The story of Ira Aldridge's theatre career is brought to life using classic theatre mechanics. The public face of the theatre was framed by (what else?) a red velvet curtain, while the private workings were framed by a portal of "backstage," made from Broadway-style flats, seen in reverse.

Scenes slid in and out on slipstages, while visible crew moved furniture and props in a series of choreographed movements. We also acknowledged the modern lens of the piece through projections on the frames.