The Georgian Theatre Festival (GTF) has reached a tentative agreement with Meaford Hall to produce five weeks of live theatre next summer.

But if a 2008 summer season is to proceed, the festival needs to find members of the public willing to step up and serve on its volunteer board of directors.

"The future of the festival is riding on the restructuring of the board," said Bill Alguire, acting chair of the GTF board. "Five of our seven board members plan to retire and must be replaced if the festival is to continue."

Alguire said the festival has planned a five-week, three-production season that would run from July 7 to August 9 in Meaford Hall.

Two of the shows would be the festival's own productions, getting back to the GTF's roots, said Alguire.

It's been a difficult year for the theatre festival, but Alguire is hoping to get past the drama and the trauma and move forward in a positive way. The festival became embroiled in a dispute with the municipality over the terms of its use of Meaford Hall and members of the board were sued for slander by former municipal CAO David Free.

While the lawsuit is still outstanding, Alguire hopes it will soon be resolved and he added new board members would not be party to the lawsuit.

He said the board has been working hard at reducing its debt, which was helped in large part by ticket sales and the exchange of 2007 season's tickets  for a sold-out one night showing of Here on the Flight Path this summer.

Many theatre patrons, he noted, donated their subscriptions to the cause and the board has held several other smaller fund raising events over the summer.

At present, they are preparing tax receipts for cash donors and 2007 season's subscriptions.

And they are trying to find a major fall fundraising event with wide appeal, as well as arrange a number of other fund raising events over the winter and early spring to make a major impact on the debt and provide seed money to launch a 2008 season.

"Many theatre companies carry a debt load that is significantly higher than that of the GTF," said Alguire. "The board is determined to eliminate the GTF debt over time."

"The GTF has become an established part of Meaford's summer festival tradition, but it needs leadership, vision and access to financial resources to continue," he said.

"The board needs marketing, fundraising and leadership skills," he said.

Alguire said Thom Currie has agreed to continue as the festival's artistic director for 2008 and that he believes in the future of the GTF. Currie has already planned the 2008 season and the board is working on grant applications, while seeking a skilled marketing and administrative director on a part-time basis.

Anyone interested in helping to keep the theatre festival alive and well and living in Meaford should contact Alguire at 519-538-5713.