Tim Steinrock, Benny Doro, Tim Steinrock's mentor James, and Nina Cramer together after the Christmas production in 1990.

Friendship & performance · 1990

So They'll Live
Past Our Time.

A Christmas play. Three quarters of Unchained. The friends who made the night matter.

Late November 1990 · estimatedFilm developed December 2, 1990 · confirmed

The story behind the photographs

They showed up for one another.

During the Unchained years, music was only part of the friendship. When Tim Steinrock began studying acting and performing in dinner shows and plays, his friends came to watch.

The recovered roll opens on the celebration, moves onto a modest stage at a venue Benny remembers may have been a recreation centre, and catches a Christmas production already in motion. Then the band appears: Tim singing, Benny with a white guitar, Jeff Worobec behind the drums. Three quarters of Unchained, playing wherever the night carried them.

Thirty-five years later, the pictures carry different weight. James, Jeff and Nina Cramer are no longer here. What began as an ordinary night out now preserves their faces, their energy and the fact that they were there together.

“Stuff like this — time goes on, sometimes you forget.”— Benny Doro

Listen to Benny

The Way-Back Machine

Benny remembers Tim Steinrock's acting, James's mentorship, the Unchained performance and the friends whose names still belong to the night.

Original narration · 2 minutes 57 seconds · preserved unchanged

“That's why we do these things and put these things on, so they'll live past our time.”

The production

Tim had another stage.

He was the bass player in Unchained, but he was also studying acting. Benny remembers dinner shows, plays, a tuxedo, an elf costume — and that Tim was genuinely good.

The Christmas cast assembled on stage in late 1990. — The Christmas cast on stage. Exact venue still to be confirmed.

Performers in colorful costumes on stage.

Tim Steinrock singing, Benny Doro playing a white guitar and Jeff Worobec on drums during the 1990 production.

Three quarters of Unchained

The band found its way into the play.

Tim sang. Benny appeared in wild makeup, tights and a white scarf with a white guitar. Jeff Worobec played drums. Benny cannot remember the song — only that, somehow, they played.

“I don't know where our singer was. They're never around.”

After the curtain

The celebration is where the names return.

Tim Steinrock and his mentor James. Jeff Worobec with Sharene Erickson-Baltzer and Nina Cramer. Friends holding drinks, leaning into the camera and letting an ordinary night become evidence of a life shared.

Tim Steinrock, Benny Doro, Tim's mentor James, and Nina Cramer at the celebration. — Tim Steinrock, Benny, Tim's mentor James, and Nina Cramer.

Jeff Worobec standing with Sharene Erickson-Baltzer and Nina Cramer. — Jeff Worobec with Sharene Erickson-Baltzer and Nina Cramer.

Tim Steinrock and James raising a glass. — Tim Steinrock and his mentor James.

Tim Steinrock with a guest whose name remains to be confirmed. — Tim Steinrock with a guest. Name to be confirmed.

Remembering friends

James. Jeff. Nina.

James was Tim Steinrock's mentor — a character, a talent and, in Benny's words, “a very, very cool guy.”

Jeff Worobec was Unchained's drummer. Nina Cramer was Tim's roommate, part of the aerobics-class circle, and remembered for her humor and extraordinary energy.

The photographs do not turn them into exhibits. They simply return them to the room.

Narration transcript

In Benny's Words

Transcript lightly edited for punctuation and readability. Benny's original recording remains authoritative.

Talk about the way-back machine. Let's go back to probably November 1990, during the Unchained days. We were all buddies, too. We used to go to each other's events.

Our bass player Tim Steinrock wanted to be a bit of an actor, too. He was studying and doing dinner shows and plays. He was actually really good at it.

He had a mentor named James. James was a very, very cool guy. James is no longer with us, but fun, fun memories. What a character. What a talent.

Our drummer Jeff Worobec was also there. His arm is around his girlfriend Sharene Erickson-Baltzer, and on the left is our good friend Nina Cramer. Nina was a fabulous woman — funny, great, awesome energy.

There's a unique photo where there's Tim Steinrock, myself with some wild makeup and a white guitar, and playing with Jeff Worobec on stage. So you've got three quarters of Unchained.

There's a cool picture of Tim Steinrock, myself and James. Pretty happy about being able to preserve this one.

Enjoy time travelling with us. Stuff like this — time goes on, sometimes you forget. That's why we do these things and put these things on, so they'll live past our time.

Draft pending Benny review · uncertain names and phrases are not treated as authoritative

Complete recovered record

Twenty-Four Frames From the Way-Back Machine

Every distinct photograph belonging to the Christmas production appears below. One duplicate scan remains preserved in the archive but is not repeated here.