Scale Models for Theatre

Course Description

Summary

This course centers on the creation of scale models as a vital part of the scenic design process and an essential tool for communication. Students will explore how three-dimensional models communicate design ideas, test spatial relationships, and support collaboration throughout a production.

Working from scripts and design concepts, students will learn to translate full-scale environments into accurate, scaled representations. Projects will include constructing ground plans, white models, and finished presentation models using standard theatrical scales. Emphasis is placed on craftsmanship, material selection, and attention to detail, as well as the ability to represent texture, structure, and proportion in miniature.

Students will develop an understanding of scale as both a technical system and a communication tool. Scenic models serve as a bridge between the designer’s vision and the technical team responsible for fabrication. Models also help actors, directors, stage managers, and producers - who often cannot read scale drawings - a glimpse of the final design and function of a set. As such, models function as a physical contract—clearly conveying intent, dimensions, and spatial relationships so that shops and crews can execute the design efficiently.

By the end of the course, students will be able to design and construct detailed scale models, interpret and generate supporting drawings, and use models to effectively communicate ideas to foster a collaborative production process.