Course Syllabus
Course: THEA 2203
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New Media
Department: Theater Arts
Title: Costume Construction
Semester Approved: Spring 2022
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2026
End Semester: Fall 2027
Catalog Description: This course is an introduction to the practical experience in sewing, fabric choice, flat pattern modification, fitting, and garment modification. Theoretical introduction to costume design, flat pattern design, and draping. This course is repeatable for credit.
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 2; Lab: 4
Repeatable: Yes.
Prerequisites: none
Corequisites: none
Justification: This course is offered by most theater departments throughout the state as a lower division credit. This course fills the lower division theater core requirements for students wishing to transfer to four-year theater departments. The course provides an introduction for students who are considering the area of theatrical costuming as a profession. This course satisfies a core requirement for undergraduate theatre majors with equivalent courses at all four-year institutions in Utah and elsewhere.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to perform basic costume construction skills. Students will demonstrate this behavioral outcome through participation in class and lab hours following lecture. Skills addressed and evaluated in these methods include: threading and running a domestic and industrial sewing machine and serger; hand stitches (such as buttons, closures, seams, seam finishing, and hemming); use of costume shop tools (dressmaking shears, rulers, domestic and industrial iron, steamer, dye vat, etc.); understanding of pattern development and layout; basic garment construction; beginner level alterations, and beginner level crafts.This will also be assessed through quizzes, final exam, and a costume construction binder comprised of sewing samples, assignments, and project documentation. Through these binders (a portfolio of the students' skill) students will demonstrate their performance of basic costume construction skills through handouts and sewing samples, among other criteria.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to understand and operate within costume shop protocols, practices, and procedures. Students will demonstrate their understanding through participation in class, projects (a costume element or craft built for the stage), and completion of lab hours in service of Snow College Theatre Department main-stage productions. Through projects and lab hours students will learn the operation and organization of a costume shop, record and take full-body measurements for costumes, and use/maintain costume storage.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to properly work with fabric and use correct terminology. Students will identify fabric, weave, and treatment; understand basic dying and fabric -painting methods; know appropriate fabric uses for costumes; and correctly prepare fabric for costume construction.Students will demonstrate this primary skill through participation in class via discussion, demonstrations, application exercises and work sessions; as well as reading-quizzes, production assignments related by lab hours, and a final exam.
Content:
Units in each of the following areas will be covered during the course:1. Health & safety2. Hand stitching3. Closures4. Machine stitching5. Measurements & alterations6. Fabrics & weaves7. Dyeing & painting8. Costume crafts9. Patterning10. Script analysis for costume design11. Research for costume design12. Sketches/drawing & renderingReadings, selections, and articles presented to students come from various sources, offering a broader scope of costuming to students. Projects, assignments, and crafts are presented without gendering and stereotype. All costumes may be worn by anyone.
Key Performance Indicators:
Students will be evaluated on:
Attendance/participation. 20 to 35%
Quizzes. 5 to 15%
Projects. 15 to 25%
Lab hours. 10 to 20%
Costume construction binder. 20 to 30%
Final exam. 5 to 10%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
The Costume Technician’s Handbook By Rosemary Ingham and Liz Covey. (current edition)
Pedagogy Statement:
Through participation, quizzes, costume construction projects, completion of lab hours, a costume construction binder/portfolio of work, and final exam students will develop skills necessary to operate efficiently, effectively and safely within the operations of a costume shop.Each class will be broken up into two sessions; a lecture or demonstration session and a work session. Lecture/demonstration sessions of the course introduce new material, review quizzes, answer questions in discussion, and prepare for approaching deadlines. Work sessions allow students to practice new skills and work on class projects or assignments. Students are encouraged to critically and respectfully critique their own and others work in an environment where all voices and perspectives are welcome. Students will develop increased skills and abilities in working as a collaborative member of a creative team in an open atmosphere. As part of this learning environment the instructor will work with the needs of each individual student regarding circumstances that may prevent the successful completion of this course.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture
Lab
Maximum Class Size: 16
Optimum Class Size: 12
