Study of the Challenges of Stage Design and Technical Theatre in Public Universities in Ondo State

Stage design and technical theatre are essential components of comprehensive drama education, yet their implementation in public university drama departments faces significant resource and infrastructure challenges that limit the quality of graduate professional preparation. This study examined the challenges of stage design and technical theatre in drama departments at Ekiti State University and the University of Ado-Ekiti, representing South West Nigeria. A mixed-methods design employed structured questionnaires administered to 60 drama students and 15 faculty members, supplemented by facility assessments using a theatre infrastructure checklist and interviews with 5 technical staff. Results showed that only 40 percent of surveyed students had access to functioning stage lighting systems for practical coursework. Sound engineering equipment was described as severely outdated by 80 percent of technical faculty. Workshop space for set construction was inadequate in both institutions. Final-year students reported compromising design ambitions to fit available resources in 67 percent of cases. Industry practitioners hired as adjunct faculty reported that graduates frequently lacked marketable technical skills. The study concludes that technical theatre education in these South West Nigerian public universities is severely constrained by infrastructure deficits. Recommendations include targeted capital budget allocation for theatre technical equipment, partnership with private entertainment companies for equipment donation or co-use agreements, and integration of digital set design tools as cost-effective alternatives to full physical construction.

Keywords: stage design, technical theatre, public universities, Ondo State, drama education