On Tuesday, July 9, Theatre Baton Rouge held its annual meeting to close out its 78th season, present its results and discuss its plans for the coming years.

Theatre Baton Rouge (TBR) is a community theatre that has been a staple in Baton Rouge since 1946. Its mission is to give the Baton Rouge community access to theatre, whether by seeing a show, participating in a performance or working backstage. 

To begin its 79th season, Theatre Baton Rouge will present “Waitress” from Aug. 16 to Sep. 1. 

The annual meeting started with The President’s Report. Beth Borderlon, TBR President, addressed the challenges and changes the past year has seen.

This past year was a turbulent one for TBR, and it almost closed. However, TBR also witnessed support from the Baton Rouge community and a successful 78th season, especially with its most recent production of “Cinderella.” 

Borderlon went over the past year and all that came with it, but she focused on how TBR has improved the community and how it wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers. 

“We’ve had the honor to share stories this year that, beyond the sheer entertainment value, gave audiences the chance to learn something more about themselves and their neighbors. If we changed one life… we did our job,” Borderlon said. 

She continued by announcing that there will be a new executive director and acknowledging the challenges ahead. Candidates for new executive director are still being determined, Borderlon said.

To wrap up the president’s report, Borderlon said, “I could not have asked for a better group of people to have served with during this past year than this Board. So I turned to the gospel according to Sondheim.” 

After Borderlon finished, Lance Parker, the strategic planning committee chair, gave the treasurer’s report and spoke about the budget. He acknowledged Theatre Baton Rouge’s financial troubles and emphasized that, though it was doing better, they weren’t out of the woods yet. 

Back in October of 2023, TBR announced that, like many community and local theatres across the United States, it was struggling with the mounting costs of putting on productions. Its official statement said it had “reached a critical juncture where our current operational framework is no longer sustainable.”

That’s when the theatre started its Light The Stage program to stay afloat as it changed how it functioned. Parker talked about the new sound system and air conditioning units that were introduced and other ways of cutting costs.

Parker also talked about how, since COVID-19, it’s become harder for theaters, especially smaller ones, to run. 

Theatre is a risky business. Producing a show involves a lot of costs, and there are usually very little or no returns on investment. 

According to Theatre Baton Rouge, about 20 cents of every dollar is used to pay royalties and script rental fees, which is just one way that the costs of a production can add up quickly. An average production for the theatre can cost anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000. 

Many regional and community theatres rely on grants, donations and sponsorships to continue operating. Parker said that big corporations are reducing donations to TBR and the arts in general. 

Parker also emphasized the need to lower costs as much as possible to keep the theatre running. 

A new business was mentioned, and it was announced that TBR would be working on improving its outreach. TBR hopes to target those who are less likely to have easy access to theatre. 

The theatre plans to work with schools, local libraries and nursing homes to bring theatre, music and learning to different groups of people. The board members leading the conversation said they would focus on creating partnerships with other organizations. 

After sharing questions, suggestions and new thoughts, certain members of TBR voted on whether to keep the current board members on for another year.  

Borderlon was highly optimistic about the upcoming season. 

“I am very excited for our new season. We have something for everyone. We are very excited to be presenting all of this to the theatre community and theatre lovers all over Baton Rouge,” she said.

READ MORE: Annual orchid show displays exotic beauty of Louisiana horticulture

Borderlon also mentioned some of the shows that will be presented this year: “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “Radium Girls,” “Xanadu,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and the yearly “Christmas Carol.” 

She continued, “It’s going to be a wonderful theatre experience for all of Baton Rouge and especially the LSU community. They’re going to love shows like ‘Xanadu’ and ‘Waitress.’”

She ended by saying that she hopes LSU students will continue to come to TBR to participate, see shows and audition.