Alabama Shakespeare Festival

What Alabama Shakespeare Festival does

Alabama Shakespeare Festival (ASF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional theatre founded in 1972 in Anniston, Alabama, and relocated in 1985 to a $21.5 million, two-stage performing arts complex — the Carolyn Blount Theatre — within Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park in Montgomery. Designated the State Theatre of Alabama in 1977, ASF operates under an Actors' Equity Association / LORT D agreement and produces approximately seven productions per season across its Festival Stage (mainstage productions including Shakespeare, contemporary plays, and musicals) and Octagon Stage (intimate and experimental works). The organization has produced more than 500 plays and musicals, completed the entire Shakespearean canon, and developed over 100 new scripts through its Southern Writers Festival / Southern Writers Project, including a 22-play commission plan announced in 2017 to expand the Southern theatrical canon.

ASF's business model combines earned revenue from ticket sales, season subscriptions, group sales (10+ patrons), venue rentals, backstage tours, and education programs with philanthropic revenue from individual donors, corporate sponsors (notably Hyundai, Alabama Power Foundation, Poarch Band of Creek Indians), and foundations (Shubert Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Legacy Foundation, Edgerton Foundation, J.K. Lowder Family Foundation). Significant public funding comes from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Alabama State Council on the Arts, Alabama State Department of Education, Alabama Tourism Department, City of Montgomery, and Montgomery County. The organization is led by Artistic Director Quin Gresham and Executive Director Todd Schmidt (since 2018), under a board chaired by Richard Stabler.

ASF serves multiple customer segments: individual theatre-goers and season subscribers (general public); K-12 schools and educators via SchoolFest student matinees (~35,000 students annually across Alabama and the Southeast); aspiring artists via Acting Academy, camps, and playwriting workshops; and private event hosts via venue rentals. The organization operates a Festival Forever Endowment exceeding $18 million and invests in community engagement programming (Bard Talk, ASF Insights, Conversations at Kress, Talkbacks, sensory-friendly and ASL-interpreted performances). ASF co-produces with Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta and has historically toured nationally, having previously attracted audiences from 19 states and several foreign countries.

Name

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Legal name

Alabama Shakespeare Festival

Website

https://asf.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Alabama Shakespeare Festival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit regional theatre and State Theatre of Alabama, producing professional theatrical productions across two stages in Montgomery, serving general public audiences, K-12 schools via SchoolFest (~35,000 students annually), and arts learners through education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theatrical performances
• Regional theatre productions
• Performing arts education
• Student matinee programs
• Arts education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single tickets sold to individual performances across Festival Stage and Octagon Stage. Ticket purchases handled through box office (in-person, phone) and online ticketing platform.
2. Season Subscriptions: Season subscription packages offering best seats and best prices, with no exchange fees, discounted youth tickets, and invitations to special events for subscribers.
3. Group Sales: Groups of 10 or more receive up to 20% ticket discounts with early access to seat booking and no deposit required at reservation. Optional backstage tours at $5 per person.
4. Donations and Philanthropic Support: Tax-deductible gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors supporting the not-for-profit organization's artistic and educational mission.
5. Venue Rentals: Private event rentals including weddings, celebrations, and photography sessions in the Shakespeare Garden, stages, lobby areas, and grounds. Photography sessions charged at $200 for a 2-hour private session.
6. Education Programs: SchoolFest student matinee program provides subsidized tickets for K-12 student groups. Additional revenue from acting camps, acting academy workshops, and playwriting workshops.
7. Backstage Tours: Guided backstage tours of costume, scene, and prop shops, rehearsal hall, and both theatres at $10 per adult and $5 per person for those 17 and under.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Alabama Shakespeare Festival produces and presents a season of approximately 7 professional theatrical productions per year across two on-site stages (Festival Stage and Octagon Stage), including Shakespeare classics, contemporary plays, musicals, family programming, and world premieres. The organization also delivers educational programs (SchoolFest student matinees serving ~35,000 K-12 students annually, Acting Academy, playwriting workshops), backstage tours, and venue rentals for private events.

Product overview

Alabama Shakespeare Festival operates as a multi-venue performing arts organization offering theatrical productions across two stages (Festival Stage for mainstage productions and Octagon Stage for intimate works), educational programs including SchoolFest student matinees serving approximately 35,000 students annually, Acting Academy for youth, and Playwriting Workshops. The organization also provides venue rentals, backstage tours, and community engagement programming. Productions span Shakespeare classics, contemporary plays, musicals, family programming, and new works developed through the Southern Writers Festival.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Season Productions
• SchoolFest Student Matinees
• Acting Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million students provided with education programs since founding in 1972
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Theatrical Outfit (Atlanta)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASF co-produces productions with Theatrical Outfit in Atlanta, GA. An example is the production of August Wilson's Fences, which originates at Theatrical Outfit before opening at ASF in Montgomery. This partnership enables shared production resources and expanded audience reach across the Southeast.
• Auburn University at MontgomerycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor and community engagement partner. Co-sponsors ASF Insights programming and is listed as a partner organization with co-sponsorship support.
• Kress on DexterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for ASF's Conversations at Kress community engagement program, a community town hall series using ASF's plays as inspiration for dialogue on regional issues.
• Equal Justice InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, participated in ASF's community engagement programming following the production of Four Little Girls: Birmingham 1963, contributing to discussions on civil rights and justice.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Largest dedicated Shakespeare festival in the United States, also completing the Shakespearean canon and operating multiple stages from a single regional location with a LORT agreement. Directly comparable as a Shakespeare-anchored producing regional theatre.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AlabamaShakes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AlabamaShakespeare
• Facebookfacebook.com/alabamashakes
• Instagraminstagram.com/alabamashakespeare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alabama-shakespeare-festival

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Alabama Shakespeare Festival