Ed. Note: This letter expresses the views of the Theatre Lac Brome’s Board of Directors with regards to an article written in Tempo’s September issue

The Board is taken aback by the comments published in the September issue of Tempo and seeks to rectify many errors.

1. TLB is not living a “dark and stormy chapter in its 36 year history”. Rather, TLB is going through a fruitful transitional year in offering a rich and very diversified season throughout the year.
2. Mr. Boulianne was not “parachuted” into the job. The Board hired a head-hunter who studied numerous applications. Mr. Boulianne was chosen after a rigorous selection process.
3. Mr. Boulianne’s mandate was not to “stage a full slate of English productions,” but to establish a diversified program in both official languages for the general population, and to keep the theatre open all year. Two English theatrical productions took place, namely Counting Aloud, penned by Gabrielle Soskin, and The Vagina Monologues, with Emma Stevens. TLB has never been so popular and a number of shows were sold out.
4. Mr. Boulianne duly informed the Board that he had some con- tracts he was bound by during the 2018-2019 season. An assistant had been hired before his arrival. It is therefore false to write that there was a need to hire an assistant.
5. Funding activities were not cut back. On the contrary, Mr. Boulianne applied for grants and found new sponsors and patrons who support the theatre.
6. With regards to the complaints issued by the “community”, these negative comments are continuously made by a small group of people reticent to accept the evolution of TLB. Comments on site or on our social media platforms reflect the users’ satisfaction, and growing enthusiasm, for TLB and for the quality of the shows.
7. Mr. Boulianne resigned for personal reasons and not because he is unable to receive negative feedback, as the article implies.
8. There is no mortgage in place to “retire the debt”. We have a line of credit secured by mortgage which has been in operation over several years.
We deplore the fact that certain members of the public at large persist in denigrating our former Director and we are saddened that these people continue to persistently spread faulty and malicious information by implying that the anglophone community is neglected or badly served by our current Board.

The members of the Board, the employees and the volunteers work tirelessly to consolidate the foundation of TLB and to build the future of our regional cultural pillar, where both cultures meet. This is the mission of the Board: to make TLB a more open, dynamic, accessible and unifying place that brings people together.

The Board of Directors of Theatre Lac Brome

Exceptionally, Tempo exercises its right not to publish any other letters pertaining to this article.