Book-It Repertory Theatre

What Book-It Repertory Theatre does

Book-It Repertory Theatre is a Seattle-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) performing arts organization founded in 1990 by Jane Jones and Myra Platt. Its core competency is the trademarked 'Book-It Style,' a theatrical methodology that adapts published literature for the stage under a strict no-editing, no-playwriting rule — preserving the author's original language and narrative intent rather than conventional dramaturgy. Over more than three decades the company has produced over 150 world-premiere literary adaptations (titles span Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, John Irving, Kurt Vonnegut, and contemporary novelists) and, at its pre-2023 peak, operated a four- to five-play mainstage season in Seattle alongside a touring Arts & Education Program that reached 2,400+ schools, libraries, and community centers across Washington State and served more than 77,000 people annually.

Name

Book-It Repertory Theatre

Legal name

Book-It Repertory Theatre

Website

https://book-it.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The company's product and revenue structure spans four channels: (i) mainstage ticket sales through book-it.org and Seattle venue box offices (Broadway Performance Hall, Center Theatre at the Armory, Cafe Nordo), including Pay-What-You-Will preview pricing and premium dinner-theatre packages; (ii) script licensing royalties on the 150+ adaptation catalogue, administered through the Literary Manager; (iii) contributed income from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and grants (NEA, ArtsWA, ArtsFund, and a stable of private foundations); and (iv) special event and immersive dining collaborations with Cafe Nordo (e.g., A Moveable Feast four-course-plus-show packages at $215 per couple). Box office contact routes through [email protected]. Operationally, the company ceased activities in Summer 2023 with its debt eradicated and 501(c)(3) status preserved, then revived under founders Jones and Platt in Fall 2025 with a deliberately smaller one-production-per-year cadence; a Spring 2026 production of 'The Highest Tide' at Bainbridge Performing Arts is the first post-revival step beyond Seattle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatre Productions

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Literary theatre
• Stage adaptations
• Performing arts
• Script licensing
• Arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Main revenue from ticket sales for mainstage productions, with subscription options historically available. Currently producing one show at a time with tickets sold through their website.
2. Script Licensing: Book-It licenses its world-premiere adaptations of literature to other theatre companies. Several titles are available for licensing including Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities, The Cider House Rules, Bud Not Buddy, Don Quixote, Sense and Sensibility, and others.
3. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Book-It relies heavily on donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and grants from arts organizations including ArtsFund, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington State Arts Commission, and private foundations.
4. Food and Beverage (Special Events): Collaborative productions with Cafe Nordo include dinner packages as part of the theatrical experience, such as A Moveable Feast with a four-course meal and The Maltese Falcon at Nordo's Culinarium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Book-It Repertory Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts company that produces world-premiere stage adaptations of classic and contemporary literature using its trademarked Book-It Style, in which literature is staged with no editing or playwriting. The company produces mainstage productions at Seattle venues, tours curriculum-based productions to schools and libraries throughout Washington State, and licenses its catalogue of 150+ adaptations to other theatre companies nationally.

Product overview

Book-It Repertory Theatre is a nonprofit performing arts organization that transforms great literature into great theatre. The company operates as a single unified offering built around its trademarked Book-It Style methodology, presenting MainStage Productions of literary adaptations at Seattle venues alongside an Arts & Education Program touring to schools and libraries. The company also licenses its Script Catalogue of over 150 world-premiere adaptations to other theaters, and supplements productions with Beyond-the-Book educational events and occasional AR experiences. A notable innovation includes partnerships with Café Nordo for immersive theatrical dining experiences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MainStage Productions Full-scale theatrical productions adapted from literary works, presented at Seattle venues including the Broadway Performance Hall and previously at Seattle Center. World-premiere adaptations of classic and contemporary literature using the trademarked Book-It Style.
• Arts & Education Program Educational outreach initiative touring curriculum-based story productions to schools, libraries, and community centers throughout Washington State, offering long-term residencies at public schools in partnership with the Kennedy Center for the Arts.
• Script Catalogue (Licensing) Library of over 150 world-premiere stage adaptations of literary works available for licensing to other theaters. Inquiries directed through the Literary Manager.
• Cafe Nordo Partnership Productions Immersive theatrical dining experiences created in partnership with Cafe Nordo, combining four-course meals with theatrical performances (e.g., A Moveable Feast, The Maltese Falcon) at Nordo's Culinarium in Pioneer Square.
• Beyond-the-Book Events Supplementary programming including post-show discussions, author panels, academic presentations, and community conversations that contextualize and expand upon production themes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 77,000+ people annually through mainstage and educational programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and minor.

• Seattle Repertory TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with Seattle Rep and Seattle Children's Theatre, Seattle Shakespeare Company to provide teacher training and bring theatre into the classroom (BTiC: Bringing Theatre into the Classroom). Book-It performed at Seattle Rep including co-production of The Cider House Rules.
• Seattle Children's TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with Seattle Rep and Seattle Shakespeare Company for BTiC (Bringing Theatre into the Classroom) teacher training program.
• Seattle Shakespeare CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership for BTiC teacher training program to bring theatre into the classroom.
• Kennedy Center for the ArtsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBook-It's Arts & Education Program is a partner with the Kennedy Center for the Arts.
• Cafe NordoflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtistic collaboration pairing great literature with dining experiences. Productions include A Moveable Feast (four-course meal with performance) and The Maltese Falcon at Nordo's Culinarium in Pioneer Square.
• University of WashingtonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUpon the request of the University of Washington, the outgoing board had Book-It's history archived in perpetuity at the university.
• Literature to LifeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao production. Each performance featured short pre- and post-performance discussions.
• King County Library SystemmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBook-It tours to King County libraries for Read Aloud and Teen Read months, a tradition that evolved into Book-It's current education and outreach program.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Long-running regional repertory theater in Ashland, Oregon producing a multi-play season of classic and contemporary work. Comparable to Book-It as a regionally anchored repertory that adapts classic literature for the stage and runs a substantial education/community engagement program.
• Cape Playhouse: Long-running American summer repertory theater producing classic and contemporary plays. Comparable to Book-It's repertory model and literary-based programming, though operating on a seasonal rather than year-round basis.
• ACT Theatre: Seattle-based contemporary theater company that has hosted Book-It productions. Comparable as a same-market Seattle professional theater producing literary and contemporary work with educational components.
• American Players Theatre: Classical repertory company in Spring Green, Wisconsin focused on Shakespeare and other classic texts performed in rotating repertory. Closely comparable to Book-It's repertory approach and literary-source orientation.
• Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Tony Award-winning Bay Area repertory theater with a strong literary adaptation track record and national profile. Similar to Book-It in operating a season of literary-based productions with accompanying educational and community programming.
• Seattle Children's Theatre: Seattle-based professional theater for young audiences and longtime Book-It partner on the BTiC teacher training program. Comparable in operating a literary-based repertoire with deep school and community touring.
• Portland Center Stage: Pacific Northwest regional theater that has produced Book-It licensed adaptations. Comparable in repertoire, regional reach, and education programming to Book-It's mission and scale.
• People's Light Theatre Company: Pennsylvania-based professional resident theater producing a mix of classics, new works and adaptations with a strong education program. Mirrors Book-It's combination of literary adaptation repertoire and K-12 outreach.

Regional players

• Hartford Stage: Connecticut-based regional theater that has produced Book-It licensed adaptations. Comparable as a peer regional theater that licenses and produces literary adaptations in its own market.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Tony Award-winning Chicago theater producing a broad slate of new and adapted work. Comparable to Book-It only in the literary-adjacent producing and education space, but at a much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BookItRep
• Xx.com/bookitrep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 Book-It Repertory Theatre