Volunteer crew for day 3 of scenery documentation at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, CO.
We all experience those tactile moments
that conjure up images from the past, offering an instantaneous connection. It
can be as simple as using your grandmother’s mixing bowl or your grandfather’s
tools. There are so many ways to reconnect and remember times gone by.
Handling historic scenery offers a special connection to the past, especially if the setting has not been assembled for decades. I often wonder if the original creators are patiently waiting in the wings for their scene to appear once again on stage, occasionally stepping in to guide our fumbling hands.
Today, we set up two historic scenes
on the stage of the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado; ones that had
been stored in the attic for well over a century. Damaged and dusty, we
carefully pieced together two interior sets. I spent a significant amount of
time, both last night and this morning, contemplating how I would “put Humpty
Dumpty back together again.” Some of the of pieces were intended to work with grooves,
effortlessly sliding on an off stage. Others had anchors for stage braces. Some
had no indication as to how they were supported. In the end, it just took time,
muscle and a crew that trusted my gut instincts.
Stage setting stored in the Tabor Opera House attic for more than a century.Doors added to setting, but the appropriate plug for the arch is still missing.The doors and arches were the backside from the first setting. They are double-painted with a composition on each side.The doors and arches were the backside from the first setting. They are double-painted with a composition on each side.
The process was almost as satisfying
as the outcome. It is hard to express my emotions as the stage was transformed
today.
I first laid eyes on a piece from the
setting two years ago. At the time I could
only envision how this would look on stage. Seeing it assembled surpassed all of
my expectations. Although some of the colors are faded and some of the fabric
is torn, there is an insuppressible beauty to the painting. It was absolute magic.
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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