B3 Theater, Inc. is a 501-c-3 Nonprofit

Our mission is to produce a variety of inclusive theatrical experiences taking great care to promote theater for social change. We seek to create a safe and diverse working environment for artistic expression, honing the craft, and fostering self-exploration within audiences and artists alike.

B3 Theater began as Bare Black Box productions, founded by Franc Gaxiola in 2017.  It was an offshoot of the [sic] Sense Theater Company, and the first shows were held in a space on McDowell and 18th Street.  

Ilana Lydia took over as Artistic Director at the end of 2017, and B3 then stood for:  be bold, be brazen, be brilliant.  It became a resident troupe with Aside Theatre Company for two years, before COVID, when all their performances went online.  

In Early 2024, Eliana Burns took over as Artistic Director, and introduced several new initiatives to start building B3 into a bigger, better theatre company. 

In January of 2025, it was announced that longtime board member Joey Whelan was taking over as the new Artistic Director following Eliana's departure to another state. With taking this position, Joey brought over several board members of Showcase Community Theatre - the company that Joey himself formed in 2019 - to continue B3's steady growth. While Showcase dissolved during this time, their mission to create a safe environment for creatives to learn and grow through the arts lives on at B3.