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Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Twin City Scenic Co. and St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. Shieldsville, Minnesota, 2015-2022.

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Twin City Scenic Co. and St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. Shieldsville, Minnesota.

*Painted detail from the Twin City Scenic Co. drop curtain delivered to Shieldsville, Minnesota, c. 1914-1915.*

My relationship with the Church of St. Patrick in Shieldsville, Minnesota, began in 2015. That fall, the office administrator, Tracy Velishek, contacted me about preserving an historic backdrop.

She wrote:

“Wendy,
Attached is our old social hall which will be torn down in December.
The other is the backdrop we would like preserved. I got pictures of
the other backdrop but am not very techy and cannot figure out how to
send it to you from my phone. I will have my son help me later today.
It is our understanding that the building was an opera house in its
early days. We are trying to find out what we can about it. Thank
you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you. I have the
backdrop we want to save in our new social hall rolled up so after
Thursday I will know a timeline as to when we will be doing something
with it.”

*Picture of old St. Patrick’s social hall sent to me in 2015.*

Musicals and dramas were presented in the Church of St. Patrick’s parish hall under the ministry of Father John J. Molloy (1866-1962). He served at the Shieldsville parish for 52 years, from 1909 to 1961. By the way, this was the first Irish Catholic parish in the State of Minnesota, founded in 1856.

*Rev. J. J. Molloy was responsible for purchasing scenery from the Twin City Scenic Co. in 1914.*

Molloy’s service was included in Margaret Hagerty’s 1940 publication “Meet Shieldsville: The Story of St. Patrick’s Parish Shieldsville.”

Hagerty’s entry for Rev. J. J. Molly:

“Rev. John J. Molloy was born in the County Mayo, Ireland, and was educated at St. Patrick’s college in Kildare. He was ordained at Maynooth in 1891 and a few months later came to America. He was assistant pastor at St. Patrick’s in St. Paul from October 1899 to April 1900 and then spent one year at St. Mary’s in St. Paul. The next three years he was assistant pastor at St. Anthony’s in Minneapolis. He then organized St. Joseph parish in Montevideo and was in charge there three years. The next two years were spent at St. George’s parish at Glencoe and then nine years were spent at St. Mary’s, Wilmar. He came to Shieldsville in 1909 and for the last thirty years has made a splendid record. “Father Molloy faced a tremendous task when he arrived in Shieldsville. The place was sadly run down and in need of repairs, so he astounded us all by taking off his coat, rolling up his sleeves and going to work. Up to that time none of us knew that a priest’s coat or a Roman collar were removable, He had the house remodeled, cleaned, and painted. The church too was redecorated, and the landscape worked over and improved. A new fence was built around the cemetery. To keep the young folks near home for entertainment a pavilion as built in the grove, and it proved to be such a success that Father Molloy was encouraged to build St. Patrick’s hall. Much of the work on the hall was donated and every man in the parish was busy. The women raked their brains to think up ways and means to pay for the lumber and furnish the kitchen. It was a delightful change for the ladies of St. Patrick’s parish to have a spacious kitchen to work in and to have a dining room large enough to serve 100 people at a time.”

In 1961, Father Molloy was observed as the oldest priest in the St. Paul Archdiocese and the priest with the longest service, serving under four bishops. He passed away on June 29, 1962, and is buried in St. Patrick Cemetery at the site of the Crucifixion monument, erected in the 1950’s.

Molloy’s dramatic contributions were again remembered in “History of Our Parish,” written by Catherine Spartz in 1971:

“Father Molloy loved people around him and believed in having the social life of his parishoners inherent with their religion. Musicals and dramas were presented in the hall during Father Molloy’s ministry, with the principal performers, members of the parish. St. Patrick’s day in March and the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin in August were special times in Shieldsville, Father, who himself had a beautiful speaking and singing voice, organized an outstanding choir.”

The St. Patrick’s Hall stock scenery collection was delivered by the Twin City Scenic Studio, c. 1914-1915, and included a drop curtain, two painted grand tormentors, a garden roll drop, a rocky mountain roll drop, four folding wood wings, a double-painted interior set (center door fancy/rustic interior), and an advertising curtain.

*Painted detail from folding wood wing.*

*Drop curtain detail with Twin City Scenic Co. signature.*

Over time, the stage fell into a state of disrepair and much of the stock scenery found its way to an attic where it was subjected to water damage from roof leaks and stains from bat guano.

*Two interior flats brought to the new social hall while I was working on site in 2017.*

In December 2015, the old social hall was torn down, but the scenery survived. At the time, Tracy’s son (Andy Velishek )was running a local theatre troupe and hoped that the flats could be repaired and used for upcoming productions. Despite the filth that covered the scenery, Velishek rescued the scenery and stored them in a barn.

There, they sat in relative safety for the next two years.

Conversations with the Church of St. Patrick resumed during the spring on 2017 when I was contracted to restore the ad drop and install it in the new social hall.

*The new social hall is pictured on the right side.*

While working on site that summer, Andy Velishek brought over some of the other salvaged scenery, including the two other roll drops, the woods wings, grand tormentors, and some interior flats. Despite the extensive damage, their beauty was unmistakable.

*Before and after restoring the Drop Curtain. 2018. The greatest challenge was identifying the original colors, as so much of the composition had dusted off and was faded.*

*Painted detail showing before and after restoration. 2018.*

Studio stencils and shipping tags clearly indicated the collection’s artistic provenance.

*The backside of stock flat delivered to Shieldsville in 1914.*

*Shipping tag clearly noting Rev. J. J. Molloy as recipient.*

By the beginning of 2018, I restored the three remaining roll drops – drop curtain, garden drop, and rocky mountain pass.

*Removing bat guano from the garden drop.*

*Matching distemper colors and restoring areas with paint loss in 2018.*

*The restored garden drop and rocky mountain pass in the new Church of St. Patrick Social Hall. 2018.*

*The Social Hall at the Church of* *St. Patrick in Shieldsville, Minnesota, where four of the historic drops are displayed. 2018.*

They were installed in the new social hall attached to the sanctuary at the Church of St. Patrick’s in Shieldsville. When I delivered and hung the drops that spring, I considered my work with the St. Patrick’s Hall scenery collection over.

I was surprised to receive the following text on Nov. 4. 2022:

“Hey there, Wendy. Tracy Velishek here. Don’t know if you remember me but you finished our backdrops at St Patrick in Shieldsville a few years ago. I hope you are doing good and still doing the work you love… Our son Andy still has a bunch of flats that he has to get rid of because he has run out of room…Do you know if anyone who would want them? They have not been cleaned and one or two have some tears…If he doesn’t find someone to take them, he is going to burn them. I would hate to see that and hope you would know of SOMEONE who would want them. I look forward to your reply.”

Burn them…if she had texted anything else, I may have put this project on hold for a few months. I was opening a show that evening and traveling to the Louisville Scottish Rite theatre for a restoration project the next week.

The Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Co. “Pirates of Penzance” setting, 2022. Distemper paint (dry pigment paste and diluted hide glue) was used for the entire set (facade, drop curtain, wings, borders, shutters, and painted fabric masking).

After striking Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company’s “Pirates of Penzance” on Nov. 20, I found myself driving south to Lonsdale, Minnesota, where the historic scenery collection was now stored. Half of my rental trailer was occupied with set from “Pirates.” It was a small wing-and-shutter stage.

*A grand tormentor and foliage wing when the were set up in the new social hall at the Church of St. Patrick in Shieldsville, Minnesota. 2018.*

The other half of my rental trailer was reserved for the historic scenery. Amazingly, the St. Patrick’s Hall stock flats would also work in my small Pirates stage.

When I picked up the scenery, Tracy gave me a big hug and handed me a gift bag with four jars of their homemade jelly. Historic scenery and a bag of jelly; who could ask for more?

*My bag of jelly from Tracy when I picked up the scenery.*

The scenery is currently at my studio, awaiting cleaning, repair, and a second life on the stage. I will continue to update this post as each piece is restored and displayed.

*The historic flats, as they are currently stored in my studio.*

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Chicago and Minneapolis, Dry Pigment in 2022

I decided to use distemper paint for three shows this year: L’amant anonyme (Haymarket Opera Co., June 2022), L’incoronazione di Poppea (Haymarket Opera Co., Sept. 2022), and Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Co., Nov. 2022).

In my experience, no other paint medium feels quite so pure, nor reflects light quite so beautifully. Whether distemper compositions are lit by incandescent light or LED, the colors literally glow on stage; there are no “dead” spots. The colors are vibrant with a perfectly flat finish, a necessary characteristic for scenic illusion under stage light. Below are three painted details from my aforementioned productions, all painted with pigment paste and diluted hide glue.

Painted detail from *L’incoronazione di Poppea*.

Painted detail from *Pirates of Penzance*.

DISTEMPER PAINTING

The distemper paint system was the preferred method of scenic artists for centuries in both Europe and North America. It remains an extremely efficient process today, with little waste at the end of a production. Dry pigment left on a painter’s palette can simply be scraped off and reused for future projects.

Unlike contemporary premixed paint, there is no added filler nor extender that dilutes the colors. Contemporary paints also have a relatively short shelf life. Such is not the case with distemper paint for the stage. In dry form, both pigment and hide glue granules can last for decades, if not a century or more. The longevity of these materials is remarkable. Distemper paint consists of only two ingredients: pigment (color) and binder (glue).

Pigment in paste form. The paste is placed directly on a scenic artist’s palette and mixed with hide glue.

Dry pigment is pure color. It can be transformed into a variety of artistic mediums, including pastels, watercolors, gouache, acrylics, and oil paints. Dry pigment is created from a variety of sources, including plant, mineral, insect, or chemical processes. Dry pigment remains readily available in many fine art stores, often sold by the ounce. Here is a link to an ARTnews article about contemporary dry pigment manufacturers: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/product-recommendations/best-pigment-powders-1202688380/

You will have to cut and paste the link, as I cannot share it here.

In historic scenic art studios, pounds of colors arrived in both block and wet pulp form. Keep in mind that some colors cannot transform into paste with water alone and require a solvent. It is best to keep these colors wet, hence their arrival at a studio in pulp form. For most colors, however, large blocks of compressed pigment were ground into a very fine powder and then transformed into a wet paste just prior to use.

Dry pigment in block, powder, and paste form.

This pigment paste was placed directly on the scenic artist’s palette and mixed with diluted hide glue, also termed size water.

Jesse Cox’s scenic art table. His palette and scenic art tools are part of the permanent exhibit at the Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana in Mount Pleasant, Iowa.

If binder (size water) was not added to the pigment paste, the color would not adhere to the fabric. Without the necessary binder, the pigment simply dusts off of the scenery, leaving behind faded areas of stained fabric.

A variety of binders can be mixed with the pigment paste, however, scenic artists prefer animal hide glue due to its flat finish. Any reflective sheen on painted scenery reflects stage lights and diminishes the overall scenic illusion on the stage.

Hide glue is the gelatinous substance obtained from rendering animal hides, and sometimes bones and/or hooves. Think of the old threat about sending a horse to the glue factory. Whether horse, bovine, or rabbit, animal hides are boiled to create a gelatinous product that is dried and used by a variety of artisans as a binder, including furniture restorers.

Once the hide glue is dried, it is sold as a block, coarse granules, or fine powder. There are many different types of hide glues, with clarity and strength varying from animal to animal and batch to batch. This factor, as well as its proper preparation prior to mixing with pigment paste, directly contributes to the overall longevity of any distemper painting.

In dry form hide glue has an extended shelf life and is easily stored for long periods of time. Both dry pigment and dry hide glue could be easily stored and shipped to various locations and stored without the threat of spoiling. This made it an extremely successful paint system for generations of American scenic artists as they journeyed from one venue to the next.

Dry hide glue must be returned to a liquid state prior to mixing with pigment paste during the scene painting process. There are various ways to prepare hide glue and much depends on personal preference. Over the years, electric glue pots replaced double boilers on wood stoves or modern hot plates. The key to making glue is using indirect heat and never bringing it to a boil.

Reconstituted hide glue is further diluted with water throughout the painting process. The concentrated glue (in syrup form) is combined with an equal amount of water to make “strong size.” Strong size was often used to prepare the fabric of painting, sealing the surface to minimize paint spread. Again the ratio of glue to water depends on the quality of the product.

Strong size is best stored in a glass container.

In many cases, historic scenery was not primed with any color prior to laying out the composition. This is how I approach much of my distemper work; I seldom prime a backdrop with whiting or any color when using distemper paint. When one only uses strong size it allows each drop the possibility to function as a translucency. It also means that the scenery will roll, fold, and travel better.

Front view of painted detail for *L’amant anonyme*.

Back view of same painted detail for *L’amant anonyme*.

In the distemper painting process, strong size is diluted with water to make working size, or “size water.” Size water is used throughout the scene painting process and continually mixed with pigment paste.

Strong size is diluted to make the size water pictured above.

Unlike contemporary scenic paint, there is no successive paint layer build-up with each paint application. Distemper paint allows each wash or glaze to completely penetrate the previous paint layer, reducing the overall thickness of the painted composition while keeping the color vibrant.

A view of distemper paint as it permeates the underlying layers; it will dry light. This painted detail of ivory draperies is from my *Pirates of Penzance* drop curtain.

Furthermore, less distemper paint is needed to saturate the fabric as the colors are so vibrant, further contributing to the end result of very thin and very flexible painted fabric. The end result is similar to a dye drop.

HISTORIC AMBIANCE AND TRANSLUCENCIES

This was the approach that I used when painting the scenery for all three shows. Haymarket Lighting Designer, Brian Schneider, partially backlit the painted scenes for both L’amant anonyme and L’incoronazione di Poppea. Harkening back to an era of candlelit stages when lanterns were hidden behind the wings, sections of painted wings were inadvertently backlit. Our goal for Poppea was to recreate this historic ambiance with current theatrical lighting systems.

The mixing of distemper paint on a large scenic art palette adds variety throughout the painting process, extending reflective quality of each hue. I always add a complementary color throughout my scenic art process. For example, orange is always added to blue and red is always added to green. The addition of complementary colors adds a depth to the color palette otherwise unachievable under stage lights. Colors that a not identifiable under front light, blossom when backlit. Schneider’s lighting design reinforced this effect. Pictured below is the partially backlit with for L’amant anonyme.

Partially backlit wing (left) and backdrop with front light (right). Notice the color shift between the two. Backlighting reveals base colors that otherwise remain unseen when solely lit from the front.

My scenic design for Haymarket Opera Company’s L’incoronazione di Poppea utilized a classical garden setting to suggest numerous interior and exterior locales for the first and second acts. Painted fabric panels were added to the third act for palatial scenes and Poppea’s coronation. These panels were painted so that they could also be backlight and indirectly illuminate portions of the scene.

The addition of painted fabric panels for Act III for *L’incoronazione di Poppea*.

Backlit painted drapery attached to painted wing.

The minimal color palette for L’incoronazione di Poppea was inspired by historical writings, artistic treatises, and extant scenery at Česky Krumlov Castle Theatre, Czech Republic, and Drottningholms Slottsteater, Sweden.

Painted detail from extant scenery at Painted detail from extant scenery atPainted detail from extant scenery at Česky Krumlov Castle Theatre in the Czech Republic.

The design utilized a limited number of colors that included yellow ochre, brown ochre, red ochre, vermillion, ultramarine blue, malachite, and van dyke brown.

Dry pigment and hide glue used for *L’incoronazione di Poppea*.

I purposefully omitted any black paint from my color palette as it diminishes the overall reflective quality of color under stage lights. Therefore, the darkest color incorporated into the distemper palette was a deep, dark brown (pictured above).

Over the centuries, the color palettes of scenic artists shifted to included new or popular colors. Regardless of an artist’s individual palette, the painting process remained the same. Generations of artists were united as the carefully prepared and applied distemper paint to stage settings.

Scenic artists on a paint bridge using distemper paint. Published in *Harper’s Weekly* Magazine, Nov. 30, 1878.

The use of historic scene painting methods and material to accompany historically-inspired operas was recently examined by an article by Anne E. Johnson in Early Music America. Here is the link: https://www.earlymusicamerica.org/web-articles/historically-inspired-set-design-for-haymarkets-monteverdi/?fbclid=IwAR19qFyanzQp5jJBawtvBrMuesfUlxW0hOLaD1KM0sHRCVT2vcUSiT1Rodc

Johnson wrote, “Opera has always been a spectacle, enveloping the audience in sight and sound. On the American early-opera scene, the audible aspects—the voices, the instruments, even effects like a thunder clap—are commonly governed by some sort of historically informed approach. Choreography and costumes, too, are often developed based on historical research. But one essential element is often left out of the equation: set design. That is beginning to change, thanks to the groundbreaking work of Wendy Waszut-Barrett.” I don’t necessarily consider my work groundbreaking, but I am trying to use the most effective paint for the scenic illusion.

FLOOR PAINTING AND FRAME PAINTING IN SCENIC ART

The backdrop and wings for L’incoronazione di Poppea were painted in the Continental Method, where the canvas is tacked to the floor. Paint brushes were attached to bamboo poles, allowing the artist to stand throughout the entire painting process; the idea is to NOT crawl around on the floor. This was a departure, as I used a vertical frame to paint scenery for both L’amant anonyme and Pirates of Penzance.

The scenic artist’s view when painting a backdrop on the floor.

A view from my ladder when painting the second set of wings for *L’incoronazione di Poppea* at my studio.

Both frame painting and floor painting were adopted by early American scenic artists. The Continental method of scene painting was not popularized in the United States until the late-1920s. Prior to this time, the majority of American scenic artists utilized vertical paint frames. This is not meant to say that American scenic artists never painted backdrops on the floor. However, using vertical fames was more economically viable in many situations for both scenic artists and scenic studios, especially in a studio setting. Keep in mind that floor space was often at a premium, reserved for many tasks that needed to occur after the painting process was completed, such as netting cut openings or rolling scenery for shipping.

In early American Theatre, the demand for painted scenery was often greater than the supply of artists to paint stage settings. It was not until the mid-nineteenth century that a series of scenic studios appeared across the United States, mass-producing painted settings for touring productions and venues throughout North America. The mass-production of painted illusion at scenic studios in North America peaked between 1900 and 1910.

A photograph of frame painting at the Sosman & Landis Studio in Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1910.

The scenic artist’s view when painting a backdrop on a vertical frame.

As the demand for scenic illusion waned after WWI, scenic studios shifted from painted illusion to three-dimensional settings, increasing their use of fabric draperies with painted ornament. In many ways the scenic art trade shifted from an art to a craft. There was less of a demand for scenic artists to paint pictorial realism for the stage. At the same time there was an increased demand for decorative paintings and stencil work on draperies, as well as three-dimensional scenery.

Scenery by ACME Scenic Studios, Chicago, Illinois, ca. 1928.

Throughout the duration of the twentieth century, frame painting became less popular for many live theatre productions. The exception was film backings where the demand for scenic illusion thrived. Much had to do with the extreme detail; painted details that were only achieved when holding a brush at arm’s length.

The Continental method is now the preferred method for most contemporary scenic artists producing scenery for the stage. In fact, many have never experienced the ease of painting on a vertical frame. It is truly unfortunate, as frame painting accommodates a scenic artist’s aging body, as your artwork remains at a comfortable height.

Drops and wings tacked to a motorized paint at for *Pirates of Penzance.*

Moving a motorized paint frame is easily done with the push of a button! This photograph was taken when running painted draperies on the frame at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota.

Frame painting can also speed up the entire process.

Below is a link to my time-lapse YouTube video that I posted Nov. 4, 2022. It shows me painting scenery for Gilbert & Sullivan Very Light Opera Company’s “Pirates of Penzance” on a motorized frame. Over the course of three days, I painted one roll drop, one backdrop, one border, two shutters, and four wings.

Three-day time-lapse video, painting distemper scenery for “Pirates of Penzance”, Aug. 23-25, 2022.

To be continued…

Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: On the Road Again – Haymarket Opera Co., Chicago

You may have wondered why I took a writing break…

I have always enjoyed life at a frantic pace, zipping from one project to another with brief respites in between. At college, I was compared to a hummingbird on crack. Now, I am more like an over-caffeinated bumble bee.

I frequently wonder if my life’s theme is “damage control.” Although, I always plan ahead, preparing for any obstacle that may come my way. Last fall, I anticipated the brewing of a perfect storm – a tropical depression that had the potential to develop into a hurricane. My parents were battling several health issues at the time. I became hesitant to schedule any extended out-of-state projects until everything was under control. I delayed international projects and accepted “in-state” projects in their stead.

I gave myself a six-month window (Dec. 2021 to May 2022) to “wait in the wings” – just in case my help was needed at home. Thank goodness I decided to stick close by… In the past two months, my mother, father, and mother-in-law, have all visited the ER. I am glad that I listened to my intuitive hunch. I started writing this post in the hospital today, as we waited for more test results for my mother-in-law.

In addition to battling the geriatric health care system, I also juggled several work projects. Two of which included scenic designs for Haymarket Opera Company’s “L’amant anonyme” (Chicago, opened June 17) and Opera Louisiane’s “Tales of Hoffman” (Baton Rouge, opening tomorrow – June 24).

Fortunately, I only had to build and paint the scenery for “L’amant anonyme,” as “Tales of Hoffman” was constructed and painted by the New Orleans Opera shop in March 2020. As with many other 2020 shows “Tales of Hoffman” was cancelled and recently slotted for a new venue. Unfortunately, changing venues mid-stream is never easy. I am thankful that the same scenic artist for Hoffman, Nathan Arthur, was still on board.

By the end of April this spring, I began painting scenery for “L’amant anonyme” with traditional materials and historic painting methodology. Distemper painting (dry pigment paste and diluted hide glue) is extremely therapeutic – at least for me. Painting to classical music helps me find my center, and frequently lowers my own blood pressure. Who knew?

*My dry pigment palette; the same containers that I learned to paint from at the University of Minnesota.*

Although the set-up is painstakingly slow, the scenic art speed and fast dry time makes up for any slow start. I rented the motorized paint frame at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. All told, was on site a total of 18 days. My first day on site included the load-in and set-up of the space. The second day was setting up my wet palette, making size, and positioning the first three pieces. By the third day, it was off the races.

*Backdrop and one of two foliage wings.*

I had a total of three borders (5’x36’), six wings(18’hx18’w), one backdrop (18’hx24’w), and four profile pieces (4’-0” x 5’-6”) to paint. It was the combination of the subject matter (foliage and draperies) and traditional painting methods that made everything go lighting fast.

*Two foliage wings and painted tormentors.*

In eleven days, I completed three borders, six wings and a backdrop, before loading out of the space; there was another rental in for a week. I returned a few weeks later for a few days to load-in, paint, and load-out the four profile pieces (two trees and two statues).

*Painted panels that were attached to frames for profile pieces.*

Keep in mind that I had also painted the model with distemper paint – so I knew the color combinations that I was aiming for…

Nothing like practicing when everything is small and manageable. It was also my own design, so I wasn’t laboring over “getting it perfect” for someone else. I was able to take a few liberties, ones that you can seldom do when it is someone else’s design, unless they really, really, trust your instincts. By the way, everything was designed to be easily transported from Minneapolis to Chicago in our SUV. This design also marks the first of Haymarket Opera Company’s stock scenery collection.

*Model for “L’amant anonyme.”* (1′-0″ : 3/8″ scale).

*Photograph taken during the first dress rehearsal.*

I worked closely with the Lighting Designer, Brian Schneider, for both productions. Thankfully, we speak the same language. Translucencies were incorporated into both designs – but very differently. “Tales of Hoffman” utilized both backlighting and projections to indicate a time-travel theme (1880s, 1920s and 1960s).

*LD Brian Schneider and Wendy Waszut-Barrett*

*Brian in action during the light hang and focus.*

*The drops were lit from a variety of angles, including the back to illuminate the transparent sections.*

*Looking at same detail from behind the drop to show translucent area.*

“L’amant anonyme,” however, was an 18^th century period-inspired design. I used a combination of transparent washes and opaque washes, while incorporating Jean Honore Fragonard’s color palette from his painting, “The Swing.” The highly saturated dry pigments are perfect for scenic art translucencies. As I worked on tree trunks and foliage, their increased areas of opacity helped accentuate the transparent areas of sky and foliage. The scene was intended to glow and accentuate Stephanie Cluggish’s costumes.

*Photograph from first dress. Costume design by Stephanie Cluggish.* Pictured are Erica Schuller and Michael St. Peter.

*Photograph from first dress. Costume design by Stephanie Cluggish.* Pictured are Nicole Cabell and Geoffrey Agpalo.

The show opened with a wonderful review in the “Chicago Times” that reported, “Commitment to period-appropriate details like those shaky yet era-specific natural horns – is an unalienable Haymarket signature. It’s also behind some of the more mouth-wateringly sumptuous details in this “L’Amant anonyme,” like Wendy Waszut-Barrett’s awe-inspiring hand-painted sets and Stephanie Cluggish’s intricate costuming, perched at the intersection of historical fidelity and whimsy.”

*Showing transparency of wings, borders and backdrop.* Original placement of profile pieces (dancers needed more room).

*Showing opacity of painting under work lights.*

The creative team (left to right) – Craig Trompeter (Music Director and Conductor), Sam Leaply (Production Manager), Brian Schneider (Lighting Designer), Wendy Waszut Barrett (Scenic Designer), Adrienne Bader (Stage Manager), Chase Hopkins (Creative Producer), Stephanie Cluggish (Costume Designer), Sarah Edgars (Director/Choreographer) and Megan Pirtle (Wig and Make-up Designer).

My next Haymarket Opera Co. project is Monteverdi’s “L’incoronazione di Poppea.” It opens in September.