The Race to Opening Night
Creating a set for Stagger Lee was a complex task. The script is original, which means there was no precedent to draw from. And the show shifts quickly through through several decades and different cities. So set designer John Arnone, the carpenters and welders in the scene shop had to create set elements that could move quickly, sliding or rolling or flying up out of sight.
In the video above, Dallas Theater Center technical director Matthew McKinney shows some of the set pieces in progress and we take a time-lapse look at the race to opening night. Special thanks to filmmaker Mark Birnbaum, who helped us shoot this video.