Copyright © 2023 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett
On Sept. 8, 2023, I boarded a plane in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for London, England. Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I were presenting papers at the Tyne Opera House and Theatre Conference: Victorian and Edwardian Theatre in Performance, Music & Machinery – Stagecraft & Spectacle, scheduled for Sept. 13-15.
We planned our itinerary to include a few historic theater stops, both before and after the conference. When all was said and done, we visited fifteen theaters over the course of ten days.
In London, the Globe Theatre was our first stop on the morning of September 10.
Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, and Rick Boychuk at the Globe Theatre, London, England.
The Globe Theatre, London.
Painted details at the Globe Theatre.
Painted details on the Globe Theatre stage.
More painted details.
The Globe Theatre stage.
The stage ceiling at the Globe Theatre.
Arriving a few days before the conference also gave me a chance to meet London-based scenic artist, Grit Eckert. Eckert and I virtually met in 2018. We both share a passion for historic scenic art and had been corresponding about people and processes for a few years. In addition to finally getting to meet Eckert in person, she was also presenting a paper at the conference. In fact, I was the chair of her panel on Sept. 15; a panel composed of Eckert, Jim Davis (Professor of Theatre Studies at the University of Warwick), and John Plunkett (Associate Professor, Department of English, University of Exeter).
Eckert is a PhD candidate at the University of Bristol. She started her professional life as a scenic artist in the workshops of a regional theatre in Germany. She moved to England to study Scenic Arts, and over the past two decades has examined scene painting practices from various different angles. Eckert both works as a scene painter and instructor. Like me, Eckert is fascinated with the history of the trade and those scenic artists who came before us.
Later in the day, we went backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Hume had arranged a private tour with Michael Biglad Burgess-Shaw, Head of Stage. With a little time to spare, we wandered around a bit, visiting the Tate Modern, peering into the paint shop windows at the National Theatre, passing through the central courtyard of Somerset House, wandering into the Savoy, and strolling by the Vaudeville, Adelphi, Coliseum, and Garrick Theaters. After all, it is the Theatre District. We made our way back to Drury Lane, and eagerly waited to meet Biglad at the stage door.
Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Grit Eckert and Rick Boychuk.
To be continued…