By Alex Grosset, Arts and Entertainment

13/4- Thousands are expected to gather in Oeil de Fleur to attend the ribbon cutting ceremony for the New Empress Theatre. The world famous Theatre burned down one year ago during a performance of Delando’s “Fires of D’Kalm D’Korr”.

The rebuilding of the theatre has been met with several trials and tribulations over the past year. First, the Council for Arts and Commerce had an internal debate over whether or not the Theatre should be rebuilt at all or instead be replaced with an outdoor market. This of course led to people questioning the logic of a Council of combined “Art” and “Commerce”. The Council was split in two, and the artists won out when the Academy of Alchemists and Alliterators, led by former alum Sir Rigel Rinkenbach, threw their weight behind the theatre.

The second setback came during the winter months, and the recent Blackwood shortage. While Nor Easter was relatively unscathed by the shortage compared to Crowndon, it only managed to maintain its level of comfort by halting any ongoing projects, including the rebuild.

Construction resumed in the early weeks of Second Month, after the Desantana Blackwood Conflicts sorted themselves out. Much of the construction was already complete; all that remained was some wiring and the installation of the theatre’s new fire suppression system.

The New Empress Theatre will open its doors this weekend, with a showing of Delando’s “Fires”. The performers will not be using flare guns to simulate magic this time, we are told.

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Related: Blackwood Gazette #4: Tragedy Strikes the Empress Theatre in Oeil de Fleur