In the world of architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright’s name is synonymous with innovative design, seamless integration with nature, and an ever-evolving exploration of form. But one of his lesser-known, but significant contributions is his design of the stage curtain at the Hillside Theater in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Now, more than half a century after its creation, the iconic curtain has been renovated and it’s stunning.

The Backstory

The Hillside Theater is part of the Taliesin complex, Wright’s personal estate and the epicenter of his experimental architecture school devoted to “learning by doing” architectural practices. The theater hosted the community every Sunday for a night of film and fireside conversation. It was not only a theater but a laboratory for Wright’s experiments in spatial design. He envisioned the space as an immersive environment where architecture and art converged, and the stage curtain, which Wright designed himself, was a crucial element of this vision. The theater including the curtain was severely damaged in a fire and eventually reconstructed in the early 1950s. This version was a shimmering, abstract theater curtain—a textile based on a Wright sketch that Taliesin students translated into a dynamic, hand-sewn tapestry that they then presented to the architect as a gift.

The Taliesin Fellowship was due to open on October 1, 1932. The month before that, Wright persuaded ladies from a local church to sew a curtain for his planned Hillside Theater. Spring Green’s newspaper, the Weekly Home News, wrote about this on September 22 of that year. The article, titled, Sewing Bee at Taliesin, said, “Members of the Congregational Ladies’ Aid are taking an active part in the preparations for the opening of the Taliesin Fellowship. The ladies assign themselves to groups of twelve and sew on the theatre curtain afternoons at Taliesin. The work consists of appliquéing material on the stage curtain according to an attractive design made by Frank Lloyd Wright.”

In 1952 after the fire, Wright immediately redesigned a new theatre in the same space, utilizing components of the old building which were not damaged to create a new structure. As part of the overall design for the new building, Wright drew a plan for a 14’x36’ stage curtain in an abstract geometric style. The stage curtain, made of a specially woven textile, features a distinctive grid pattern featuring geometric patterns and organic motifs that Wright was known for. Its design evokes the concept of the “organic architecture”.  It reflected Wright’s desire for unity in design, where all components of the environment, from the grandest architectural elements to the smallest decorative features, were integrated. It was a striking piece of art meant to enhance the overall aesthetic experience of the theater.

UPDATE: Per my nephew, a FLW Fellow. “The curtain was designed as a surprise gift from his students, but he found out. When he saw the curtain he asked for a pot of coffee and a ladder and trew the pot of coffee onto the white area of the curtain saying it was too large of a highlight. The real story is probably somewhere in between.”

The Curtain

The curtain represents Wright’s abstract interpretation of the Taliesin estate. Looking closely at the curtain, you can see how it is divided in half by a diagonal line, with green from the upper right side down to the lower left side of the curtain, depicting the green hills of the valley (1). In the upper right-hand corner, there are outlines of his own house, Taliesin (2), with the long Birdwalk and smoke rising from the fireplace. The large band of black felt on the left half of the curtain represents the Wisconsin River (3), and the red line of felt above the river is the large Highway 23 bridge (4) crossing over the river. In the lower right-hand corner, you’ll find Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature red square (5).

It was executed by members of the Taliesin Fellowship (architectural students) using delicate materials – felt, yarn, and gold lamé – all loosely connected to a white muslin ground that allows each component to sway when the curtain. On his birthday in 1956, Frank Lloyd Wright was greeted by the largest gift he had ever received, the Hillside Theatre curtain. It was not a surprise, as he had created the design himself and probably knew it was in the works.

Despite its significance, the stage curtain has not been without its struggles over the years. Exposure to light, wear and tear from constant use, and the natural degradation of the fabric have all taken their toll. (The theater is not climate controlled) The curtain, originally crafted with intricate hand-weaving techniques, started to show signs of age and by the early 2000s, it became apparent that a renovation would be necessary to preserve the work of this architectural genius.

The curtain had undergone previous preservation work for a 2009 “but still, it’s a very challenging curtain, because it is basically a cotton ground with felt and yarn applied onto it. When it’s open and closed, it has this nice sort of dynamism to it, which makes it very vulnerable.”  Working with textile conservator Harold Mailand, they reattached the disconnected pieces of felt, refastened loose strands of yarn, and reapplied the shimmering gold lamé border.

This restoration project built upon the work accomplished in the previous conservation efforts, requiring a less invasive approach. Many of the pieces of yarn, which hang and sway with the curtain, had been broken or detached and were replaced. Some of the felt pieces had been detached at one or two corners as well. This provided a good opportunity to examine how some of the colors have faded over the years, given that the majority of the felt has never been replaced. A section of green felt shows that the color has changed slightly from a deep green to a softer tone. The brown felt appears to have not changed at all and provided a glimpse at the original source for the material, the Continental Felt Company’s Vel-Fel felt.

The most prominent issue to be addressed was the gold lamé that runs along the bottom of most of the curtain, which had become seriously worn and was beginning to fall apart in some areas. Lamé is a fragile fabric and the bottom of the curtain is exposed to the most movement and disruption, making it very susceptible to damage. Portions of the lamé had become detached and started to drag along the floor and all the material had lost its signature luster.

The lamé was treated by stabilizing the existing fabric and placing a layer of nylon netting on top of it to secure it in place. Then a layer of new lamé, specially painted to match the appearance of the original material, was placed on top of the original fabric with an additional, thicker edge at the bottom of the curtain to provide some extra strength. This strategy ensures that the original material is preserved and all of the new work is reversible. The new lamé restores the impressive shimmering look of the original material, making the contrast between it and the matte canvas and felt more striking, and heightens the sense of motion when the curtain is opened and closed.

Two sets of protective curtains in front and back of the original curtain were also created. All three curtains are hung on motorized tracks, helping preserve the Hillside Theatre curtain.

One of the most delicate aspects of the renovation has been the restoration of the hand-woven fabric. The curtain was made from a special blend of silk and wool, which was carefully sourced and woven to Wright’s specifications. Specialists reweaved sections of the fabric where the threads have worn thin, using archival photos and sketches to ensure that the pattern matches Wright’s original design as closely as possible. The renovation included a meticulous cleaning process to lift years of dust and grime from the fabric’s surface without compromising its delicate threads.

Speaking of photos, historic photos of the curtain are limited and don’t offer much information. raising questions about how far the restoration should go. After the curtain was unveiled, Wright made some changes to it, removing yarn and staining some of the canvas with Nescafé instant coffee, but there is no good sense of specifically what changes were made. When the curtain was originally made, the patterns were written onto the canvas in pencil, with notes for the different colors of yarn and felt, some of which are still visible today.

The curtain is a testament to Wright’s holistic approach to design; an approach that is gaining significance in today’s design world. It also stands as inspiration for present and future designers to become informed by the past to design the future.