Erin Shepherd makes theatrical dreams come true

Last year, Dunedin's Fortune Theatre was shut down so suddenly that many productions were left scrambling to find alternative venues. This weekend the city's theatre practitioners are being asked what they want to see replace the Fortune. It's part of a 300-thousand dollar City Council and Creative New Zealand-funded review that's being handled by Melbourne-based company Charcoal Blue. They're the firm involved in designing the Waikato Regional Theatre for Hamilton. Charcoal Blue is home to expat Erin Shepherd, who worked as a production and stage manager here before moving away. Lynn Freeman asked Erin first about venue-strapped Dunedin, where nine months of consultation is now underway: