Opera Company of Philadelphia • March 6, 10, 12, 16, 1995 at the Academy of Music

Scenic and Lighting Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Robert B. Driver • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Choreographer: Karl Hedman • Hair and Makeup Design: Tom Watson • Conductor: Alexander Sander (Mar 6, 10, 12), Karen Keltner (Mar 16)

Narraboth: John Horton Murray • Jokanaan: Gregg Baker (Mar 6,10), Douglas Nagel (Mar 12,16) • Salome: Cynthia Makris • Herod: John Duykers • Herodias: Diane Curry

“The production – directed by Robert Driver, designed by Boyd Ostroff and costumed by Richard St. Clair – is beautiful to look at, but beautiful in an eerie sort of way that clues you in almost immediately that evil lurks beneath the surface. Set in its proper historical period, yet not denied the decadence of fin-de-siecle Europe either.” – Michael Caruso, Chestnut Hill Local, March 10, 1995

“The power of this opera was punched out into the audience by two chief elements: a strong, vividly colored sound from the orchestra, as directed by Andreas Mitisek, and the dark, Gothic stage design and whorehouse lighting effects created by Boyd Ostroff.” – Peter Burwasser, Philadelphia City Paper, 5/4/2000

“Don’t get me wrong: This production soared on vivid vocal performances, well-supported by a strong orchestra in the pit–even if Boyd Ostroff’s striking, multi-story granite, gold and lunar set for the Opera Company of Philadelphia seriously threatened to upstage the lot of them.” – Byron Woods, INDY Week, 2/22/2006

” Set in biblical times outside the court of King Herod, Boyd Ostroff’s set is dominated by a craggy moon, with subtle lighting effects by Guy Simard in golds and blacks.” – Dorothy Hindman, South Florida Classical Review, 3/16/2013

“On an attractive set by Boyd Ostroff, director Andrew Sinclair moved the protagonists efficiently” – Robert Croan, Opera News, 11/5/2016

“Director Bernard Uzan’s tense production vividly paints the characters and their desires with the dramatic pacing and explosive power of a psychological horror film. That cinematic quality extends to Boyd Ostroff’s handsome set (from Pittsburgh Opera).  The exterior of Herod’s palace is dominated by huge pillars, steps leading to the cistern where the prophet is imprisoned and a large moon which turns blood red when Jochanaan is executed.”  – South Florida Classical Review, Lawrence Budmen, 1/28/2018

 

Design Evolution

 

Designer’s Model

 

Production Photos (1995)

 

Shop Photos

 

Backstage Photos

 

Design and Technical Drawings

 

Production Staff

Director of Production: Boyd Ostroff • Asst Production Director: Kathryn Havey • Asst Designer/Props Coordinator: Anna Cherry • Stage Manager: Geoffrey Woodward • First Asst Stage Manager: Rachel Tischler • Stage Management Intern: Elizabeth Oberle • Resident Asst Lighting Designer: John S. Hoey • Lighting Intern: Kara O’Grady • Design/Technical Intern: Kristen Maybach • Carpentry Intern: Meg McParland

Technical Director: John Callahan • Properties Master: Lou Petrucci, Jr • Master Electrician: Michael Hennessy • Asst Electrician: Mark Petrucci • Flyman: Timothy Callahan

Shop Carpenters: John Callahan, Timothy Callahan, Thomas Bowen, Paul Lodes, Matthew McIntyre, Anthony Cutuli, Steve McPeak, John Duncan, Anthony Savarese, James Casey, John Hagen

Scenic Artists: Kristen Maybach, Nick Rye, Sarah Baptist, Suzanne Kent, Wolfgang Hull

 

Scenery Data

• Built Jan-Feb, 1995 at the Opera Company of Philadelphia Production Center / Bulletin Building
• Scenery construction budget: $76,197 • Actual cost: $83,422 • Total rental income: $143,000 as of May 2011
• Load-in crew: 18 • Run Crew: 5  (carpenters, flymen and props only) • 8 hours required for load-in • 1 truck required for shipping
• Sold to Manitoba Opera 2011, Sold to Palm Beach Opera 2013, Sold to Pittsburgh Opera 2016

 

Salome – revival

Opera Company of Philadelphia • April 26, 28, 30, May 3, 5, 7, 2000 at the Academy of Music

Scenic and Lighting Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Robert B. Driver • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Choreographer: Matthew Neenan • Hair and Makeup Design: Tom Watson • Conductor: Andreas Mitisek

Narraboth: Jay Hunter Morris • John the Baptist: Gregg Baker • Salome: Jayne Casselman • Herod: John Duykers • Herodias: Barbara Dever

 

 Production Photos (2000)

 

Shop Photos (2000)

 

Backstage Photos (2000)

 

Production Staff (2000)

Director of Design and Technology: Boyd Ostroff • Production Manager: Matt Koropeckyj-Cox • Props Coordinator: Cindy Felice • Lighting Coordinator: Miike Voytko • Stage Manager: Kathleen Edwards • Asst Stage Managers: Maya Choldin, Lori Aghazarian • Costume Coordinator: Richard St. Clair • Asst to the Director: Ulrike Shapiro

Technical Director: John Callahan • Properties Master: Lou Petrucci, Jr • Master Electrician: Timothy Johnson • Asst Electrician: William Hennessy • Flyman: Timothy Callahan

Shop Carpenters: John Callahan, Timothy Callahan, Matthew McIntyre, Paul Lodes, John Damiani, Doug McBrearty

Scenic Artist: Karen Tennant

 

Production History

Opera Company of Philadelphia • March 6, 10, 12, 16, 1995 (premiere) at the Academy of Music • Scenic and Lighting Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Robert B. Driver • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Hair and Makeup Design: Tom Watson • Conductor: Alexander Sander

Opera Grand Rapids • February 20, 21, 1998 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Knoxville Opera • October, 1998 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Austin Lyric Opera • January 8, 10, 16, 17, 1999 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Joseph McClain • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Conductor: Andreas Mitisek

Opera Company of Philadelphia • April 26, 28, 30, May 3, 5, 7, 2000 at the Academy of Music • Scenic and Lighting Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Robert B. Driver • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Conductor: Andreas Mitisek

Opera Lyra Ottawa • October 20, 22, 24, 27, 2001 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Kelly Robinson • Costume Design: Amrei Skalicki • Conductor: Edoardo Müller

Connecticut Opera • March 13, 15, 16, 2003 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Atlanta Opera • May 8, 9, 10, 11, 2003 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Nashville Opera Association • April 15, 17, 2004 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Fort Worth Opera • November 12, 14, 2004 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Opera Company of North Carolina • February 17, 19, 2006 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Robert Galbraith • Lighting Design: Ken Yunker • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Conductor: Laurence Gilgore

Florentine Opera • February 15, 16, 17, 2008 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair

Manitoba Opera • November 19-25, 2011 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Larry Desrochers • Lighting Design: Bill Williams • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Conductor: Tyrone Paterson

Palm Beach Opera • 2013 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Renaud Doucet • Lighting Design: Guy Simard • Conductor: Roberto Paternostro

Pittsburgh Opera • November 5, 8,11,13, 2016 • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Andrew Sinclair • Lighting Design: Andrew Ostrowski • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair • Conductor: Antony Walker

Florida Grand Opera • January 27, 28, 30, 2018 (Miami) , February 8 and 10, 2018 (Ft. Lauderdale) • Scenic Design: Boyd Ostroff • Director: Bernard Uzan • Conductor: Timothy Myers • Lighting Design: Kevin G. Mynatt • Costume Design: Richard St. Clair