Building Simon Boccanegra

Verdi’s opulent opera Simon Boccanegra comes to life with equally grand scenery designed by John Coyne and lit by Thomas Munn. The scenery was built at the San Diego Opera Scenic Studios and the projections were created by John Martin of ShowTec.

Most opera set designs begin with a small scale model, so the director, designers, and other staff can visualize the production in 3-D. The guts or structure and framework of the set pieces are paramount in the early stages of construction. Later textures and paint are added to create the designed look. Once the pieces are constructed and painted, the pieces are dissembled and reassembled in the theatre. Then comes the final work of lighting and staging the performers on the real scenery.