Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
My first day at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, was full of delightful surprises. After adjusting to the altitude the night before, I tried to show up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. On site that morning were a television personality and a photographer; this may be the last time I leave the house without caring what I look like. Our project will be featured as an early morning local news story on a Denver TV station tomorrow (Wednesday, February 5). A local photographer is also documenting the process this week, and this is a great addition to the Tabor’s archives. The momentum seems to be rolling, but much has to do with the executive director Mary Ann Graham-Best. She is a gem and has thought of almost everything, including the little oxygen bottles for those of us who are adjusting to the altitude.
We started the day with introductions and a brief orientation before heading upstairs to the theater. The upstage wall was packed with scenery and our first task was to unroll as many drops in front of the flat stock as possible, understanding that these were mainly painted border pieces, and may a drop or two. A few flats were also piled on top of the rolls, compressing everything, so they were soon unloaded.
The first piece that we unrolled was extremely small, beautifully painted and likely from the original 1879 scenery collection. The ornate gold and glass jewels suggested that this piece may have been the grand border for the Tabor Opera House before the Elks purchased the property and renovated the stage it in 1901. The Elks greatly enlarged both the auditorium and stage house, adding a fly loft to the building.
The remainder of scenery that we unrolled on that day dates from 1902. It is scenery by the Kansas City Scenic Co., contracted by Fred R. Megan. Megan would later become Thomas G. Moses’ future business partner, forming Moses & Megan Studio. It is a wonderful connection for my research and provides additional context for my writing.
Now you have to understand about the project’s environment. In winter, the Tabor Opera House is closed and bathroom facilities unavailable. For our project, a construction heater was rented and a “jiffy on the spot” secured. With temperatures dropping into the single digits this week, I will be hard pressed to not walk the extra fifty feet to the gas station when nature calls. The stage house is quite warm, a balmy 54 degrees Fahrenheit. It is the perfect temperature for our task, not too hot and not too cold.
The volunteer crew is a delightful and I couldn’t ask for better help. The Silver Dollar Saloon across the street is providing lunches this week, and is it great to relax in another historic Leadville building that is nearby. So far we are ahead of schedule. The only thing looming on the horizon at this point is a series of winter storms. Hopefully the weather system will end before me departure this Saturday.
To be continued…
