ArtsLab

Explosive growth best describes Theatre B’s seventh season as a rising regional theater in the Fargo/Moorhead marketplace. Strong shows and collaborations are attracting the area’s best performers, while a growing fan base has promoted the productions. Ticket sales are off the chart.

Five plays now comprise the season. The dream of touring is being realized through regional bookings of Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking.” Theatre B inherited a national corporate sponsorship and is now lead agency in an in-depth summer experience for teen thespians. The “explosion” began last fall with involvement in a staged reading of “The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later.” Even though this meant two shows in concurrent production, the ensemble seized the chance to be involved in a simultaneous international premiere. Executive Director Carrie Wintersteen describes “a magical year” for Theatre B where “every single thing we did garnered positive response.”

Theatre’s B’s positive changes, including a Board-projected balanced budget with a 75% increase over the previous year, could swamp an organization unprepared for the variety and extent of growth. Wintersteen credits consistent emphasis on artistic quality, value of art as inspiration for social action, community collaborations, hard work, and openness to new opportunities. She also indicates that ArtsLab helped Theatre B’s leadership team deepen its community focus, anticipate growth, and plan for a sustainable future. She is confident that Theatre B is prepared to “enjoy the upsurge.”