10 000 and +

At the beginning without a precise formal structure, the TLB received its real foundation in 1988. Business people in the region first mobilized to provide the company with a permanent performance space. It was built by Gerry Wood, owner of the Knowlton pub, and strategically located behind the pub in the heart of the village. Called the Knowlton Pub Playhouse, the room had a seating capacity of 135. La même année, la compagnie « Theatre Lac Brome » se constitue en organisme à but non lucratif et se dote d’un conseil d’administration. Emma Stevens is the artistic director. The TLB can now produce plays in English, and welcome amateur groups and a few artists, such as the young virtuoso pianist Alain Lefèvre.

In 1991, Emma Stevens gave way to the professional musician of New York origin Nicholas K. Pynes. He will remain in his position until 2018. From the outset, Pynes committed to staging plays by Canadian playwrights each year, such as John Gray’s hit play Billy Bishop Goes to War, as well as a few works by Quebec playwrights translated into English, such as Heat Wave by Michel Marc Bouchard. Revivals and American musicals are a regular part of the summer schedule, while early fall sees the return of the Knowlton Players and the popular duo Bowser & Blue. For his part, Nick Pynes often assists as a writer, director, musical director or piano accompanist.

In 1996, the TLB celebrated its 10^th anniversary and continued to focus on the production and creation of Canadian plays in English, including An Anglophone is Coming to Dinner, by Sherbrooke’s George Rideout, and The Megantic Outlaw, by Nick Pynes and Edward Herkes. The program also includes a more classical repertoire, with authors such as Oscar Wilde, Graham Greene, Henry James, and shows paying tribute to popular music icons such as Patsy Cline and Hank Williams.

At the turn of the century, the Board of Directors decided to purchase the Knowlton Pub Playhouse, which the TLB had been renting for a dozen years. To do so, he launched a major fundraising campaign that was a great success. The TLB closed the deal in late 2002, completed several renovations and increased the capacity of the hall to 150 seats. In the wake of this, the TLB diversifies its offer to include all the performing and visual ar To reflect this new orientation, the venue was renamed Arts Knowlton, a name it would keep for some time, before being definitively replaced by the current official name: Théâtre de Lac-Brome.

Now with the dual role of producer and presenter of shows, the TLB continues its momentum. Nick Pynes programs world premieres, productions ranging from Noël Coward to George Bernard Shaw, from Frank Sinatra to French operetta. The musical program is enriched by a classical component in collaboration with countertenor Daniel Taylor and the Orford Arts Centre Humor also takes a good place around Lorne Elliott, Stephen Leacock or the Four Anglos. Not to mention the performances of amateur troupes, exhibitions and film screenings.

In 2012, under the presidency of Paul Marion, the TLB begins a crucial transition in its history and henceforth announces itself as a ”bilingual theater”. This new direction reflects both the changing demographics of Brome Lake and the rich cultural and linguistic diversity of the region. It also reflects the need for the organization to expand its audience and increase attendance. Renowned comedian Albert Millaire will be at the forefront of the French-language programming as both designer and performer, including Dear Liar/Cher menteur, an epistolary comedy presented alternately in English and French, Mes amours de personnages and Rendez-vous Molière. However, English still has a predominant place in the shows as well as in the number of performances.

For its 30^th anniversary, the TLB is undertaking a real rejuvenation and in 2017 invites its public to rediscover its premises. The result was the upgrading of several facilities and equipment, 161 new chairs, a new Steinway piano donated by the Carke Foundation, and most importantly, the addition of a spacious, modern, glass-enclosed 1,700 sq. ^ft. foyer designed by architect Éric Gauthier of the firm FABG. This vast undertaking was made possible thanks to the support of numerous donors and patrons and a major grant of $280,000 from the Department of Canadian Heritage. The Town of Brome Lake also provides specific support to encourage the TLB to increase its French-language offerings and extend its performance season.

In 2018, pianist Dominic Boulianne took over as artistic director, followed by Ellen David at the end of 2019. The TLB becomes a multidisciplinary venue open all year round. Even before the launch of a promising 2020 season, the TLB has to suspend its public activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is taking advantage of this period to develop a new organizational structure, an action plan that is both ambitious and realistic, and a communications plan. The Board of Directors also launched an extensive fundraising campaign to ensure the viability of the Theatre, and strengthened ties with its patrons and the municipal administration of Lac-Brome. With the long-awaited easing of health restrictions in early 2022, the TLB can finally reopen its doors to the public in March and welcomes a new artistic director in Anne Dubé.

Well rooted in the region, the Theater Lac-Brome intends to play a dynamic role in the artistic, cultural and tourist fields. With more than 90 shows, activities and events on the program in 2023, it contributes to the vitality of the Brompton community, to the quality of life of its citizens, and to the influence of established and emerging artists.