TuYo Theatre

What TuYo Theatre does

TuYo Theatre is a 501(c)-style nonprofit professional theatre company headquartered in San Diego, California (EIN # 83-3667628), founded in October 2017 by six co-founders — Daniel Jáquez, Maria Patrice Amon, Crystal Mercado, Bernardo Mazón, Peter Cirino, and Evelyn Diaz Cruz — to produce theatre that tells stories from and about diverse Latinx perspectives. The organization stages world-premiere productions, develops new plays through its Pa'Letras emerging Latinx playwright workshop (established 2021), runs an Uniendo intergenerational educational program for youth and seniors in South Bay San Diego (launched 2025 in collaboration with Mosaic Theatricals), and maintains the TuYo Partners volunteer and community engagement program. Productions to date include the 2025 immersive world premiere "La Llorona on the Blue Line" (set aboard San Diego's Blue Line trolley), an NNPN Rolling World Premiere, and the upcoming "Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center" (2026).

TuYo operates with no proprietary software or technology platform; its "products" are theatrical productions, workshops, and community programs delivered through physical venues (e.g., National City Depot), touring to university and community venues (SDSU, CSUSM, UCSD, La Jolla Playhouse, Bayfront Charter High School), and co-productions with established regional theatres including Moxie Theatre, La Jolla Playhouse, and The Old Globe. The organization did not maintain any paid staff until 2024, when a Prebys Foundation grant enabled the hiring of its first administrative employees; it currently operates with a small core team (Co-Artistic Director, Administrative Producer, Marketing Director, Development Director, TuYo Associate) and a volunteer-driven production model.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through philanthropic and ticket channels: individual donations (one-time and monthly "TuYo Champions" gifts tiered at $10, $20, $50, $100, $150, or custom amounts, plus $20 and $50 monthly options), season and production sponsorships (NNPN, Playwrights Project, Mosaic Theatricals, Las Patronas, Prebys Foundation), and ticket sales — the latter deliberately kept accessible/low, making donor support essential. Audience acquisition is community-led, driven by social media (Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter), email newsletter, earned media (San Diego Union Tribune, BroadwayWorld San Diego, American Theatre Magazine), and the TuYo Partners volunteer ambassador network. The company has no enterprise B2B motion, no commercial software revenue, and no equity investors.

Name

TuYo Theatre

Legal name

TuYo Theatre Inc.

Website

https://tuyotheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TuYo Theatre is a nonprofit professional theatre company in San Diego that develops and produces world-premiere Latinx theatrical productions, runs a Latinx playwright development workshop (Pa'Letras), and delivers an intergenerational educational program (Uniendo) for youth and seniors in South Bay communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Latinx theatre productions
• Performing arts education
• Playwright development programs
• Community theatre programming
• Immersive theatrical experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute one-time or recurring monthly gifts. Monthly donors are called 'TuYo Champions.' Suggested donation tiers range from $10 to $150 or more per gift. The company solicits donations via its website and direct mail.
2. Season Sponsorships: Corporate and organizational sponsors support TuYo's season. Sponsors listed include National New Play Network (NNPN), Playwrights Project, Mosaic Theatricals, and individual/professional sponsors.
3. Ticket Sales: TuYo Theatre sells tickets to productions and events. The company notes that accessible ticketing keeps ticket revenue low, making donor support essential to operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

TuYo Theatre is a nonprofit performing arts company based in San Diego that develops, produces, and performs theatrical works rooted in Latinx perspectives. Its offerings span world-premiere stage productions (including immersive works staged on the Blue Line trolley), a weekly emerging-playwright workshop (Pa'Letras), a volunteer and community engagement program (TuYo Partners), and an intergenerational educational program (Uniendo) delivered across South Bay institutions.

Product overview

TuYo Theatre is a Latinx theatre company in San Diego that creates and produces theatrical productions and educational programs. The company operates as a multi-program organization offering world premiere productions (such as La Llorona on the Blue Line and Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center), playwright development programs (Pa'Letras workshop), community engagement initiatives (TuYo Partners), and educational programming (Uniendo). The portfolio spans immersive theatrical experiences, educational outreach, artist development, and community building, all unified by the mission to amplify Latinx voices and tell stories from diverse Latinx perspectives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pa' Letras: A workshop for emerging Latinx playwrights established in 2021 under the leadership of Mabelle Reynoso. Meets weekly and offers a space for community, creativity, and accountability.
• Uniendo
• TuYo Partners

Products and services

• La Llorona on the Blue Line An immersive theatrical production that unfolds aboard San Diego's Blue Line trolley, interweaving haunting stories across three eras (1920, 1946, and 1982). Written by Mabelle Reynoso and directed by Dr. Maria Patrice Amon, it is staged for general audiences seeking Latinx-rooted theatrical experiences.
• Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center World-premiere theatrical production about youth-care workers at the San Diego Convention Center during its use as a holding facility for young asylum seekers in 2021. Written by Mario Vega and directed by Maria Patrice Amon, it serves audience members interested in socially engaged Latinx storytelling.
• Pa'Letras Weekly workshop program for emerging Latinx playwrights that offers community, creativity, and accountability. Established in 2021 under the leadership of Mabelle Reynoso and aimed at playwrights developing new Latinx-focused work.
• TuYo Partners Volunteer and community-engagement initiative offering bi-monthly mixers, workshops, free production tickets for volunteers, and creative involvement opportunities in TuYo productions. Designed for artists and community members who want to participate in TuYo's work.
• Uniendo Intergenerational educational program launched in 2025 with Mosaic Theatricals that uses theatre and art to build relationships between youth and seniors. Delivered at South Bay institutions and hosted by community partners such as Casa Familiar.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 6 South Bay institutions in 2025 with the Uniendo educational program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Bayfront Charter High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Venue host for TuYo Partners playwriting workshop with Herbert Siguenza (June 23–25), located at 830 Bay Blvd, Chula Vista, CA 91911. Serves as community space for arts education events.
• La Jolla PlayhousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-producing the 2025 Latinx New Play Festival with La Jolla Playhouse, one of San Diego's most prominent regional theatres. This partnership significantly elevates TuYo's visibility and reach within the regional theatre ecosystem.
• Mosaic TheatricalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-developed the first educational program 'Uniendo' in 2025 — an intergenerational program connecting youth and seniors through theatre and art, serving 6 South Bay institutions.
• Playwrights ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Listed as a season sponsor and collaborator. Playwrights Project supports playwright development, aligning with TuYo's mission to uplift Latine playwrights through the Pa'Letras workshop and new play commissions.
• Casa FamiliarminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Casa Familiar hosted the Uniendo residency at its facility in the South Bay, providing space for intergenerational community programming connecting multigenerational community members through theatre.
• National New Play Network (NNPN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NNPN is a network of theatres that supports new play development. TuYo produced an NNPN Rolling World Premiere, expanding the company's national profile and connecting it to a broader network of new play advocates.
• Moxie TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018First co-production was with Moxie Theatre in October 2018 for 'Fade' by Tanya Saracho, marking TuYo's debut production in partnership with an established San Diego theatre company.
• BoconminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership for TuYo's first production 'Self-Conchas' in 2018 alongside Moxie Theatre. Bocon is a local theatre partner for early productions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• El Teatro Campesino: Founded in 1965 in San Juan Bautista, California, El Teatro Campesino is a foundational Chicano/Latinx theatre company producing socially engaged original work — directly comparable in mission, regional California base, and nonprofit theatre model to TuYo Theatre.
• Moxie Theatre: San Diego-based independent theatre company that co-produced TuYo's 2018 debut production ("Fade"). As a similarly sized regional nonprofit theatre in the same market, Moxie represents a true peer in operational scale and programming model.
• CASA 0101: A Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) arts and culture nonprofit hosting Latinx theatre, dance, and visual arts with a similar focus on community-rooted Chicano/Mexican-American storytelling — directly comparable in mission and nonprofit operating model to TuYo.
• GALA Hispanic Theatre: Washington, D.C.-based professional Latinx theatre company producing Spanish-language and bilingual productions. Comparable in mission focus, organizational maturity, and nonprofit arts-producing model — though operating at a larger national scale.
• Su Teatro: Denver-based Chicano/Latinx performing arts company producing original theatre rooted in community identity. Similar in mission, scale, and nonprofit structure to TuYo, and relevant as a comparable model for community-driven Latinx regional theatre.
• Teatro Vista: Chicago's largest professional Latinx theatre company, producing original work and developing Latinx talent. Comparable in mission, although operating at materially larger scale and budget than TuYo.
• Borderlands Theater: Tucson, Arizona-based professional theatre producing original work exploring borderlands and Latinx/Chicano themes. Highly comparable mission and nonprofit model to TuYo, though operating in a distinct geographic market.
• Milagro Theatre: Portland, Oregon-based Latino arts organization producing original bilingual theatre and developing Latinx artists. Comparable mission focus and small-nonprofit theatre company structure, with a longer track record (founded 1985).

Broad incumbents

• La Jolla Playhouse: Tony Award-winning regional theatre in San Diego and TuYo's 2025 Latinx New Play Festival co-producer. While much larger in scale and programming scope, it is a critical regional incumbent whose partnership, infrastructure, and venue pipeline shape TuYo's growth trajectory.
• The Old Globe: One of America's leading regional theatres, based in San Diego and listed among TuYo's established partners. Much larger in scope and budget, but the partnership channel and shared regional donor base make it a relevant incumbent comparison.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TuYo_Theatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/tuyotheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/tuyotheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tuyo-theatre-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 TuYo Theatre