"I've tried to stay grounded when times are high - when we've been successful, and when times get low we've tried to learn from our mistakes," said Ward. I sum it all up to a quote given to me in a beautiful framed presentation that hangs on my office wall, from a dear friend and colledge in theatre Lance Spellerberg, "The natural condition of the theatre is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster. Strangely enough, it all turns out well. How? I don't know. It's a mystery."

HISTORY
The Rivertown Repertory Theatre Guild is a 501(c)3 nonprofit community theatre operation providing a season of plays and musicals on the main stage and a season of plays and musicals on the children's stage for families, educators and school students. The Rivertown Repertory Theatre opened their first season in 1988 under management of the City of Kenner with Charles Ward as Managing Director. The former Kenner Community Theatre underwent a major artistic and cosmetic face-lift featuring a repertory of professional artists. Professionals such as Storer Boone and Patrick Baldauf of the Beverly Dinner Playhouse, Jack Payne, Ricky Graham, John McConnel and many others became a part of the team that drove the early rapid success of the theatre.
In 1993, the City of Kenner, during budget cutbacks, eliminated the theatre operation from their fiscal budget. The Guild assumed operation of the Theatre in 1993. The operation thrived under Guild management, quickly outgrowing the small 200 seat facility. The City, recognizing the demand, built a larger facility that opened in 1995. An optional dinner buffet operation opened in 1995 along with the new theatre which resulted in growing a new patronage for the theatre. In 1996 Imagine Theatre For Children was launched, bringing to fruition the Theatre's objective to provide the highest quality productions for young children and grow a future patronage.
Over the years, the success of the theatre's production quality and artistic direction reached new heights. Sold-out audiences and critical acclaim became the norm. Season tickets grew from 250 subscribers in 1988 to nearly 2,000 in 1993 and nearly 3,000 today. The growth, stability and success can also be measured in the large share of early renewals from subscribers. The demand for tickets has led to nearly 95% renewing early each year.
The Rivertown Repertory Theatre has received rave reviews from local theatre critics and patrons alike. The Theatre's productions and its artists have resulted in over 240 nominations, over 50 wins for the coveted Big Easy Awards and over 160 theatrical awards. The Theatre was honored with the top awards for six consecutive years. Rivertown has also received multiple honors with Theatre of the Year and Best Producer at the 2nd Annual Storer Boone Awards, an honor bestowed by associates and peers in the industry. The children's wing, Imagine Theatre For Children, was honored with Best Children's Theatre, for four years.
Since the opening of the Rivertown Repertory Theatre twenty-one ago, the Theatre has enjoyed tremendous success. Theatre patrons from a five parish area are now making the choice to come to RRT. Patrons from as far away as Texas, Mississippi, California, New York and Canada come to RRT. Our services impact the community by providing an outlet for cultural expression to over 500 artists annually, a venue for cultural enrichment for over 35,000 patrons, artists and volunteers from the surrounding five-parish metropolitan area, and a children's wing that serves over 16,000 young citizens annually.