Eclipse Load-In

 

The load-in for Murrow into the Dallas Opera's Hamon Hall was also the day of the total solar eclipse in Dallas.  

Inside, we worked on unloading set materials, assembling the TD's cleverly pre-cut and labeled parts for the fabric frames and stretching muslin over them, trimming, touchup painting, and hanging the fabric panels.

Just after one o'clock we broke to go out and join the sun watchers outside.  

The Arts District was interesting during the eclipse: there was a band and a small crowd of people on the lawn of the park.  (I got the impression that most locals had been discouraged from gathering by all the warnings about terrible traffic etc.)  But this was a happy, chattery small crowd.  Little kids ran through the splash fountain.  A trailer sold hamburgers (and a bar sold "Tequilla Sunrises" ha!).  

Luckily the clouds broke for the totality which was breathtakingly strange.  Once I looked away from that black disc moon with white WHITE light ring around it, I could see all the little lighting usually washed out by daylight... the hamburger truck was a beacon - a lighthouse! - and all the lights inside lobbies or offices glowed amazingly ... then quickly faded from view as the sun uncovered.  Strange and beautiful.

Then we went back in to work. 

This is just after the Eclipse Break (every show should have one!), when we were starting to hang the first panel.  The Hall has a beautiful and super fancy fly-in lighting grid... though we ended up using a lift as well.

And here's the almost final result (under work lights), just before we added the black skirts to the platforms:

Set for Murrow - design & photos by Clare Floyd DeVries

(Mind you, I kinda dislike skirts on platforms because they evoke convention booths, but they are fast, effective, and free so I'll live with them.)