Scenic Studio

Our History

In 1965, a newly created San Diego Opera opened the new Civic Theatre with a gala production of La bohème. The sets were freshly built and painted in the Opera’s scene shop, located in what was then known as the Ford building, in Balboa Park.

We moved to our current facility in 1972, but during the last 40+ years the Scenic Studio has created well over 50 new productions for San Diego Opera. When you mix in our co-productions and those operas we have constructed for other companies, such as Lyric Opera of Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, and Florida Grand Opera the number of opera sets surpasses 100. The list of stages that our scenery has been seen on includes almost all of the level “A” companies in North America, a few in Europe, Latin America, and even Japan.

Aside from opera, we have built stage sets for a variety of theatrical arts organizations including the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, Nevada Dance Theatre, and the Alabama Ballet. Local organizations often contract our services. These include The Welk Resort Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, Gaslamp Theatre, Old Globe Theatre, and dance companies including Malashock Dance, California Ballet, and Black Mountain Dance. We have also produced a variety of industrial and trade shows for local and national companies.

Mission Statement

We at San Diego Opera Scenic Studios pride ourselves in providing only the highest quality products and supplies. Our experience and expertise assure that your project will be delivered on time and within budget. Our skilled craftsmanship is evident at all stages of the process, from concept to completion. Only the best materials are used to assure that the final product is durable, safe, and reliable.

Contact The Scenic Studio

3074 Commercial Street
San Diego, CA 92113

Phone: 619-232-5911
Fax: 619-232-1925

sdoss@sdopera.org

Shop Hours: 7:30 am – 4:00 pm
(no deliveries or pickups after 3:30 pm)

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