off the WALL productions at Carnegie Stage A Pittsburgh Theater

What were we thinking? We had planned on building a theater, excavating for dinosaur bones was not in the cards. We had perfectly nice bathrooms that served dozens of office employees well.  Here we are, after applying for permits and following ADA requirements. Total demolition and a complete re-build to make all bathrooms accessible. Here is the plan (very European), we will charge our audience to use the bathrooms. Let's say we sell 3,500 tickets per season (please help us to do this) and 50% of the audience uses the bathroom,  and we charge $ 1 per flush, it will take us 14 years to break even. Theaters have been known to sell chairs to their audience members, how about buying a toilet stall? $ 5,000 will get you a plaque with your name on a stall of your choice!

If you are following our blog you might remember our promise to dance on the new stage floor this weekend. Here we are, Ginny and Hans, not only enjoying the construction progress at the new and improved Off The Wall Theater, but also celebrating our wedding anniversary.

Moving ahead. Drywall is up on outside theater walls and tech/control booth.  Electrical wiring close to done. Plumbing underway.  Trusses for ceiling grit going up early next week. Stay tuned.

Air condition unit and ducts moved from stage area to lobby. Risers finished, waiting for carpeting. Stage floor ready for MDF board.  Electric wiring run. Drywall going up tomorrow. Trussing for lighting grid on its way.  Should be able to "dance" on stage this weekend. Next week, painting, painting and last but not least - plumbing. New entrance doors and awnings hopefully in next week.  Stay tuned for further updates.

Risers nearly done, first layer of " sprung " stage floor is in.  Air-condition ducts are being re-configured. Electrical wiring being run, control booth is framed, wired and ready to be walled in.  Slowly but surely...

The new paint job is taking shape. Will we be done by Labor Day?  Stay tuned.

Off The Wall - Carnegie, PA  We are finally making progress. Permits are in, still some plumbing ADA issues but we are getting there. 90% of the demolition is done, the actual theater inside the building is being framed, outside painting will start Monday. Awning, new entrance doors, banners, lights are ordered. Now we just need money, lots of money. Anybody out there who is looking for tax break, call us!

We are still waiting for some of the permits to come in. I guess building stage sets, creating living rooms and bed rooms or whole houses, with running water and working stoves, and doing this in the blink of an eye, moved us a little bit out of the realm of reality. Reality sucks. If these architects, contractors and whoever else is involved had to build a set, there would be no live theater. So, we are running late but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Stay tuned for updates and check out the rendering of our new theater's facade. Come Hell or High Water (Oops, we are close to Chartiers Creek, which flooded Carnegie a few years back) we shall start rehearsals Sep. 17 and open " The Other Place" Oct. 12, 2012.