Mid City Civic Theatre represents both the continuation of a rich theatrical tradition and the beginning of a bold new chapter for Baton Rouge.
Community theatre has been part of Baton Rouge's cultural fabric since 1946, when a group of local arts advocates came together with a shared vision of bringing quality live theatre to the capital region. That vision evolved into Baton Rouge Little Theater in 1951, later known as Theatre Baton Rouge, which became one of Louisiana's longest-running community theatres. For generations, thousands of artists, volunteers, patrons, and students found a creative home on its stage, building a legacy that shaped the region's performing arts community.
When Theatre Baton Rouge ceased operations in 2025, its future, and the future of its historic theatre building, became uncertain.
Rather than allowing more than seventy years of community theatre history to come to an end, a new group of local arts leaders stepped forward. They assumed stewardship of the organization's 501(c)(3), established an entirely new Board of Directors and leadership team, restructured the organization, and reimagined its purpose for today's Baton Rouge.
The result is Mid City Civic Theatre.
While MCCT proudly honors the legacy of the artists, volunteers, and audiences who came before us, we are not simply continuing the past. We are building something new.
Our mission is to enrich the Baton Rouge community through professional-quality productions and accessible, inclusive, and inspiring educational offerings. We believe exceptional theatre should be available to everyone, regardless of age, experience, or financial means. We are committed to creating opportunities for artists to grow, audiences to connect, and our community to see itself reflected through meaningful storytelling.
Today, MCCT continues operating in the same historic theatre space that has welcomed generations of performers and patrons. As stewards of this beloved community asset, we are working to preserve and revitalize the facility while transforming it into a vibrant, welcoming creative home for the next generation.
Our vision extends beyond producing great theatre. We are creating an organization built on collaboration, artistic excellence, financial sustainability, and community engagement. Through productions, educational programming, partnerships, and outreach, MCCT seeks to become a cultural gathering place where creativity flourishes and every member of our community feels they belong.
Mid City Civic Theatre honors the past while embracing the future, preserving an important Baton Rouge institution while creating a creative home that reflects Baton Rouge today: a place where artists are valued, storytelling is centered, and the entire community is invited to take part.
A new day. A new model. A new theatre.
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.
Officers
Shannon Walsh, President
Caty LeJeune, Vice President & Marketing
Joe Carleton, Treasurer
Ashley Lee, Recording Secretary
Shea Stephens, Parliamentarian
Members At Large
Jennifer Pearson
Nick White
Eric Elliott
Amy Pirtle Danageozian