Sacred Fools

What Sacred Fools does

Sacred Fools Theater Company is a nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1997 by John Sylvain, originally in his Santa Monica living room, and now in residence at The Broadwater, a four-stage theater complex at 1076 Lillian Way in Los Angeles, California. The company produces original, world-premiere theatrical productions — including acclaimed works such as Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, the Watson series, Stoneface, and Land of the Tigers — alongside a late-night development series called Serial Killers, an Artist Residency Program, youth education programming (Foolish Kids Summer Camp), and I.D.E.A. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) initiatives. Its competitive differentiators are ensemble stagecraft techniques (using a small group of stagehands integrated into scenic design for cinematic effects), live-to-film projection integration, and a proprietary new-work incubation pipeline in which audience voting determines which Serial Killers scripts advance. Production runs typically take place in a 74-88 seat black-box venue, with select pay-what-you-can preview performances offered alongside the standard $25 mainstage ticket.

The company operates on an entirely unpaid, volunteer staff model governed by its company members. Revenue is generated from three streams: ticket sales ($25 per performance), individual donations and a fan club (with a portion of album sales from Louis & Keely benefitting the company), and grants from public arts funders including the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Council District 13, and the California Arts Council. Distribution is direct via the company's online box office and phone reservations, with additional reach through annual Los Angeles Fringe Festival participation. The customer base is geographically concentrated in the Los Angeles theater community — general theater enthusiasts seeking innovative, provocative, and whimsical productions — with secondary outreach to families (through summer camp) and emerging artists (through the residency program). Marketing relies on the company website, a mailing list newsletter, and earned media coverage from L.A. Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Backstage, Variety, and LAist. The organization has no parent company, no venture or institutional capital, and no subsidiaries; it is an independently operated nonprofit entity.

Name

Sacred Fools

Legal name

Sacred Fools Theater Company

Website

https://sacredfools.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sacred Fools Theater Company is a Los Angeles nonprofit founded in 1997 that produces original, award-winning world-premiere plays and musicals at The Broadwater, runs a late-night Serial Killers development series, and offers artist residencies and youth theater education programs to LA audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Live theatrical productions
• Performing arts theater
• World premiere plays
• Theater education programs
• Community arts outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue source from ticket sales for mainstage productions, with tickets priced at $25 for most shows.
2. Donations and Fan Club: The company accepts donations and maintains a fan club for supporters, with a portion of album sales benefiting Sacred Fools.
3. Government and Arts Council Grants: Supported by Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Council District 13, and California Arts Council grants for educational projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sacred Fools Theater Company produces and presents live theatrical productions including world-premiere mainstage plays and musicals at its 74-88 seat black box theater venue in Los Angeles. The company also runs the Serial Killers late-night development series, an Artist Residency Program, a Foolish Kids Summer Camp, and educational/outreach programs for the community.

Product overview

Sacred Fools is a theater company offering a portfolio of theatrical products including mainstage productions (full-scale plays and musicals presented at their venue), the Serial Killers late-night series (a weekly development program for new works), artist residency opportunities, and educational programs including the Foolish Kids Summer Camp. The company is particularly known for producing world premiere productions that have gone on to extended runs and regional recognition, including the acclaimed Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, the Watson series (Watson and Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini), and Stoneface. The company also runs community outreach through I.D.E.A. initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Full-scale theatrical productions presented at Sacred Fools Theater, including world premieres and critically acclaimed plays and musicals performed at the company's 74-88 seat black box theater in Los Angeles. Targeted at theater enthusiasts seeking innovative live theatrical experiences.
• Absolute Legends Late-night theatrical production presented as part of Sacred Fools' current programming lineup at The Broadwater theater in Los Angeles.
• Fringe: Club Clown Fringe Festival theatrical production performed as part of Sacred Fools' 2026 Los Angeles Fringe Festival programming, targeting festival audiences seeking alternative and experimental theater.
• Fringe: Community Events Community event programming offered during the 2026 Los Angeles Fringe Festival at Sacred Fools, providing additional cultural and community engagement alongside main fringe productions.
• Artist Residency Program A program supporting emerging artists in developing and presenting their work at Sacred Fools Theater in Los Angeles, providing professional development and performance opportunities for artists.
• Foolish Kids Summer Camp - Rock Musical 2026 A rock musical summer camp program for children offered as part of Sacred Fools' 2026 season, providing theater arts education and performance experience for young participants.
• Education / Outreach Programs Educational initiatives and community outreach programs for theater arts supported in part by the California Arts Council, providing arts education access to the broader LA community.
• I.D.E.A. (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access) Organizational initiatives promoting diversity and cultural inclusion within the theater company and its programming, supporting the company's commitment to equity in theater arts.
• Louis & Keely Fan Club A fan club membership program for supporters of Sacred Fools Theater Company, originally established around the Louis & Keely production to provide financial support and exclusive community access.

Quantifiable outcome

• Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara became Sacred Fools' bestselling show ever, eventually moving to extended runs at larger venues including the Matrix Theatre.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• The BroadwatercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Broadwater is a theater complex with four stages where Sacred Fools is now in residence. This partnership provides the company with permanent performance venues after over 17 years at their original Heliotrope Drive location.
• Burglars of HammmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Comedy group that co-created Land of the Tigers with Sacred Fools. The Burglars of Hamm (Carolyn Almos, Matt Almos, Jon Beauregard & Albert Dayan) are described as 'the closest thing L.A. has to the Pythons' and 'The Talking Heads of L.A. theater.'
• Frantic Redhead ProductionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Co-producer of Land of the Tigers alongside Sacred Fools and Burglars of Hamm.
• Los Angeles County Department of Arts and CulturemajorOthersSupported by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture, providing grant funding for operations.
• City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural AffairsmajorOthersReceived grant from the City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs supporting organizational operations.
• Council District 13, City of Los AngelesminorOthersSupported by a grant from Council District 13 supporting local arts programming.
• California Arts CouncilminorOthersEducational projects supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency.
• Pasadena PlayhousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStoneface was picked up by Pasadena Playhouse for a mainstage production, demonstrating successful transition of Sacred Fools productions to larger regional venues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SacredFoolsLA
• Facebookfacebook.com/sacredfoolsla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Sacred Fools