CLIENT: The Atlanta Opera
VENUE (Name, City/State): Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Atlanta, GA
YEAR: 2026
STAKEHOLDERS:
Scenic Designer: Erhard Rom
Lighting Designer: Robert Wierzel
Costume Designer: Ana Kuzmanić
Production Director: Tomer Zvulun
Conductor: Iván López Reynoso
Co-Producer: Ópera de Oviedo (Oviedo, Asturias, Spain)
Custom Scenic Fabrication for Atlanta Opera’s Turandot
From AtlantaOpera.org: “A new Tomer Zvulun production of Turandot opens exactly 100 years after its premiere! This opera, with its lush musical tapestry and complex psychological layers, explores courage, identity, and love’s transformative power. The story follows Prince Calaf’s obsessive quest to win the heart of the icy Princess Turandot, a woman whose cruelty masks a deeply troubled soul.”
The finished set looked like a modern, abstract, 3-D Piet Mondrian painting. The neutral colors used on the set allowed the lighting designer to “paint” the scenery in different colors reflecting the storyline.
The opera is in 3 acts with 6 different scenes created by:
- The positioning of 6 stair units (creating different levels for staging)
- A large, hard wall with a movable center section acting as a backdrop
- A circular light box representing the moon
Modular Opera Scenery Designed for Multiple Productions
This production was shared by the Atlanta Opera and the Ópera de Oviedo in Spain. It will become part of Atlanta’s scenery rental catalogue to be used by other opera companies in the future. We built it to be sturdy but light weight.
Fabricating a Large-Scale Modular Scenic Back Wall
Back Wall: The backwall, constructed with a Masonite skin over an aluminum frame, measures 60′ by 48′, breaks into six travel-ready sections, and features a center panel that can be partially flown out to reveal upstage action.
Custom Movable Stair Units for Opera Staging
Stairs: Six paired stair units, each 6’–15′ tall, constructed with aluminum framing and plywood skins, fully collapsible for transport with wagons and treads separating from the sidewalls. Equipped with air casters and handrails, all units were performer-movable and designed to roll quietly and lock securely into place during “a vista” (audience watching) scene changes.
Custom Theatrical Lightboxes and Flyable Scenic Elements
Fabricating a 21-Foot Circular Moon Lightbox
Round Lightbox: A fabric-covered circular truss, 21’ in diameter, fitted with sewn plastic attachment strips for LED tape, rigged to fly as a large full-moon element.
Vertical and Diagonal Scenic Lightbox Beams
Three Lightbox Beams: Wood-framed vertical light boxes of varying lengths, wrapped in projection screen material for diffusion and trimmed to coordinate with the overall set design.
Diagonal Lightbox Beam: Rigged to change positions from parallel to the stage floor to a diagonal as story-telling device during a scene in the production.
Custom Scenic Props and Performer-Interactive Set Pieces
Three Cubes: Handled by the performers. Used for sitting or standing upon. Hinged on top for props storage.
Heads: The opera required the display of severed heads, so we fabricated five heads in transparent flyable boxes, with one designed to be removable for singer interaction.
A Transport-Ready Scenic Production for The Atlanta Opera
One performance was live streamed online and is now part of Atlanta Opera’s catalogue of previous productions available by subscription on AtlantaOpera.org.
A Transport-Ready Scenic Production for The Atlanta Opera
One performance was live streamed online and is now part of Atlanta Opera’s catalogue of previous productions available by subscription on AtlantaOpera.org.
Custom Opera Scenery and Theatrical Set Fabrication by Scenic Solutions
From large-scale modular backdrops and movable staging to custom lightboxes and performer-interactive scenic elements, Scenic Solutions fabricates theatrical scenery designed to meet the creative and technical demands of live productions. Contact Scenic Solutions to discuss custom scenery fabrication for your next opera, theatrical production, or performing arts project.