The Roxy’s Downtown board has reinstated Rick Bumgardner as artistic director after an investigation conducted by a local attorney, the Wichita theater announced in an email Wednesday morning.

Bumgardner resigned in a statement posted to the theater’s Facebook page on November 26, 2025.

That post followed five days of intense criticism on social media. Bumgardner told The SHOUT that he resigned out of fear that the theater’s future was in jeopardy. He acted without consulting the nonprofit organization’s board, its president Sue Robinson confirmed.

On November 21, Cody LaCrone, who had appeared in two productions at Roxy’s, was arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of sexual exploitation of a child. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for March in Sedgwick County District Court.

The alleged crimes did not take place at Roxy’s, and the alleged victim did not appear in a show there. But Bumgardner received criticism for casting LaCrone in a 2025 production after actors complained about his behavior.

“I gave an actor a second chance in one of our productions about six months ago after being made aware that several other actors had expressed concerns about his behavior being predatory. This past weekend that actor was arrested on charges that indeed support those concerns,” Bumgardner wrote in the November 26 Facebook post, which has since been deleted.

He used the word “predatory” incorrectly, Bumgardner said. “Predator wasn't even a word that came into my head (in regard to LaCrone). Incessant texter — somebody who didn't respect boundaries and wouldn't stop texting people — absolutely.”

Tim J. Moore, the Wichita attorney retained by the Roxy’s board, reviewed public records and written materials provided by the theater, including text messages and documentation of how Bumgardner handled three complaints about LaCrone. Moore also communicated with Bumgardner and a board member.

“The independent investigator concluded that management responded immediately and effectively to each concern when it was brought to their attention,” according to the message sent to the Roxy’s email list on Wednesday morning.

Roxy’s is working to update its existing sexual harassment policy, formalize its existing policy about working with minors, and soon all workers at the theater will be required to undergo a third-party harassment prevention training, Bumgardner said.

Bumgardner has served as the artistic director at Roxy’s since 2018. He said he became the majority owner of the LLC in 2020 when the former CEO stepped away. While a nonprofit organization took over theater operations on July 1, 2025, the preexisting LLC is still active because Roxy’s took out a $150,000 Small Business Administration loan during the pandemic. Bumgardner is the loan’s guarantor.

Members of the local theater community call for change

The Roxy’s announcement follows a “theater town hall” held last Friday at Harvester Arts. About 35 people gathered to share stories and discuss the needs of local theater artists. Organizers asked participants to refrain from naming specific individuals or theaters.

The conversation revealed the need for more accountability in local theaters, said Sheldon Mba, one of four people who organized the event. He wants to see “clarity and reinforcement of crucial policies that ensure artists’ safety” among all Wichita theaters.

“I encourage those, who continue to participate at Roxy‘s — or any theater — to hold the space accountable for the conditions you work in,” Mba said. 

He and his co-organizers plan to share the results of the town hall in a private Facebook group designed for Wichita theater workers and anyone else who cares about the performing arts. 

Emily Christensen is one of the co-founders of The SHOUT. She is a past fellow of the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and a recipient of an Arts Writing Grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation. Send her a message: emily@shoutwichita.com. 

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