Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado: Rocky Mine Stage Setting, ca. 1879-1890
Here are some examples of nineteenth-century scenery created for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. When the Elks (BPOE) purchased the building and renovated the stage (1901-1902), the original scenery was replaced with new; the older collection tucked away in the attic. In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers to document the attic scenery and lower many pieces to the stage floor. There were three scenic pieces depicting rocks for a mining setting, painted sometime between 1879 and 1890. I have yet to identify the scenic artist. Diamond dust was liberally sprinkled in the rock to simulate silver veins. Keep in mind that H. A. W. Tabor was known as the “Silver King.” For more information about scenery created for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, or the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver, keyword search “Tabor.”
Three nineteenth-century flats on stage at the Tabor Opera House, ca. 1879-1890.A painted flat on stage at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.A painted flat on stage at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.A painted flat on stage at the Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.Remnants of diamond dust on the painted surface to simulate silver veins int he rock. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.Remnants of diamond dust on the painted surface to simulate silver veins int he rock. Tabor Opera House, Leadville, Colorado, ca. 1879-1890.
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
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.
View all posts by waszut_barrett@me.com
