What a great surprise it was to find that the Seattle Opera House, 5th Avenue Theater and many more performing arts locales get their stage sets built right here in Renton at The Seattle Opera Scenic Studios.
I met with Scenic Studios Manager Michael Moore who calls it a “top secret art lab” where they create “tomorrow’s art today.” There are only about a half dozen of these studios in the entire United States. He makes sure that all supplies and services they need, from welding to getting lunch, are first sourced by local Renton small businesses to help support the local economy.
The building is a huge warehouse that has been on North Fourth Street since 1979. The ceilings are super tall to accommodate some of the stage sets that are constructed here.
Michael was sitting in front of a large white board creating isometric drawings of a set for Semele, an opera scheduled at the Seattle Opera House. A model of the set was on a table near him. He has worked on designing and constructing theatre sets here for 35 years.
“Before you can pull a rabbit out of a hat, you first have to have a rabbit and a hat,” Michael says. “You have a responsibility to the performers and the audience. There are many considerations. Materials are chosen with concern for loads and safety and ease of assembly.
“You know in many careers, mistakes and delays are accepted – but professional artists are expected to deliver every single time when the curtain goes up,” he added.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a blog about Michael’s wife, Janice Moore, who plays the piano at the Kennydale Methodist Church and the cello with the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra. On a nearby wall, there was a photograph of Michael and about 25 members of his crew, wearing elf hats that Janice had made for them when they completed the set for “Elf” at the 5th Avenue Theatre. Besides Seattle venues, the studio builds sets for performances across the country, including Washington, D.C., Houston, Broadway, and Los Angeles. He noted that Broadway shows often debut in Seattle.
When asked about his experience with the performers, he shared this: “There are a few temperamental divas. But one time in a closing scene, a nameless diva plopped down for a death scene on a pillow which somehow was filled with potato chips. To her credit, she kept on singing.”
I asked Michael about the beginnings of his creative pursuits. He said as a small child, his greatest joy was taking a toy apart and rebuilding it. His parents supplied him with Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys, and he was exposed to the mechanics of architecture when his father built their home in Auburn from scratch.
Early on, he had access to tools. And his mom, who was a professional artist, taught him about isometric (three-dimensional drawing) design. During his school years, he worked with the drama club including designing and building sets. He went on to study both music and theatre in Bellingham at what is now Western Washington University.
Besides set design, Michael, like his wife, plays the cello with the Seattle Philharmonic and he is president of the orchestra’s board. Michael fell in love with the cello in fourth grade and was with the Seattle Philharmonic while still in high school. Then 11 years ago, after playing in small ensembles for years while working in theater set design, he accepted a position with the Philharmonic, where he met his wife Janice.
Michael and Janice are rehearsing with the Seattle Philharmonic for the upcoming Fall Family Concert, Oct. 19th at the IKEA Performing Arts Center in Renton, sponsored by Allied Arts of Renton.
Due to the great support from the Renton School District, Renton Municipal Arts Commission, the Renton Community Foundation and 4 Culture, ticket prices are low so the entire family can affordably attend. Michael said this year has a Halloween mystery theme and features tap dance artist, Alex Dugdale.
Michael believes it’s a shame that music education has been cut from so many school budgets.
“Students learn about so much more than playing music,” he said. “It teaches them math through fractions, proportions and ratios. They learn discipline and the importance of practice. They understand collaboration – groups of people working together to achieve goals”
As for his creative role as a set designer, he said, “It’s all about the technical know-how for the desired story telling – figuring out what works given the restrictions of time, budget, and allotted space.”
Another thing that Michael is passionate about is shopping locally.
“I believe in using local businesses as suppliers, like McClendon Hardware. You should give back to your community. In the last couple of years, we have put over a million dollars into the Renton economy,” he said.
We toured the large facility, where crew members were busy working on sets. It was hard to know where to look because there were so many interesting pieces to look at from past performances – a flying Pegasus, a ghostly image painted on scrim, a mannequin body, and huge, carved structures.
If you would like to help support the arts an donate to this “top secret art lab,” you can visit www.seattleopera.org. And you are welcome to email me at silverpen45@gmail.com.
