Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Tabor Opera House Makes News Again!

Here is a lovely article written by Carolyn Paletta for the Vail Daily newspaper:

https://www.vaildaily.com/entertainment/hundreds-of-19th-century-painted-scenery-sets-discovered-in-leadvilles-tabor-opera-house/

It is another fantastic article about the Tabor Opera House scenery and the venue’s sole full-time employee, Tammy Taber! Tammy’s institutional memory of the building is astounding, as she began working under the leadership of Evelyn Furman. To me, she is not only the heart and soul of the building, but also a dear friend.

Tammy Taber looking at the scenery. Photograph by Carolyn Paletta for the Vail Daily.

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.

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