by Chris Peterson
In Bakersfield, California, a beloved community theatre has closed its doors. Not because of a lack of passion or audience support, but because of a troubling mix of copyright violations, financial mismanagement, and lost trust.
Stars Playhouse, also known as Stars at the Fillbrant Theatre, had been a staple in Bakersfield’s performing arts scene. For years, it offered musicals like Matilda, Once on This Island, Hairspray, and Legally Blonde, giving performers and volunteers a creative home. But this past spring, the company’s reputation began to unravel after licensing agency Music Theatre International, or MTI, accused the theatre of performing or promoting shows without proper rights.
Local reports revealed that MTI issued a cease and desist letter and a payment demand in late March. Four productions were at the center of the allegations. Leaked emails showed Stars admitting to a tenth performance of Legally Blonde that went beyond the number they were licensed for. They promoted Matilda before finalizing the paperwork, citing financial difficulties. They claimed that Hairspray and Once on This Island were properly licensed, but by then, confidence in the organization had already started to fade.
Shortly after MTI got involved, the artistic committee announced that Alice By Heart would be the final production at the Playhouse. The committee stepped down, and the location officially shut down. What started as a licensing issue had now become a full-blown crisis.
The situation got worse when it came to light that Stars hadn’t filed its nonprofit status with the IRS since 2021. For the many volunteers who believed they were supporting a legally recognized nonprofit, this felt like a betrayal.
“We love volunteering,” said longtime volunteer Desiree Lorelli. “But hearing that they weren’t filing as a nonprofit felt like a slap in the face to the theatre community.”
For many, the licensing problems were one thing. But finding out the organization had let its nonprofit status lapse for years made the whole situation feel less like a mistake and more like a pattern. Volunteers felt blindsided. And in the arts, where trust and goodwill are often the only things holding a company together, that kind of disillusionment can be devastating.
Stars offered little in the way of a public statement. They confirmed they were in communication with MTI and said more information would be coming soon. But the lack of transparency only added to the frustration.
Even more painful was the potential fallout for other theatres in the region. Local insiders worried that MTI and other licensing agencies might now hesitate to work with companies in Bakersfield. One bad experience can ripple out and affect everyone.
The closure of Stars Playhouse is more than just the loss of a venue. It’s the loss of a space where experimental work was welcomed, where first-time directors got their shot, and where countless artists found their voice. Lorelli put it plainly. “We’re bringing this to light because we want to see change. We don’t want to see them lose sales, but we do want them to acknowledge their mistakes and actually follow through on fixing them.”
At its core, this story is about trust. Audiences trusted the theatre to deliver professional, legal productions. Volunteers trusted leadership to handle finances responsibly and communicate openly. Licensing agencies trusted the organization to follow the rules. When all three of those relationships break down, the consequences are swift and severe.
This isn’t the story of a greedy producer cutting corners. It’s the story of how a community theatre can fall apart when it tries to do too much, too quickly, without the infrastructure to support it. One extra performance here. One missed filing there. Suddenly, the entire company is in freefall.
For Bakersfield, this leaves a real gap in the local arts scene. For other theatres across the country, it’s a warning. Get your licensing right. Stay on top of your filings. Keep your volunteers in the loop. Because while audiences may forgive a missed line or a faulty spotlight, they won’t forgive a betrayal of trust.
Stars still has a dinner-theatre location in downtown Bakersfield, but the closure of the Fillbrant space sends a message. The damage has been done. The leadership is gone. The community is fractured. And the consequences won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
