Setting the Stage for Mary's Wedding
September 19, 2023
Stephen Massicotte's 2002 play, Mary's Wedding, centres on Mary, a young English girl who recently immigrated to the Canadian Prairies, and Charlie, a Canadian farm boy.
Set Designer Douglas Paraschuk has created a beautiful design for this touching story that pulls in the colours of the prairies and marries them with farm building accents.
Paraschuk has also created an upstage ‘portal’ which he says was “designed to provide a shadow box style vista/view of the prairies beyond, with the world of the play cascading onto the fore-stage deck."
Above, you can see a computer model of this set design, and below is a physical model that is designed to scale. It allows the creative team to explore how the actors, props and set pieces will all move together on stage and ensure there is enough space for everything to occur around the set design.
Meet Douglas Paraschuk, Set Designer for Mary's Wedding
Bringing this incredible set to life is the talented Douglas Paraschuck. Drayton Entertainment audiences will know Paraschuck from his work creating the sets for this year's productions of American Son, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Sh-Boom! Life Could Be A Dream. Paraschuck's long list of credits also includes over 30 set designs for the Stratford Festival and for other theatres across Canada, including Theatre Aquarius, Rainbow Stage and the Shaw Festival.
Douglas has designed the Calgary Stampede Grandstand show for the last nine years, and in 2010 he was Head of Design for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
Learn more about Mary's Wedding
In the News
April 18, 2024
Volunteer Spotlight: Ron EllisIt’s impossible to talk about volunteerism at Drayton Entertainment without mentioning former municipal councillor Ron Ellis. He was Volunteer #1 at the place where it all started in 1991, Drayton Festival Theatre.
April 17, 2024
Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine PettemCatherine Pettem has lived in Cambridge off and on for over 30 years, and she’s been a part of Drayton Entertainment for more than a decade. During that time, she has amassed an astonishing number of volunteer hours and helped enhance the experience at shows for thousands of audience members.
April 16, 2024
Volunteer Spotlight: Marilyn Pollard and Tom PollardMarilyn Pollard and her oldest son, Tom Pollard, make a formidable team. Marilyn lives in Wallaceburg, and Tom calls London his home. Together, they volunteer at both Huron Country Playhouse’s theatres, racking up hundreds of hours each year.
April 15, 2024
Volunteer Spotlight: Sylvia MalgadeySylvia Malgadey competed for Team Canada in the women’s 100 metres hurdles at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The Conestoga resident is still quick on her feet as a Drayton Entertainment volunteer, which sometimes includes dancing with members of the audience.
April 9, 2024
It's no joke! Drayton Entertainment volunteer Marilyn Ivanovick wins big on April 1The Cambridge resident has been part of the Drayton Entertainment community for more than eight years.
February 28, 2024
Just too good to be true: Jersey Boys tells the story behind the Four Seasons’ classic, wholesome soundThe Broadway blockbuster doesn’t pull any punches as it authentically recreates the world of one of pop’s most harmonious groups.
February 21, 2024
CTV: Footloose coming to St. Jacobs Country PlayhouseDavid Connolly of Drayton Entertainment joins CTV’s Daryl Morris with a preview of the production put on by local high school students.
February 15, 2024
CityNews 570's Mike Farwell interviews David Connolly, director and choreographer of Footloose"The story is about youth coming to the aid of a community in need." David Connolly sat down with Mike Farwell from CityNews 570 recently to discuss the Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy's production of Footloose.