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L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O
October 6 - 20, 2018
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What is your role here at Lyric, and
how long have you held the position?
I am the properties and scenic art
director and I’ve been here for five years.
My role is to facilitate the execution of
the props and paint for all of Lyric’s
productions. That can mean creating
props for new shows, maintaining or
repairing used props, or finding/buying
specific props for a show. I work with
the designers and directors, or with the
artists and choreographers, to make sure
the props and paint are aligned with the
original artistic vision. I then work with
the stage crew to bring those ideas to life
onstage.
What led you to work at Lyric?
I was working in Chicago for awhile
doing props for other theaters when I
heard Lyric was looking for someone
to work in the props department. I
knew opera had a reputation for doing
everything on a grand scale, so it seemed like a great opportunity to
work at a place with such amazing technical elements.
What’s a typical day like for you?
I usually begin each morning by checking in with different
backstage departments to see what they might need. If there was
a rehearsal the day before, we usually have notes from the stage
manager letting us know what the director and singers might
need, or what’s working and what’s not working. If specific props
are being built for a production, my team might have questions
they need answered from the designer, so I serve as the liaison
between the designer and the stage crew. If the designers are here
in town, for example during the summer tech week, we make props
collaboratively so we can understand their vision firsthand.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your job?
The props and paint departments are often juggling many things
at once on a tight deadline. Creating props and painting them in a
timely fashion and on budget, all while maintaining a high-quality
product, can be really challenging. If there is something we need to
create but there isn’t enough time, we have to find new strategies
to make it happen. For instance, the design team for
Jesus Christ
Superstar
wanted more of the palms used in the
“
Hosanna
”
scene. We
originally thought we didn’t have enough time for so many additional
palms, but after some brainstorming I found a way to get the pieces
here faster, and our spectacular props carpenter figured out a way to
make them in less time. We were able to get all 28 palms made on
schedule, but we’re always dealing with that type of challenge.
What keeps you committed to the work
you do?
There are some really incredible people
that I work with on a daily basis. What
amazes me most is their willingness
to learn new things, improve their
skills, and keep up with the changing
technology. Working backstage can be
hectic and chaotic, but seeing them all
so dedicated to their craft makes it an
enjoyable place to come every day.
What’s something about your job that
people might not know?
One thing people don’t know is that
we often paint costumes. For example,
in the Troy scenes of
Les Troyens
we
needed the costumes to look dirty
and disheveled, so we used paint to
accomplish that. There are also several
different techniques to make costumes
look old and broken down, including
the use of a cheese grater. The audience
probably doesn’t know that whenever a flame will be used on stage,
we spray a fireproof chemical on the costumes, props, scenery, and
wigs as a safety measure!
Favorite Lyric moment?
Lyric offers backstage touch tours for patrons who are blind or have
low vision. On one of these tours before a performance of
Così
fan tutte
, one of the stars of that production, soprano Ana María
Martínez stopped by, as she caught wind of our touch tour. She
started talking with the tour group, and offered to let them touch
her throat and diaphragm while she sang. They were so amazed;
most people don’t get the chance to hear an opera star singing that
close to them! Her incredible kindness and willingness to share her
craft was really inspiring. Many of the patrons had been subscribers
for years, so to learn something new and experience opera in a
different way was very cool for them.
Beyond opera, what are your other passions?
My husband runs a company called Step Up Chicago Playwrights,
whose mission is to go out into the community and get more plays
made about Chicago. I enjoy getting to see a lot of theater with
him and figuring out how to bring cool art to the city. I also like
to cook, in particular the
science
of cooking. It’s exciting to figure
out what different things you can add to a dish to make it better. I
watch cooking shows and get obsessed with them!
BACKSTAGE LIFE: Maria DeFabo Akin