Theatre Baton Rouge Ends 79th Season Early, Cancels 80th Season
The decision follows financial challenges linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and rising production costs.
Theatre Baton Rouge announced that it will end its 79th season early and will not proceed with an 80th season. Officials stated that the decision is due to the theater’s current financial situation, which is attributed to revenue losses during the COVID-19 pandemic and increased costs to sustain productions.
The final performance of the musical Xanadu is scheduled for Sunday, March 23. Theatre officials noted that they are contacting season subscribers and single ticket holders regarding refunds and other available options.
Andrea Tettleton, president of the Board of Governors, stated, "The closure will be permanent. We made the final decision this week after discussing where we were and how to proceed with our 80th season. We had planned the next year's plays, but we have to purchase the royalties and rights to these plays, and we couldn't go forward with it financially."
The organization, which was established in 1946 and has operated continuously as a nonprofit community theater, issued a statement through its social media channels and email newsletter. The statement explained that despite efforts such as the “Light the Stage” fundraising campaign, which raised over $100,000, the funds were insufficient for long-term operations.
The theater confirmed that the decision to end the season is not related to recent controversies surrounding the venue on social media. They added that discussions regarding the future of the theater’s building and contents will begin once the “Xanadu” run is complete.
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