- Home
- » News and Events
- » Press Releases
- » 2009
- » Opera Set Built by AU Theater Professor
'Madama Butterfly' Opera Set Built by AU Theater Professor
7/2/2009
St. Charles, Ill., residents Tavia de Felice (left) and John Curran hand-built the set for Aurora University's Music by the Lake production of the "Madama Butterfly" opera July 18 and 19 at George Williams College. De Felice served as set assistant designer and painter; Curran, AU associate professor of theater, designed and co-built the set.AURORA, Ill. — Great things may come from small beginnings.
An example is the handmade set for Aurora University's production of the opera "Madama Butterfly" being built in Aurora by John Curran, associate professor of theater.
Curran extensively researches his subjects before beginning models. For "Madama Butterfly," he studied Japanese culture in library books, films and by using Google to find references.
From rough "doodle sketches," Curran built a quarter-inch to 1-foot scale model. From the model, he is handcrafting a Japanese-style tea house, moon bridge and other elements of the set.
Curran estimates he has built about 60 model sets and 200 stage sets throughout 15 years in his specialty.
The St. Charles, Ill., resident is assisted by his wife, Tavia de Felice, assistant designer and painter for "Madama Butterfly." The couple started building the project in mid-May.
Using the stage of Perry Theatre on the Aurora University campus as a woodshop, the couple is sawing pine and plywood, pounding nails and painting set parts.
The construction schedule calls for the set pieces to be completed by the end of June and loaded in a truck bound for the George Williams College campus. There, Curran, his wife and some staff assistants will assemble the set over seven to 10 days.
Of four sets he has constructed for annual operas at GWC, the "Madama Butterfly" set is the most ambitious, Curran said.
Giacomo Puccini's opera masterpiece will be staged during AU's ninth annual Music by the Lake series at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 18, and at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, in the Ferro Pavilion at the George Williams College campus in Williams Bay, Wis. The poignant story of a U.S. Naval officer's love and loss in 1890s Japan will be sung in Italian with English supertitles and feature a cast of rising young stars.
Christine Flasch, executive director of Music by the Lake, will direct the performances featuring young stars from Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Texas, Florida, Connecticut, Japan and South Korea.
Tickets are on sale for "Madama Butterfly." Visit the Web site at www.musicbythelake.com, call 866-843-5200 toll free or 262-245-8501, or e-mail mbtl@aurora.edu.com for ticket availability.
