Mid City Civic Theatre was founded by a group of Baton Rouge theatre professionals and community volunteers who believe the performing arts should be rooted in connection, not exclusivity.
Our goal is to create a welcoming, accessible space where everyone, from seasoned actors to first-time audience members, can share in the joy of live performance.
We are building a home for local artists and audiences that celebrates creativity, collaboration, and community spirit in the heart of Baton Rouge.
Why Mid City Civic Theatre?
Mid City
Our name begins with place for a reason. We believe the theatre’s location on Florida Boulevard should be central to its mission. Mid City Civic Theatre will serve the people of the Mid City neighborhood and the broader Greater Baton Rouge community by becoming a space that reflects the energy and diversity of the area it calls home.
Civic
The word “civic” means relating to the duties or activities of people in relation to their city. To us, it speaks to the shared relationship between this theatre and the people who support it as part of their civic responsibility to the larger Baton Rouge community. Civic reminds us that theatre is not just entertainment; it is a contribution to the cultural health and identity of our city.
Civic Theatre
The name also honors the roots of this historic space and those who helped keep theatre alive in Baton Rouge for decades.
“In April of 1946, a group of dedicated people interested in quality community theater arranged for John Wray Young of the Shreveport Little Theater to speak on the growing popularity of ‘little theater’ groups across the nation. He urged that the Baton Rouge area follow that trend. Soon after, the Baton Rouge Civic Theater was formed and its first production, The Male Animal, would inaugurate a long and notable history. After operating for a while without a permanent performing space, ‘Building 326’ at Harding Field (now Metro Airport) became the home of the Baton Rouge Civic Theater for thirteen years beginning in 1948.”
We carry that spirit forward by creating a new civic theatre for a new generation.
