Theatre Baton Rouge completes renovation on its green room

Theatre Baton Rouge’s board president Lance Parker and managing artistic director Jenny Ballard-Mayfield, pictured in the new Theatre Baton Rouge green room, complete with new furniture, artwork, flooring and more. Photo by Stephanie Landry

Lance Parker remembers just how bad Theatre Baton Rouge’s green room used to be.

“The furniture was in that phase of being brought from someone’s house and needing to be in the dumpster,” he says. “It was not the greatest of areas for our volunteers to rest and get ready to go on stage.”

Parker is the president-elect of the community theater organization’s board. He has been on the board for two years and has acted in many of the theater’s productions. His first gig with Theatre Baton Rouge was playing in the adaptation of Amadeus in 1992. Even then, the green room was “dingy and dirty,” he says. “You tolerated it.”

Thanks to a spring fundraiser, actors will no longer have to tolerate the green room. Theatre Baton Rouge raised nearly $3,000 to renovate its backstage space. That includes new furniture, footstools, artwork, cabinetry, carpet and cleaning the ceiling tiles.

Another addition is a Broadway-style mural that features quotes from famous actors about theater. The renovation was unveiled last month during the organization’s annual Beaux Arts Ball, which recognizes its volunteers.

“We wanted to make it new and fresh,” Parker says. “This is now a space that is somewhat inspiring and comfortable for the actors.” theatrebr.org

THE 70TH SEASON

Seven decades. That’s how long Theatre Baton Rouge has been going. The upcoming season is no slouch. Check out complete details on the 2015-2016 season below.

Essential Federal Credit Union Capital Series
• Sept. 18-Oct. 4: Monty Python’s Spamalot. The Tony Award winning adaptation of Monty Python and the Holy Grail
• Oct. 30-Nov. 15: The Miracle Worker. William Gibson’s drama about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller
• Jan. 22-Feb. 7: The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr. A fast-paced comedy that takes a peek at all of the Bard’s 37 plays in 90 minutes
• March 11-27: Into the Woods. Stephen Sondheim’s musical explores different takes on Brothers Grimm fairy tales.
• April 15-May 1: Don’t Dress for Dinner. A romantic comedy from Marc Camoletti, the French playwright who also wrote Boeing-Boeing
• June 3-19: The Little Mermaid. The regional premiere of the hit Broadway musical that features music from Alan Menken and classic songs such as “Under the Sea”

City Series
• Feb. 12-21: Glengarry Glen Ross. Coffee is for closers in David Mamet’s drama about a group of salesmen trying to make a buck
• May 6-15: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. This critically acclaimed comedy focuses on sibling rivalry