A Conversation for Overnight Set Changes at an Opera House
Set Changes (Non-Opera)
Steve K. Started conversation Apr 25, 2006
Interesting article, all news to me since I am not a fan of opera.
On a related note (I hope), I attended a performance of "Noises Off", the comedy play by Michael Frayn. There is a great (IMHO) movie of this starrring Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, John Ritter, etc., but the staged version has a problem similar to that described in the entry.
The first half of the play takes place in a normal stage setting (the interior of a two story manor house), involving mostly rehearsals. The second half takes place behind the set, during an actual performance. In fact, glimpses of the performance can be seen through the windows, open doors, etc.
The problem is changing the set during intermission, maybe even more challenging than overnight if the set is elaborate. At the performance I saw, by the Alley Theater in Houston, the set was elaborate. So at intermission, most of the audience waited to see what would happen. What happened was a few stage hands came out and rotated the entire set in about 5 minutes. Nothing was disassembled, the huge structure was simply pivoted on a central point.
The crew (and the set) got a standing ovation. 
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Set Changes (Non-Opera)
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