Rosebud theatre was facing a financial deficit and a pandemic. Now? It's thriving
CBC
In 2020, the Rosebud Theatre was on the brink of financial collapse.
It's deficit was nearing $500,000 and then the pandemic decimated all of the planned shows for the year.
"We were just scrambling, to be honest. We were even having bankruptcy talks," said the theatre's executive director, Paul Muir.
As a way to raise money in 2020, tickets were sold for a documentary about the theatre, located about 80 kilometres northeast of Calgary.
Muir says despite the difficult situation, they never lost hope for the then 37-year-old theatre and school of arts, which is synonymous with the hamlet itself.
"We just kept this belief, this core thing that somehow there was going to be a way through the rough waters," he said.
And then, there was, helped in part by a pair of box office hits.
"It's almost as if the waters parted and we were able to chart this course through the middle of the storm and we came out of the pandemic with a surplus, if you can imagine," said Muir. "It's a real miracle story."
The turnaround began when donors and supporters came through in a big way for the fundraiser. The theatre was also the recipient of a "large" estate gift. Then, after "hobbling out of the pandemic," they strategically ran The Sound of Music and Little Women in the summers of 2023 and 2024, respectfully, which were both big hits at the box office.
"We've been very strategic about coming out of the pandemic and making sure that we've got programming that's really going to get people back out to the theatre," said Muir.
As of 2021, the hamlet in Wheatland County had a population of 112 people, according to Statistics Canada. Muir says almost 40,000 people visit it every year.
"This organization is one of the major economic drivers, not only for the hamlet of Rosebud, but for the wider region."
Still, despite its resilience, there are more changes ahead for both the community and the theatre it centres around.
Longtime artistic director Morris Ertman announced in the spring he is stepping down after 23 years leading the Rosebud Theatre and School of the Arts programming.
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