Opera Scene Shop

FAQ's

What does it cost to rent a set?

There are a lot of variables to the cost of renting a set. First of all, which opera? How many scenes are involved? What has to be done to get it to you and back again? How long do you want it for? Generally, you can rent a setting from us for 15 to 20 percent of the cost to build it. This, obviously, is a significant saving over new construction.
How much do you charge for design engineering?

If we are designing and building the set, the engineering is included at no additional charge. If you have your renderings (artwork drawings of what you want) and want us to do the technical drawings for them so that you can build them yourself, the fee is $35/hr. If you have your renderings and want us to build your set, then the cost of the drawing and engineering will be built in to the cost of the set at a rate of $15/hr.
What sort of deposit do we have to make?

For scenery rental deposits see the rental terms question under Payment. For prop rentals, we require a deposit equal to the replacement value of the item. The deposit can be in the form of a check, cash, bond, or money order. When the item is returned in good order, your deposit will be promptly refunded.

What are your terms for new construction?

Once an agreement has been made for the construction of a new opera, we will require 1/3 of the total cost be paid with the order. An additional 17 2/3% will be paid when the work is half way done, another 25% when the work is æ done, and the balance on the day the sets leave our shops.
What are your terms for rentals?

For prop rentals, payment and deposit is required the day the items leave our shop.

For the rental of full sets, the terms vary based on the duration of the run of your opera, and the size of the sets in question. All scenery rentals will require that you insure the sets for the full value of their replacement with us as a named insured. Additionally, a member of our staff is required to be at both the load in and load out of your venue. Per diem charges apply for this service. Please contact us for specific information about specific productions.
Do you take credit cards?

Not yet, but we're working on it. Currently we accept cash or check only.

How do I know if your set will fit my stage?

All of our existing sets were built for specific stage sizes and heights and these are indicated in our records. We can compare the size requirements of our sets to what is available at your venue and be sure it will fit. In addition, certain of our settings are capable of being contracted or expanded, as necessary for nearly any size stage, as long as there is sufficient height (usually 12 to 15 feet).
How do you know how big to build my set?

You will be playing in a specific venue. We will acquire blueprints to that venue prior to starting the design or engineering work and will build your set to conform to the size required. If you provide us with the designs and drawings so that we are only doing construction, then your designer will have already made these calculations. Additionally, certain styles of scenery are easily adaptable to a variety of sizes of theaters so that your set may well be able to be used in larger or smaller facilities beyond the one it was originally built for.

How do we move the sets/properties from your shop to our theater?

Depending on where you have to have the items delivered, we can move by trucks of varying sizes, or rail car. Some operas can move in a 24 foot rental truck while others require a 54 foot van trailer and a truck tractor to pull it. Smaller items of properties and furniture can be moved by you in a van or station wagon or may be deliverable by common carrier such as UPS. In any case, we can get it where you want it. If you want to provide your own truck and driver, this is fine as long as the truck can be loaded at our shops during normal business hours, Monday through Saturday.
How do we get it back to you?

The same way as it was sent. All rental items are due back to our shops within between two days and a week from the close of your production. The time depends on how far away from our shops you are and how it has to be transported. What we don't want is the items just sitting around somewhere.

What sort of insurance do you maintain?

Our shops and warehouse are insured against fire and theft. Sets that are under construction or in our care are also insured against these problems. Our personnel are insured against accident no matter where they are working, our shops or your theater. What we donít insure is any people from your organization who might want to assist with the preparation of your new construction or rental. We require that you insure them and make us a named insured on the policy.
What sort of insurance do we have to provide for what we rent?

Props and scenic accessories are covered by a deposit you make when you rent them. Full set rentals require that you insure them from the time they leave our shop to the time they are returned, for the full cost of the replacement. We further require that you make us a named insured on that policy.

How far in advance do we need to contact you?

It depends on how much of the work you want us to do. Design and engineering we can do for you on reasonably short notice, but if you need us to design and construct a set for you for a large opera with multiple scenes, the lead time required can be as much as a year. The more work, the longer the lead time.

Can you design a set for us?

Certainly, and in a variety of styles. We do everything from historic realism to representational unit settings. Tell us what you want, give us an idea of your budget and we will take it from there.
Can you build from our designs?

Yes. If you provide us with working drawings we will construct it as the designer presents it. If, by designs, you mean only artwork without the working drawings, we can do that, too, but the designer will need to be available for consultation with our engineering staff. We want to provide you with exactly what you and the designer envision.
Can we provide our own painters for our own designs?

Of course. You can save yourself a substantial portion of the cost of a set by painting it yourself. If you have your own painters and the place to paint it, we will be happy to ship you unpainted sets that you can finish. Under certain circumstances, we can also provide you with a master painter to oversee your efforts.

What happens if we have problems setting up our sets?

Every set, before it leaves our shop, is set up and checked for fit and completeness. This includes rentals as well as new construction. A member of our staff goes with all complete sets to oversee the installation at your venue.
Can you help us fix problems with sets we already own?

Certainly. It is usually less expensive if we truck the set to our shops, set it up, and do the work here, but we can do it on site, too. We also will provide emergency services for your scenery, as required.