Copyright © 2020 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
There is more scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado than I expected – go figure. In addition to the attic scenery and that in the attic loft, historic scenery was spotted in two other locations – the fly gallery and the corresponding stage left platform. This is on top of that already documented on the stage. I had to check the finds out.
The first thing that I did this morning was to climb up a wooden ladder to the stage-left platform. This was about twenty-five feet above the stage floor; one of those wooden original wooden ladders that always make me a little nervous.
Yes, there are more treasures up there, including a bridge profile piece, some ground rows depicting water, several platforms and a few crumpled soft goods. I doubt that they will come down this trip. There was also a deteriorated flat on the fly gallery level, once used to block sunlight from a window. It was from the same setting that we set up yesterday; the missing sixth wing. Sever deterioration and faking allowed me to examine the primer and a previous base coat of paint.
We continued to lower attic scenery to the stage throughout the day, forming neat little piles of flats, divided by composition. Lowering each piece from the attic door, the scenes were guided by an individual on the pin rail while a group in hard hats waited below. We are now all in sync and the process is going beautifully. Regardless, this is a relatively slow process, and I desperately tried to be in two places at once – both the attic and stage, while still documenting scenery in various locations. The surges of adrenaline from each new discovery kept me energized throughout the day, well into the board meeting this evening.
The majority of the scenery (once stored in the attic) has been removed and is patiently awaiting further instructions on stage. We have saved many of the larger pieces for tomorrow; reducing the number of smaller pieces that surrounded the largest ones. Despite the camaraderie and constant stream of adrenaline, it was another physically exhausting day for all. The entire crew, including myself, are volunteers. We each have participated in the documentation process because we believe in the cultural significance of these artifacts. That being said, I am being hired to create documents containing a historical analyses, condition reports, replacement appraisals and collections care managements forms.
I ended by day attending a zoom meeting with the Board of Directors and the architects. It is so wonderful to meet with such a group of passionate individuals. We all understand that this is a crucial moment in the future if the Tabor Opera House. We see the potential in the building and scenery collections; it extends throughout the area. Even Ziska Childs drove over from Aspen and volunteered today, cleaning off some dust from flats before they were sent to the stage floor. It was so wonderful to share the beauty of these painted shutters with a friend and colleague. Similarly, Bruce Bergner from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, has also been on site for two days. It is so wonderful to work with him on this project. And I cannot forget to mention that Michael Powers traveled with me from Des Moines, Iowa, to help on site this week.
The most exciting discovery for every are the shutters. I have been waiting for over two years to see each shutter on stage with its mate. Of course, the shutters have been waiting even longer since they were placed into storage over a century ago. Tomorrow, we will commence with the arduous task of lowering the shutters to the stage floor. The 12’ x 16’ pieces will be a challenge as they are lowered floor some 40 feet below.
To be continued…
