Have you ever walked into a theatre and was transported to a new world? Have you ever wondered how a few flats, a can of paint, and an array of props can take you to a coastal pier, a Chinese garden, or a New York street?

Join us on January 17, 2026, as Leland Stelck leads an illustrated discussion on basic set design along with tips and tricks to keep on a minimum budget. Be prepared to participate in several design exercises and defend your choices. The workshop will be for beginners to advanced designers.

Leland Stelck: With somewhere north of 60 shows to his credit, Leland has worn many theatre hats: Actor, Musician, Master Builder, Master Painter, Playwright, Director, but the bulk of his work has been as a set-designer. At least 16 of his designs have graced Walterdale’s stage. Former Walterdale Artistic Director, Robin Whittaker, asked him to design Taming of the Shrew in 2003. One year later, Sam Varteniuk asked him to design Happy Birthday Wanda June and Leland responded with Zebra-skin flooring and Elephant and Rhinoceros bleacher seats. Collaborating with these two directors demonstrated just how much creative freedom a designer could have within an honest interpretation of the playwright’s intent. Despite his sometimes wild flights of fantasy, Leland always uses the play script as his blueprint and muse. From a claustrophobia-inducing cluttered living-room in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, to massive amounts of on-stage precipitation for Singing in the Rain to the cubist-inspired The Women it’s a creative adventure. Other Walterdale shows include: Copenhagen, Anything Goes, Nine, Austentatious, Amigo’s Blue Guitar, and King of the Yees. For other companies Leland has designed Company!, She Loves Me (twice), Rent, Into the Woods (twice), The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance (twice), and Kiss Me Kate. His own play Kissing the Armadillo was premiered at Walterdale in 2005.

Time: 10am – 5pm (with an hour-long lunch break, and other breaks taken as needed).
Where: Walterdale Theatre (10322 83 Avenue)
Cost: free for Walterdale Theatre members, or $25 for non-members.

More information and to sign up is below: https://www.walterdaletheatre.com/get-involved/workshops/