DROPS & DRAMA II-- Theatre du Mississippi

cast: Lauren Berlin-Burns & Julie Frederickson
voice overs: Jacob Bell, Michael Rubke, Lucinda Rogers, Jennice butler, Amy Malcom, Christopher Thompson, Eva Nelson, Max Wojtanowicz, Kylie Edmonds
narration written by: Kathy Peterson

A unique presentation of one of the most complete and historic collections of hand-painted scenic drops, designed by Thomas G. Moses, in the Midwest.

1) Roman Ruins Scene: Julius Caeser by William Shakespeare, I,ii (4 drops)
2) Ocean Scene: Moby Dick, Chapter 1, by herman Melville (4 drops)
3) Medieval Camp Scene: The Once & Future King by T.H. White (4 drops)
4) Summer garden Scene: Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolfe (4 drops)
5) Hell Scene: The Divine Comedy: Part I by Dante Alighieri (4 drops)
6) English Manor Scene: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (3 drops)
7) Treasure Room Scene: Ali Baba from 1001 Arabian Nights (3 drops)

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The presentation is done in a very amateur way, but the flats themselves are most certainly worth seeing. Having someone pretend to be Thomas Moses and/or his assistant is a nice idea, but having it be two high school aged girls just didn't work. However, since they were only segues in to the next set of drops, it didn't really matter.

The drops themselves are quite remarkable. Beautifully painted, in such a way that we could see that some care and great craftsmanship went in to their painting. The fact that they are still in a condition that can be flown and shown in a theatre testifies to the Masonic Temple's preservation skills.

Part of the remarkable-ness of these drops is not just the actual painting skills and the detail in which they were painted (which was quite remarkable) but the number of drops. These paintings were done at a time when the scenic elements called for more than a simple backdrop, and hence there were legs and teasers that were done to match the elegant backdrop.

Most impressive was the "Hell Scene" for The Divine Comedy, Part I. As the narration mentioned, Moses used a very new technique (perhaps his own design) of including bits of crimped tin foil among the paint so that it would reflect the lights, and would change the appearance slightly as the lights changed. Remarkable!

Worth attending next season as well!