Mano d’Opera

“Mano d’Opera” tells the story and evolution of the key professions that have shaped Italian opera, through the experiences of the skilled artisans and technicians working in some of Italy’s greatest opera houses.
Costume designers, set designers, electricians, tailors, make-up artists, stage technicians, lighting designers and sound designers — these are just some of the professional figures who work behind the scenes, essential to the staging of theatre productions and operas. These highly specialised and masterful professions often remain in the shadows, while audiences see only the splendour of the final result on stage, unaware of the immense and meticulous work that takes place before the curtain rises. These artisanal skills accompany and make possible the work of the artists on stage — actors, singers, musicians, dancers, extras and performers — giving tangible form to the visionary ideas of directors, scenographers and librettists. Through these testimonies, the “invisible” professions that operate far from the spectators’ view are revealed and celebrated.