Ghost Town
Backdrop for Ghost Town, by Raoul Pene du Bois
The Ballet Russe Collection
Ballet choreographed by Marc Platoff to a commissioned score by
Richard Rodgers.
Decor by Raoul Pene du Bois.
Premiere: New York, November 12, 1939, by the Ballet Russe de
Monte Carlo.
"Ghost Town, the choreographic debut of American dancer
Marc Platoff (born Marcel LePlat and later known in musical comedy
as Marc Platt) was the first of several attempts by the Ballet
Russe to satisfy demands for ballets on American themes. Platoff's
ballet...shows present-day hikers in a ghost town meeting an old
prospector who told them the town's story, the story constituting
the bulk of the ballet. Though Platoff was the great-grandson of
Frederick Stork, a California pioneer who built the original mills
for Comstock's miners, some critics charged that the ballet did not
capture a genuine American atmosphere. For Edward Downes it was
'about as American as a Russian Grand Duchess in dude ranch
clothes.' Edwin Denby, however, though he disliked Ghost
Town's 'awkward spacing, and operatic arm-waving,' detected
'an exuberant energy in it.'"
Jack Anderson, The One and Only: The Ballet Russe de Monte
Carlo
Aside from the backdrop pictured above, this ballet is
represented in our collection by a set of 2 differently colored
legs and border, one blue, and one light-wood colored, which
probably allowed for different scenes. We also found some drop
extensions, indicating that the ballet originally premiered in a
house that must have had a narrow proscenium opening, and later it
must have been necessary to accommodate a wider stage setting.
Below are pictures of the different sets of legs against the
backdrop.
Backdrop with wood-colored, plank-like
legs and borders
Backdrop with blue legs and
borders