Praxis Theatre

The Steel Diaries

49 hours to opening curtain
By Ian Mackenzie

I’m filing this dispatch on behalf of the creative team, which is – as you’ll see – hard at work putting the finishing touches on our play Steel.

There is much to be excited about: the newly established Queen West Arts Centre; Andrew Zadel’s original script; Michael Wheeler’s vision for the play. And yet, as I write this, the 49 hours we had has become a mere 46, less than two days. I can only imagine that the weight of the opening curtain hangs heavily on these theatre artists.

What follows is a short photo easy chronicling a window in this production’s history: 49 hours to opening curtain.

The venue. Queen West Arts Centre.

The space. Looking back toward the entrance of the black box.

Director Michael Wheeler.

A director’s notebook.

Stage Manager Meredith Scott and a LITEPAK lighting console.

Lighting designer Paul Hardy.

House lights.

David Galpern and Steel’s James Murray.

Backstage, looking through blacks that were hung earlier in the day.

Someone else’s tool kit.

Three lights.

Steel opens this Thursday, March 8 @ 8pm at the Queen West Arts Centre. Tickets at the door.