Surging gas prices and escalating costs for rental trucks and labor have caused a spike in transportation fees, driving shipping costs to an all-time high according to multiple industry reports. For opera companies renting sets for Le nozze di Figaro and Tosca and other operas, this means transporting productions has never been more expensive.

As companies continue to explore ways to trim costs, so-called “one-truck shows,” where all of the elements of a production fit into a single, 52-foot, 18-wheel semi-truck or a smaller vehicle, have become quite trendy, especially among smaller companies. Designers capable of building such shows are finding their skills in demand, as packing sets, costumes, and props into a single truck is a Tetris-like endeavor. To discuss some of the details of building made-to-ship operas — and whether reducing sets can impact shows’ artistic merits — Opera America Magazine spoke with several designers, directors, and set rental companies experienced with one-truck shows, including Tri Cities Opera’s John Rozzoni (general director) and Jennifer Minor (director of production and rentals coordinator) and Opera Columbus’ general director and CEO, Julia Noulin-Mérat. 

Thank you all for speaking with us. To get us all on the same page, can you tell us which elements of a production travel with a one-truck show?

Julia Noulin-Mérat: Well, it’s pretty much everything: the scenery, the costumes, the props. Really, the one thing that does not fit is lighting. Broadway shows often tour with a grid that’s ready to plug and play — this isn’t the case for opera companies.

And some opera companies, like Tri-Cities, specialize in designing rental productions?

Jennifer Minor: Right, so 75 years ago our founders thought hard about how to make Tri-Cities Opera a standout in the industry, and for years we were one of the premier rental locations for productions. Now, we’re known throughout the industry for being an affordable option for smaller companies, and we focus on one-truck productions.

So you’re subject experts, here! Can you tell us what sorts of operas work best as one-truck shows?

John Rozzoni: The classics tend to have the most life and get rented the most. But I think the shows that are most conducive to these smaller sets are the shows that are one or two acts as opposed to something that has multiple settings. Carmen is hard, for example, because it’s four acts with four different settings.

OK, so the sets have to be compact enough to fit with the costumes and props into a single vehicle. Aren’t they small, then? Is there enough room for a set that will fill out a large theater?

JM: Much of it has to do with how the venue chooses to place the set in the space, but a single truck can absolutely hold gloriously beautiful sets in the style of the grand old opera. We just did a Le nozze di Figaro in Binghamton, New York, that had a huge set. It still amazes me that this Figaro fits in a single truck because the stage appears double the size than it actually is. The walls can fly out, and there’s inserts that fit into the wall to make it look like a separate location. Then we’ve got this giant 15-foot statue that comes apart in sections.

And can existing productions be adapted to a single truck?

JM: Yes. We’re currently scaling down a La bohème, because it’s really too big to fit in some of the venues that people want to rent for, so that’s meant things like cutting the second story of the set. Another thing this helps with is storage — we can store 18 one-truck shows we can rent versus nine two-truck shows. At this point, we don’t even consider new sets that need two trucks.

What about the artistic quality? It seems like reducing a show could sacrifice some of the grandeur of opera.

JR: Reducing a show to a single truck doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing artistry, but it does require a thoughtful designer who can deliver visual impact without having to have tons of physical stuff on the stage. Designers are artists with beautiful visions, but they don’t always have the engineering background to create scenic structures that can double and serve another purpose, without the support of a technical director.

Technical directors at opera companies are experts on their particular theaters’ capabilities, correct?

JR: That’s right. Scenic designers need to submit their designs to the technical director at a company with enough time to make sure a production will work with the theater, revise them if necessary, and then make sure that it works functionally to fit in one truck.

So any opera can be a one-truck, and they can work in any venue. So now for the big question: How much money can you actually save with one-truck shows?

JNM: Well, when you run the numbers, it actually adds up really fast. I’d say you can save between about $10,000 and $20,000 on shipping costs per production by reducing to a single truck. That’s a huge difference! With that money, you could hire more out-of-town singers or a bigger orchestra for a production. It’s a significant impact.

JM: Also, the load-in and -out is less complicated, and this can cut those costs in half. Reducing a show to one truck can also cut installation costs and save on tech time, although the amount would vary from show to show.

That does sound significant. Are there any drawbacks to one-truck shows?

NM: Sometimes, having everything show up at once can be a disadvantage. Companies need costumes and props for rehearsal, but not necessarily the sets, so then they have to just store them, which can cut into the savings if there isn’t enough space in a company’s warehouse. Sometimes you literally just keep the truck in the parking lot because that’s just cheaper, shockingly.

OK, let’s talk about projections. How is the increased use of digital projections impacting set design? Are companies using them in favor of physical sets?

JR: I think there’s a future and a lot of possibility for this technology, but it still remains to be realized. Projections and digital screens can double as a backdrop or really augment a set and give a sense of visual impact without having to have all these big, bulky items on stage. They can definitely help reduce set sizes to one truck — but those technologies are expensive. Digital screens can cost between $150,000 and $200,000. Even if you aren’t using screens, a projector can cost $50,000.

So they aren’t necessarily cheaper than physical sets, actually.

JR: Right. Plus, there’s something in me that just loves a physical set, something you can put your hand on and walk up to and say, “Wow, this is so beautifully painted.” Scenic painting is such a beautiful art form, it’s sad to think that it might die and be completely replaced by digital productions. Right now, we’re seeing mostly a hybrid mix of projections and physical scenery and props, where projections give location and background but there’s still physical units onstage. For shipping these, it’s about maximum visual impact but taking up less space in the truck.

Overall, it sounds like demand for one-truck productions is increasing.

JR: Yes. Traditionally, we designed these shows in house, but we hired an outside designer for some of our recent productions. We are actively looking for people who are good at designing one-truck shows in particular, as finding designers who can think this way is a huge, huge asset to the industry.

Finally, do you see this as a pandemic-era trend or a new normal? Will one-truck shows remain popular even if shipping costs diminish?

JNM: There’s been two magic terms that have remained from the pandemic: “90-minute operas” and “one-truck shows.” Even now when OPERA America does its New Works Forum and a creator starts pitching a work to companies by saying, “This is a one-truck show,” I can see people in the room prick up their ears. It’s becoming an industry standard to hire a designer and say, “This is your budget, this is how much time you have to load in — oh, and it also has to fit in one truck.” The landscape is evolving.