The Curtains

Grand Drape at Hardwick Town House. Green Mountain Grange #1, St. Johnsbury Center

The first type of curtain and probably the most striking is the grand drape, noted for the decorative painted fabric that frames the central image. It is located at the front of the stage, right behind the proscenium arch.
A grand drape usually depicts a romantic castle or mountain scene. Occasionally a local scene is used, but only if it is sufficiently romantic in its own right.

Moving toward the back of the stage, one finds a variety of different back drop curtains ranging from a street scene to a woodland scene or formal interior.

Some sites have a collection of stage pieces that work together with the curtains to complete the stage set. These pieces range from overhead “teasers” used to block the stage lights, to a group of “ears” or “tormentors” that create depth on the stage and provide entry points for the actors. 

Grange curtains are in a category by themselves, and are characterized by local advertisements. Part of the interest of these curtains is the crossover between the romance of a grand drape and the prosaic nature of the advertisements around the perimeter of a small central scene. Grange curtains are early examples of business support for the arts!