Tour the San Francisco Opera Scene Shop

It’s an unassuming warehouse outside of San Francisco, not far from the airport. But within its walls, temples, ballrooms and fantasy worlds rise — and the magic of stagecraft comes to life. Step inside the behind-the-scenes world of the San Francisco Opera scene shop. Here, you’ll meet scene-shop foreman John Del Bono and his colleague, Ryan O’Steen, two of the artists responsible for turning set designs into reality. They’ll take you on a tour of their latest project: the opulent Parisian sets of this fall’s “La Traviata,” part of our centennial season. See the evolution of its elegant ballrooms and parlors, from mock-ups to larger-than-life architecture. Sets like this one are custom-built for the San Francisco Opera stage — and many of the designs built here tour the world, traveling to places as far flung as Greece and Japan. Learn more about “La Traviata” and the sets John and Ryan are building here: sfopera.com/traviata