After 26 years of celebrating Calgary’s theatre scene, the Betty Mitchell Awards is facing a crisis—a lack of board members.

With outgoing Co-Chairs Krys Christoffersen and Rebecca Solly, the number of board members remaining at the Betty’s has been reduced to four.

That number of board members is below the minimum required by Alberta’s Society Act, and without new board members would require the dissolution and end of the annual awards.

“Thankfully, we only need one more member to join to meet quorum, but the more board members we can have, the easier the operational run,” said board member Ryan Wesley Gray.

“Last June’s award ceremony was organized by just six people, which we were able to do. We had a great award show. It was very successful, and we had tons of positive feedback, but it’s a lot of work for six people that are volunteering. So ideally, we get more than just one, but we need at least one to join to ensure that we’re meeting the minimum require,” he said.

Wesley Gray said that without the society, the nomination committee that every year nominates theatre professionals would be unable to operate, and there would be no awards to hand out.

“It’s not impossible that maybe something else would fill back. But historically, we’ve seen quite often when cultural organizations dissolve or fade away, more often than not we don’t see them return,” he said.

“It would just be, a real tragedy to see something like that happen with the Betty Mitchell’s given its 26 year legacy, and the legacy of whom it honours, Betty Mitchell who did so much for this city and was a real pioneer for arts and culture in Calgary.”

Mitchell was the founding teacher of Western Canada High School’s drama department, and was one of the pioneers who helped create the company that eventually became Theatre Calgary.

The awards were launched in 1998 as a way to honour outstanding achievement in theatre, and has long served as a springboard for professional recognition.

“It’s not just an award show, it’s this giant community that it rallies, but it also creates so much opportunity for all the artists that are working in the city. I know it shows recognition, it shows achievement, it shows validity,” said Wesley Gray.

“It really matters, like this is people’s careers we’re talking about these can really help lift people’s careers up, and especially for those emerging artists and small companies, it makes a big impact.”

An example of that impact was Ammolite Opera, who told LWC at the past awards in june, that the ceremony put a spotlight on their company.

The awards, said Ammolite’s CEO and Artistic Director Tatye Mitchell, proved that the company was professional and serious about bringing the craft of modern opera to audiences.

“There is incredible works that are coming from Calgary’s arts community, and especially for these small companies like Ammolite to really get the word out and help put their their name out there, and put them on the map people’s radar… it’s being celebrated,” said Wesley Gray.

He said that since the announcement that more board members were needed on social media, there had been an outpouring of love and support, but that board members were still needed.

“We’re we’re optimistic and we’re hopeful, but like I said, the more people that apply, the better. We can use all the help.”

Calgary based volunteers who are passionate about theatre, preferably with professional or volunteer experience in Calgary’s theatre community, and committed to attending monthly board meetings are asked to apply at www.bettymitchellawards.com/board-of-directors.

Applications are being accepted until Aug. 22, but late applications will be accepted up until Sept. 21, the day before the society’s AGM.