly using the extremely helpful tools off the site to aid me during this stressful process. Tools like the lists and rankings of universities have been the most beneficial. I've also used the site to receive expert advice on topics like financial aid. Finally, CollegeXpress has helped me easily apply for several scholarships. I'm thankful to be given the chance to win a scholarship to lessen the burden of my college debt.

College Matches
X

Colleges You May Be Interested In

Thiel College

Greenville, PA

Millikin University

Decatur, IL

High Point University

High Point, NC

Wagner College

Staten Island, NY