Evening star., 1927-05-15
Big Task of Taking An
Opera Company On Tour

loading them i'm cars ready for shin.
ment To the next city on the tour.
The 81 freight cars were loaded with
the scenery, electrical effects. armor.
wardrobe and other articles The tray.
eling opera company carries all of it's
own equipment. even to the electrical
apparatus for special stage effects.
The public at large little realizes
the long months of study and work
which must preCede the production
OF such an opera as Resurrection.
When the decision to present this
opera was reached. Harry w. Beatty,
the companys technical director and
field marshal Of the physical and ma.
terial aspects of Chicago's Civic Opera,
started to work.
Mr.. Beatty received the operatsd
score, which is Il copy of the cOmpOs.
ers manuscript profusely annotated
10 show what each scene will be, what
1t shall include, the relative position
of the characters, their movements,
their parts and the parts the orChes.
ira shall play
Director Beatty then called I'm Ju-
Liam +. Dove, scenic artist, who was
in charge Of the painting of all seen.
cry and the design of costumes;
William Young, who supervised the
construction of the properties, and
Charles Moore, stage director, all of
whom are veterans at "the game"
These men began by establishing
firmly in their minds all details of
that period of Russian history in
which the action of Resurrection
centers.
Mr.. Beatty and his committee"
ran over the score and recorded all
movements. They noted the appear
.Nf-
include. Then they turned to research
libraries and accumulated items of de.
scription. plates and bits of narration
showing the customs of the Russian
people during the period of "Resurrec-
ton" their manners, dress, social and
political life and housing.
Out of this mass of data. sketches
were prepared in color Of each scene
required. The sketches showed the
characters III costume. From them
they constructed miniature models OF
each scene. built on a one-fourth inch
TO the foot scale. The models also were
in color.
From the models were prepared
ground plans, similar 10 the blue
prints familiar to home builders. All
sizes and locations of each piece Of
scenery were noted on these plans.
The completed plans were turned
over to a boss carpenter. in charge
of the immense shop in the Company's
half milliOn-dollar warehouse in Chi.
cago. There the carpenter force built
the framework for the scenery, using
white pine strips an inch thick and 8
inches wide-thicker for the taller
scenery.
Meanwhile the managers OF the
properties had received lists of what
would be required in the way of fur
nishings, electrical effects, wardrobes,
etc.
The carpenters prepared drops"
and borders, while other worknen fire.
proofed cut and stitched the canvas"
which isn't canvas at all, but a heavy
grade of linen woven in Ireland.
When the canvas was ready, 1t was
delivered to the scenic artist to he
transformed into castle walls, royal
bed-Chambers, or whatever the opera
required. Later 1t was stretched.
tackled and glued on the completed
frames.
BY the time the scenery was ready.
the properties had been built under
the direction of Mr.. Young. the elec-
trical effects arranged by Mr.. Moore
and the wardrobe for the piece pro-
duced by Antoine Oberding.
As each article was finished, 1t was
marked with the name of the COM
pany, the name of the opera, the mum.
ber OF the act, the number of the
scene. and its own particular number.
When all was done, the complete work
vas placed on the stage and photo
graphed. Tie scenic artist and mas.
ter electrician then collaborated in one
of the most important duties of the
production-that of determining ex-
actly how the setting should appear
when lighted.
The final touches ended, the sets
are put in bins of the great ware
house. where all the opera settings
are stored. properties built. costumes
and wigs devised. electrical equipment
manufactured and everything kept in
repair.
There is $4,000 900 worth of prop
erty in this warehouse.