Women, craft, heart - the centre of Theatre Orangeville

There is a particular kind of strength that lives within the walls.

It doesn’t usually take centre stage. It doesn’t take a bow. It doesn’t stand in the spotlight. 

It builds it. 

This is a love letter to my team, to the women I work beside every day, and to the future they’re quietly (and sometimes loudly) shaping with impact drivers, paint brushes, single stitches and a pure, unfiltered joy. 

The women in our shop rarely stand centre stage. Our work quite literally builds that space for others. So today I am turning the light around. 

I care deeply for this team, I honour their work. I honour the way they take up space in an industry that hasn’t always made room for them. I honour the way they share knowledge like it’s meant to be shared; openly, generously, without ego or gatekeeping. I honour the way they’re already shaping the next generation, not just through what they build, but through how they build it. 

As the theatre’s Technical Director, I don’t often pause long enough to name what we’ve got here. The shop is busy. There’s always another build, another deadline, another “well that’s not going to work” moment to solve before lunch.

But when I do stop and look around the floor, I’m stuck by something that feels both statistically unlikely and deeply intentional:

Our production shop is fully employed by women. 

In technical theatre, in our carpentry shops, paint bays, production offices - that’s rare. And yet, here we are. Not as a novelty. Not as a headline. Just a team of wildly skilled artists and technicians building exceptional work together. 

At the core of it all is my partnership with Beckie, our Production Manager and resident Set Designer. Beckie holds the wide lens. She navigates budgets, timeline and logistics, all with calm precision. Flip the switch and she is imagining the worlds that land on our stage. Every set starts with her pencil lines. She designs with clarity and creativity, and more importantly, with trust. Trust in the shop. Trust in the process. Trust that what she envisions won’t just be built, but elevated. 

My job? Translation. 

As Technical Director and Head Carpenter, I take those worlds and make them real. From drawing to dimension. From concept to construction. From the shop, to the stage, to opening night. It isn’t just about getting it done, it’s about how it gets done. It’s about leading by example, explaining the why behind the how, and ensuring that the knowledge doesn’t stop with me. It’s about supporting growth professionally and personally for each individual and providing a platform free of barriers. 

But leadership here isn’t about hierarchy. It’s about rhythm. Together we chart the course, and drive it forward. The shop moves because we move together. 

Then there’s the team. They are the engine, the heartbeat, the reason it all actually works. 

Casey brings steadiness and generosity to the build floor. She’s grown through mentorship into a confident leader in her own right. She balances precision with joy. She thrives on discovery and strives for excellence. 

Lyss moves seamlessly between lighting, sound, stage management and wardrobe, absorbing knowledge and redistributing it freely. She strengthens the ecosystem of the shop because her curiosity lifts the entire room. 

Hannah builds quietly but powerfully. Her focus is unwavering, her growth steady and undeniable. She reminds us that leadership doesn’t require volume, sometimes it’s consistency and care.

Candice paints with bold instinct. Blank surfaces become living environments in her hands. She gives our sets a pulse and in trusting her creativity, she gives the rest of us permission to trust ours.

Wendi works magic in fabric and foam. Sketches become characters, full of life. Texture informs structure, structure informs story. What she creates doesn’t just clothe a performer, it helps define them.

Beyond our core - designers, builders, educators, creatives - women throughout the process are reinforcing the same unspoken agreement that we are here to build something larger than ourselves. 

What we have is rare, and it works.

We thrive because this environment is safe. Safe doesn’t mean soft. It means strong enough to hold honesty. Strong enough for someone to say, “I don’t know yet,” without fear or being diminished. There’s no competition here. No guarding of skills. No exhausting performance of worth. 

We share knowledge because the goal is collective excellence.

And here’s the secret: that makes us more efficient. 

When fear is removed, communication sharpens.
When communication sharpens, solutions come faster. 
When solutions come faster, momentum builds naturally.

We are not slowed by insecurity. 
We are propelled by trust. 

And that doesn’t limit us. It frees us. 

We aim higher, experiment bolder, support deeper. Mentorship happens organically, skills passed across work tables, lessons woven into daily tasks. It lets music play during the long days, it lets laughter coexist with discipline, it lets us be human while pursuing excellence.

I would be remiss to say it only happens within the walls of the shop, it doesn’t stop there.

From the top down, we are a theatre driven by women. Our Artistic Director, our Executive Director, our Board Chair, our office administrations, our educators. The leaders steering vision, the hands balancing budgets, the minds shaping seasons and the artists of tomorrow, the people answering phones and welcoming patrons through the doors. All women. 

Not as a statement. Not as a trend. 

As a rock-solid reality. 

We are a group of women making art happen. Strategically, creatively, sustainably. We are decision makers. Risk takers. Problem solvers. Story-builders. We hold the ladders and the long-term plans. We hold drills … and dreams. 

That leadership exists on every level and because of that, what we build in the shop is reinforced across the entire organization. The culture is consistent. The respect is mutual. The momentum is shared. 

It is strength layered on strength.

I don’t often have time to pause in the middle of a thriving theatre, the pace itself says enough. But when I do catch a still moment, I see it clearly:

Success. 
Strength. 

An unstoppable force of talent, compassion and skill working in unison.

And I recognize the privilege.

It’s a profound honour to guide this team. To lead alongside brilliant women. To build beside Casey, Lyss, Hannah, Candice, Wendi and so many others. They make me better. They make this theatre better. They make this industry better. 

Today, and every day, I am proud that we take up space in this world. Proud that we do so without apology. Proud that we do this together.
 
Inside the walls of Theatre Orangeville, we are not just building shows, we are building each other. 

And yes, a special shout out to Brian, the last man standing, and David and Dan, who championed this space for so many years. They continue to support, collaborate and help us thrive. We see you. We appreciate you. And we’re glad you’re here.

Because this isn’t about exclusion. 

It’s about recognition. 

And this spotlight? 

It belongs to all of us who build it and it is absolutely a spotlight worth standing in. 

‍
Lisa Lahue
Technical Director and Head Carpenter