EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE
THEATER ARTS
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Acting
Directing
Scenic, Lighting, Sound & Props Design
Costume, Hair & Makeup Design
Theater in the Community
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Certificates
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︎ ︎ ︎
1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez,
Monterey Park, CA 91754
P2 building
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COSTUME, HAIR, and MAKEUP
The Costume, Hair, and Makeup Program at ELAC focuses on developing skills in costume design, technology, and production in order to prepare students for transfer to 4-year costume programs and/or for jobs in the entertainment industry, including film, television, theme parks, theater, live performance, and commercials.
The Designer is responsible for creating the visual character with costumes, hair, and makeup to help communicate the story to the audience, in collaboration with the actors, playwright, director, and design team. Theater design offers great opportunities to train students’ creative and practical skills. Costume, Hair and Makeup Designers use color, fabric, texture, shape, silhouette, and line to create dynamic characters.
Design
The Designer is responsible for creating the visual character with costumes, hair, and makeup to help communicate the story to the audience, in collaboration with the actors, playwright, director, and design team. Theater design offers great opportunities to train students’ creative and practical skills. Costume, Hair and Makeup Designers use color, fabric, texture, shape, silhouette, and line to create dynamic characters.
Goals and Opportunities
Our Design and Technology theater department offers a two-year program designed to prepare students to transfer to a four-year college, or to start working in the professional field as a technician or design assistant.
Each student will have the opportunity to develop their skills through design and technical classes and apply them to our main stage productions. Design students may assist a faculty or student designer on a main stage production and eventually design their own production as a Costume or Hair and Makeup Designer.
Although we mostly focus on live theater, all classes can be applied to other fields such as Film & Television, Theme Parks & Events, and Industrial design, which will be discussed through the course of the program.
The department of theater also participates at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) each year in all fields of Performance, Design, Technology, and Management. In the last few years, many of our design students have reached the regional and national finals.
Skills
Each student will be trained in Costumes, Hair, and Makeup and will acquire basic and advanced skills, such as: patterning and draping, costume construction, wardrobe, dyeing and distressing, costume history, hair and makeup, costume crafts, illustration, budgeting, portfolio, and career management. As we promote a multi-disciplinary approach, students are encouraged to take classes in multiple fields. (See our list of Degrees & Certificates)
Students are also introduced to an array of industry standard software such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Costume Pro, Wild Ginger, and software for our fabric sublimation printer.
Classes
Register for classes
Apply to ELAC
TECTHTR 350 Makeup for Theater
TECTHTR 351 Applied Makeup Design
TECTHTR 355 Makeup Practicum
TECTHTR 360 Costume Design for Theater
TECTHTR 361 Applied Costume Design
TECTHTR 363 Costume Crafts, Dye, and Fabric Printing
TECTHTR 364 Costume Sewing and Pattern Making
TECTHTR 365 Historical Costume Sewing & Patterning
TECTHTR 366 Fantasy Costume Sewing & Patterning
TECTHTR 367 Costume and Fashion History
TECTHTR 382 Sketching and Rendering
TECTHTR 345 Costume Practicum
TECTHTR 342 Technical Stage Production
TECTHTR 305 Orientation to Technical Careers in Entertainment
Non-Credit VOC ED 360CE Sewing Essentials
VOC ED 361CE Sewing Alterations
Non-Credit VOC ED 362CE Costume Tailoring I
VOC ED 363CE Costume Tailoring II
| The courses listed can be taken in any order since there are no prerequisite courses. The courses are offered in a two year rotation. It is recommended, but not required, to take TECTHTR 305 Orientation to Technical Careers in Entertainment at the end of a student’s studies to have maximum material for their portfolio and website. |
Register for classes
Apply to ELAC
Certificates
Students can earn an AA degree with an emphasis in costumes, obtain Skills Certificates and a Certificates of Achievement in costumes, and explore more opportunities through our Vocational Education courses. There are three skills certificates in costume design and construction.
Costume Design & Technology Certificate of Achievement
The Certificate of Achievement in Costume Design and Technology provides studetns with the applicable skills to pursue entry-level positions in entertainment costuming, including: theater, dance, theme park, live performance, corporate events, film, television, commercials, and new media. Student complete a portfolio encompassing work from each course in preparation for employment in the entertainment industry. Our production process replicates a professional theater environment in a contemporary facility that includes three performance venues and a costume shop equipped with state-of-the-art technology. Students receive specialized classroom instruction which is reinforced with rigourous hands-on training in costume, hair and makeup practicums. Required classes (15 units)Required Core Courses 15 units
TECTHTR 360 Costume Design for Theater - 3 units
TECTHTR 363 Costume Crafts, Dye, and Fabric Printing - 3 units
TECTHTR 367 Costume and Fashion History - 3 units
TECTHTR 345 Costume Practicum - 2 units
TECTHTR 305 Orientation to Technical Careers in Entertainment - 2 units
TECTHTR 342 Technical Stage Production - 2 units
Elective classe units (choose two)
TECTHTR 364 Costume Sewing and Pattern Making - 3 units
TECTHTR 365 Historical Costume Sewing and Pattern Making - 3 units
TECTHTR 366 Fantasy Costume Sewing and Pattern Making - 3 units
Elective classes 2 units (choose one)
TECTHTR 361 Applied Costume Design - 2 units
TECTHTR 700Theater Festival Workshop - 2 units
TECTHTR 921 Cooperative Education-Technical Stage Production - 2 units
| Total Required Units: 15 Total Elective Units: 8 TOTAL 23 Units |
Costume Design & Application Skills Certificate
Skills Certificate: Students completing this skills certificate will acquire applicable skills to pursue entry-level positions in costume design.Required core courses (10 units)
| TECTHTR 360 Costume Design for Theater - 3 units | |
| TECTHTR 367 Costume and Fashion History - 3 units | |
| TECTHTR 345 Costume Practicum - 2 units | |
| TECTHTR 305 Orientation to Technical Careers in Entertainment | - 2 Units |
Elective classes 2 units (choose one)
| TECTHTR 361 | Applied Costume Design - 2 Units |
| TECTHTR 700 | Theater Festival Workshop - 2 Units |
| TECTHTR 921 | Cooperative Education - 2 Units |
| TOTAL | 12 Units |
Costume Construction Skills Certificate
Skills Certificate: Students completing this skills certificate will acquire applicable skills to pursue entry-level positions in costume construction.Required Core Courses 7 units
| TECTHTR 363 | Costume Craft, Dye, and Fabric Printing - 3 Units |
| TECTHTR 345 Costume Practicum | - 2 Units |
| TECTHTR 305 Orientation to Technical Careers in Entertainment | - 2 Units |
Elective classes 6 units (choose two)
| TECTHTR 364 Historical Costume Sewing and Pattern Making | - 3 Units |
| TECTHTR 365 Costume Sewing and Pattern Making | - 3 Units |
| TECTHTR 366 Fantasy Costume Sewing and Pattern Making | - 3 Units |
| TOTAL | 13 Units |
Wardrobe Attendant Skills Certificate
Skills Certificate: The Wardrobe Attendant Skills Certificate will provide students an opportunity to explore and apply a specific skill set required for working with costumes and performers in live-entertainment and theater performances.Required classes (6 units)
TECTHTR 342 Technical Stage Production - 2
TECTHTR 305 Orientation to Technical Careers in Entertainment - 2
TECTHTR 345 Costume Practicum - 2
Elective classes 3 units (choose one)
TECTHTR 364 Costume Sewing and Pattern Making - 3
TECTHTR 365 Historical Costume Sewing and Pattern Making - 3
TECTHTR 366 Fantasy Costume Sewing and Pattern Making - 3
| TOTAL | 9 Units |
Makeup Design and Application Skills Certificate
Skills Certificate: Students completing this skills certificate will acquire applicable skills to pursue entry-level positions in makeup design.
TECHTHTR 350 Makeup for Theater - 3
TECHTHTR 351 Applied Makeup Design - 2
TECHTHTR 355 Makeup Practicum - 2
TECHTHTR 342 Technical Stage Production - 2
TOTAL 9 Units
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Testimonials
"Without the costume classes provided at ELAC, I would not have been able to further myself academically and in my career. I am where I am today and continue to grow because of them."
-Victoria, Costume Student
"I was fairly new to the wonderful world of theater and as a creative person I was able to explore the various facets of the artistry. The talented theater faculty at ELAC created an environment which provides students with the necessary tools to get ahead in the industry. The program has contributed in shaping my visual aesthetic and taught me high artistic standards and commitment to the craft."
-Roberto, Costume Student
"The best part about ELAC's costume design program, which I always tell everyone, is that it is hands on. Because of ELAC’s smaller student ratio, I think we all benefitted from being able to work on real professional shows every semester, which teaches so much more than just textbooks could ever. Being able to design real shows and not just drawings as assignments."
-Marisol, Costume Student
"Our mentor is the single most passionate person I have ever been taught by. She works to no end aiding the student and has created an inviting environment to work and create in. Each day we look forward to going to class and learning more and more from her."
-Kristina, Costume Student
