Setting the Stage
by Lauren Setum, Allied Member ASID
Today's LiLu Look of the Day will formally close the curtain on a week of blog posts dedicated to theatrical passions and interiors that reflect them. At a theater production, the closing of the stage curtain really does give a sense of finality to the end of a performance. Of course, it also serves to announce that it is about to begin...not to mention transitions during the performance. For these reasons, the stage curtain is one of the main focal points in a theater, and its design should be a testament to that fact. Over the last four years, Rubelli has worked to make sure that the new curtain that hangs in the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow does just that. Take a look!
"To maintain the precious quality of the original stage curtain, the Rubelli mill used 500 kilos of pure gold yarn, developed by a highly specialized spinning factory, unique of its kind in the world. The result is a precious, shiny lampas used to make two stage curtains: the first is the “classic” one made up of two lengths of cloth which, running on tracks, are gathered at the sides; the second is that which, descending from above, is used taut as a backdrop, in particular, as is customary, during speeches given by the President. A total of over 1,100 meters of lampas were supplied for the two stage curtains and for covering the side columns. There is then a third stage curtain, again in red, which required 930 meters of velvet, also used to make the valance." Rubelli.com
"The fabric of the original stage curtain, in silk and pure gold yarn, featured a very high pattern repeat (1.5 meters horizontally and over 3 meters vertically) which remained identical also in the Rubelli reproduction. This pattern contains typical elements of Soviet iconography: ears of wheat, hammer and sickle, five-point star and CCCP in Cyrillic, the equivalent of the USSR, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. On the basis of the new artistic design supplied by the theater management these elements were replaced with the double-headed tsarist imperial eagle, Saint George and the dragon and the word RUSSIA, naturally in Cyrillic." Rubelli.com
"Rubelli started work on the project as early as 2007, initially for the boxes, wall coverings and drapes, and later for the impressive stage curtain, or rather curtains, given that there are more than one." Rubelli.com
Notice the scale, wow! The trim alone comes up to mid-thigh on most people!
As large scale as this project was, the same concept can be applied to your home. Just as a performance might feel unfinished without the closing of the curtain, rooms most often feel incomplete without appropriate window treatments. They also provide a sense of security from the outside world, especially at night when most people prefer to close off the view from the outside-in. Remember to factor window treatments into your design budget, and don't worry...you likely will not need thousands and thousands of meters of fabric!
