Theatrical scenery is used to provide a setting for a theatrical production. The main features are usually flats, two-dimensional canvas-covered panels painted to resemble three-dimensional surfaces or vistas. Other scenery types include curtains, platforms and scenery wagons. They all need to be light and portable, as well as durable. Construction of theatrical scenery is frequently one of the most time-consuming tasks when preparing for a show.
This photograph shows a model of the set designed for the first act of Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello for a performance in Paris in 1895.Set design credit: Marcel Jambon; photographed by the Bibliothèque nationale de France