Welcome to the San Diego State University's Theatre program. We are home to a wide range of performance and production facilities designed to enhance the educational experience. You are welcome to learn about our living laboratories in which students develop and perfect their craft, research new technologies, and showcase their talents by exploring the virtual facilities below or signing up to see them in person. Our in-person tour dates are below:
The Scene Shop is located in the Little Theatre building. It contains all the necessary equipment for wood and metal-working projects. It is used to build sets for use in Studio A or C and gives students experience in set design.
The larger of our two theatres seats 491 and is a proscenium-type theatre with a 36 foot opening. The electrical system is dimmer-per-circuit with state-of-the-art lighting fixtures and control, including LEDs and moving lights. The stage is fully trapped with a full, adjustable orchestra pit and is adjacent to the scenic studios. The rigging system is a combination of five electric winch lighting batons and 30 counter-weighted line sets. The sound system is computer-based digital storage and control. There is a full stage, digital projector, and supplemental, smaller, digital projectors.
Our black box theatre seats 175 people in most configurations. The seating and staging areas are in thrust configuration. Lighting is dimmer-per circuit with cutting-edge instruments and control, including LEDs and moving lights.
The Scenic Studios are located next to the Don Powell and Experimental Theatres. They consist of separate wood and metal-working shops which utilize state-of-the art equipment. The paint area houses a full-stage (20’ X 50’) electrically-operated paint frame and an adjacent spray booth.
The costume and make-up facilities share the lower level of the building along with a design and construction research library. There is a large costume studio equipped with industrial machinery and specialty machines such as a patcher and walking foot machine. The studio has ample room for 2 draper teams and extra work tables. The wig and make up studio contains wig making and styling stations and a wig dryer. There is a crafts studio and a ventilated dye room with commercial dye equipment. The costume department houses the Alicia Annas Historical Collection - an historical costume collection with over 2,000 garments from 1840’s to 1950’s (with the oldest garment from the 1700’s) and a Contemporary Study Collection featuring garments from the 1960’s to the present, including many examples of work by designers such as Chanel and Givenchy.
The Light Lab contains a variety of equipment – from the classic Fresnel to moving lights and LEDs. The lab is designed for versatility and complete flexibility for student experimentation and self-learning. Lighting students have full access to the light lab for class projects, mock-ups, and free-flowing idea development. The lab is controlled by a state-of-the art lighting console and has its own dedicated ladders, gel and gobo stock, a white cyc or full traveling black, as well as a small sound system and fog machine.
The 3D Fab Lab contains an array of 3D fabrication technology such as 3D printers and 3D scanning equipment.