Scenic Design

A large set that looks like a living room, covered in white twinkle lights, with a large projection of the moon in the background, four actors center stage with their arms raised in the air.

Build Your Future

The scenic design graduate program prepares students for careers in theater, television and film, opera, dance, and emerging forms of performance-based entertainment. Emphasis is placed on developing individual artists with active voices in collaborative creation. With a dedicated team of three hands-on scenic design faculty, all of whom maintain professional careers, students learn from and develop close working relationships with the best in the business.

A physical model of a stage set for the School of Drama’s production “I Think I’m Starting to Want to Be a Mother.”

Scenic Design Curriculum

The scenic design program combines established practice and innovative advancement across all subject areas. Forward-looking in its curriculum, the program undergoes regular review to determine the most current practices in training. The school’s ambitious production season is fully student-driven, cultivating a strong sense of collaboration. Production assignments are based upon individual trajectories and goals, and give students the opportunity to work in varying scopes of realized productions, all of which encourage designers to dream big.

MFA DESIGN CURRICULUM

Student Work

An elaborate stage scene with a concentric circle design on the floor, actors posing on stage, and an elevated living room scene suspended from above, where another actor watches the scene below.

Production Opportunities

Chen-Wei Liao (Class of 2018) designed the School of Drama’s 2018 production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

Chen-Wei’s Work
A physical model of a stage set for the School of Drama’s production “I Think I’m Starting to Want to Be a Mother.”

Modeling

Physical model of the set for “I Think I’m Starting to Want to Be a Mother,” by scenic designer Yafei Hu (Class of 2024).

A student works on a white sculpture at a table in the scene shop at Carnegie Mellon.

Scenic Painting

Paul Molina (Class of 2024) works sanding and foam-shaping a puppet for a project in Beth Zamborsky’s Scenic Painting II class.

Students spent the majority of the semester learning how to physically 3D model-make creations from sketch to foam to mold-making to casting before finally applying paint.

A scenic and light installation project where a human form’s shadow is projected onto a white wall, with various materials hanging above and behind.

Playground Opportunities

“For your Eyes and Ears” is an audiovisual installation by Ningning Yang (Class of 2024) created for Playground 2024.

An original short piece experimenting with the relationship between visual movement and sound in live performances, it featured actor Jolie Wang (Class of 2027), choreography by Jasmine Roth (MFA Director, Class of 2024), costume by Yinxue Wang (MFA Costume Designer, Class of 2024).

Learn More About Playground
An elaborate stage scene with a concentric circle design on the floor, actors posing on stage, and an elevated living room scene suspended from above, where another actor watches the scene below.

Production Opportunities

Chen-Wei Liao (Class of 2018) designed the School of Drama’s 2018 production of “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

Chen-Wei’s Work
A physical model of a stage set for the School of Drama’s production “I Think I’m Starting to Want to Be a Mother.”

Modeling

Physical model of the set for “I Think I’m Starting to Want to Be a Mother,” by scenic designer Yafei Hu (Class of 2024).

A student works on a white sculpture at a table in the scene shop at Carnegie Mellon.

Scenic Painting

Paul Molina (Class of 2024) works sanding and foam-shaping a puppet for a project in Beth Zamborsky’s Scenic Painting II class.

Students spent the majority of the semester learning how to physically 3D model-make creations from sketch to foam to mold-making to casting before finally applying paint.

A scenic and light installation project where a human form’s shadow is projected onto a white wall, with various materials hanging above and behind.

Playground Opportunities

“For your Eyes and Ears” is an audiovisual installation by Ningning Yang (Class of 2024) created for Playground 2024.

An original short piece experimenting with the relationship between visual movement and sound in live performances, it featured actor Jolie Wang (Class of 2027), choreography by Jasmine Roth (MFA Director, Class of 2024), costume by Yinxue Wang (MFA Costume Designer, Class of 2024).

Learn More About Playground

alumni stories

Photo of Chen-Wei Liao, a woman with long black hair wearing a black shirt.

Chen-Wei Liao

 Photo of Paul Molina, a man with dark brown short hair and mustache, wearing a dark shirt and jacket.

Paul Molina

 Photo of Vivienne Liu, an Asian woman with medium length brown hair, wearing a black blouse.

Vivienne Liu

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Featured Faculty

Photo of Dick Block, a white man with white hair and red framed glasses, wearing an orange and black checkered shirt.

Dick Block

Associate Head of School
Teaching Professor of Design

Dick Block has been on the faculty at Carnegie Mellon for 33 years. As Associate Head, he supports the Head in the day-to-day functioning of the School; is a liaison between the Head, students, faculty, and staff; and assists with all School of Drama activities.

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Photo of Chelsea M. Warren, a white woman with curly brown hair.

Chelsea M. Warren

Associate Professor of Scenic Design

Chelsea M. Warren is Associate Professor of Scenic Design in the School of Drama. She is a multimedia artist with a focus on scenic & puppet design, as well as new work, devised work, and spectacle theater.

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Photo of Gianni Downs, a white man with brown curly hair and short beard.

Gianni Downs

Adjunct Faculty, Scenic Design

Gianni teaches skills-based classes in the Scenic Design area including Vectorworks, Design for Screens, and Introduction to Design.

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How often will designers get to design a production?

All students will see their work fully realized through productions. The amount and content of realized work that a student does is customized to their goals and individual skill level. At a minimum, each graduate design student will design once a year.

Are you ready to take the next step toward your dreams? Learn more about our application, audition, and interview process.

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