New creative and production space opens in Railtown on November 18
Counterlight Studio, a 5,500-square-foot flexible production and performance space, opens at 347 Alexander Street in Vancouver's Railtown neighbourhood with its first production running November 18 to 29.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on vancouverisawesome.com.
A new creative and production space opens in Vancouver's Railtown neighbourhood on November 18. Counterlight Studio at 347 Alexander Street is a 5,500-square-foot flexible venue built to keep costs low for smaller productions, according to its founder.
Counterlight Studio, at 347 Alexander Street, is built around the idea that producers should not have to pay for things they do not need. Vancouver Is Awesome reported November 9 that founder Alex Skinner designed the space without a fixed lighting stock or mandatory crew. Producers bring their own teams and rent lighting separately, which Skinner says keeps the entry cost down for smaller shows, solo performers and independent filmmakers.
"We try to keep our overhead costs low off the top," Skinner told Vancouver Is Awesome. "If someone wants to do a one-man show, they don't need all the bells and whistles."
The building at 347 Alexander Street is about 5,500 square feet and is split into two sections: a 2,000-square-foot flex area and a performance space fitted with professional sound and lighting infrastructure. Skinner describes it as a giant white warehouse with skylights, built to adapt to theatre, music video shoots, photography studios and other productions. He says he looked at similar flexible venues in New York, Chicago and London before settling on the model.
Skinner says the space was found by accident. While looking at a different building, he and his team stopped at Pallett Coffee next door and noticed the space beside it was being cleared out. By the time they finished their coffee the doors were closed, but they were able to track down the leaseholder and strike a deal.
First production: An Early History of Fire
The opening production is An Early History of Fire, an intimate and immersive show that Skinner will direct and star in. He read more than 100 scripts to find the right one for the space. The play follows a young man from a low-income small-town family who works toward a larger life, in a story Skinner describes as sitting between Good Will Hunting and Death of a Salesman.
The audience will be seated within a couple of feet of the performers. "They'll never experience theatre like this anywhere else," Skinner told Vancouver Is Awesome.
An Early History of Fire runs November 18 to 29. Tickets are $35 and are available through Eventbrite. Weekday performances start at 7:30 pm, with matinees at 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
Attending
Counterlight Studio is at 347 Alexander Street in Railtown, in the same block as Pallett Coffee. Tickets for An Early History of Fire are available on Eventbrite at $35 each. The run ends November 29.
Questions this story answers
What is Counterlight Studio?
Counterlight Studio is a 5,500-square-foot production and creative space at 347 Alexander Street in Vancouver's Railtown neighbourhood. Vancouver Is Awesome reported November 9 that founder Alex Skinner designed it to be flexible and low-barrier, meaning producers can use their own crew and rent lighting separately rather than paying for a full house staff. It is divided into a 2,000-square-foot flex area and a performance space with professional sound and lighting setups.
When does Counterlight Studio open?
Counterlight Studio opens November 18, 2026, with the premiere of An Early History of Fire. The production runs November 18 to 29 at 347 Alexander Street in Vancouver's Railtown neighbourhood. Tickets are $35.
What is An Early History of Fire?
An Early History of Fire is an intimate and immersive theatre production directed by and starring Alex Skinner, the founder of Counterlight Studio. Vancouver Is Awesome reported that Skinner selected the script after reading over 100 plays. The show runs November 18 to 29, with performances at 7:30 pm on weekdays and additional matinees at 2 pm on weekends. Tickets are $35.
How much does it cost to attend An Early History of Fire?
Tickets for An Early History of Fire at Counterlight Studio are $35, according to the Eventbrite listing for the production. The show runs November 18 to 29 at 347 Alexander Street in Railtown. Weekday performances start at 7:30 pm and weekend matinees at 2 pm.
What makes Counterlight Studio low-barrier for producers?
Vancouver Is Awesome reported that Counterlight Studio keeps its overhead costs low by not requiring producers to hire its own crew or use its own lighting equipment. Many theatres require their own staff for every production, which raises the cost. At Counterlight, a producer can bring their own team and rent only the lighting gear they need. The space has professional sound and lighting setups in place, but the actual lighting stock is kept separate to avoid a large upfront investment.
What other uses is Counterlight Studio designed for?
Beyond theatre, Counterlight Studio is designed for music video shoots, photography studios and other creative productions. Vancouver Is Awesome reported that founder Alex Skinner describes the 5,500-square-foot space as a blank canvas: a large white warehouse with skylights, intended to adapt to whatever a producer needs rather than being configured as a fixed theatre.
Where did the idea for Counterlight come from?
Vancouver Is Awesome reported that Counterlight started as a theatre company that could not find affordable production space in Vancouver. Founder Alex Skinner says a lack of low-barrier theatre space in the city was the main reason he decided to create a venue himself. He found the space at 347 Alexander Street by chance, while getting coffee next door at Pallett Coffee, when the building beside it was being vacated.
Can residents watch the first production at Counterlight Studio?
Yes. An Early History of Fire plays at Counterlight Studio, 347 Alexander Street in Railtown, November 18 to 29. Tickets are $35 and are available through Eventbrite. Weekday performances start at 7:30 pm and weekend matinees start at 2 pm. The audience will be seated close to the performers, within a couple of feet in some cases.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
Found an error? Tell the editors with the corrections form. A correction is noted on the story it changes. Read our standards.
