Black Ensemble Theater

What Black Ensemble Theater does

Black Ensemble Theater (BE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1976 by Jackie Taylor and headquartered in the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center at 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. Its self-stated mission is to eradicate racism through theater arts, and it is the only theater in the nation with that explicit mission. The organization's core offering is live theatrical production: four-to-five mainstage productions per season of original plays and musical biographies — including The Jackie Wilson Story, The Marvin Gaye Story, The Other Cinderella, Soul of a Powerful Woman, Men of Soul, and You Can't Fake the Funk — built on a content library of 100+ works personally written and produced by Taylor. Technology is traditional performing-arts infrastructure (stage lighting, sound, set design, costume design, stage management), and ticketing is delivered through the third-party Ovation TIX platform alongside a physical box office. Distribution is regional, anchored in the $20M Cultural Center that opened November 18, 2011, and supported by group sales (10+), a 5-Play Card subscription bundle, valet parking ($15 cash), and a planned 150-seat flexible studio theater opening in 2026.

BE operates a four-program education and outreach vertical alongside its mainstage work: Plays With A Purpose (PWAP) for Chicagoland K-12 schools teaching life skills; Strengthening the School Through Theater Arts (SSTTA) in-school program for inner-city elementary and high schools; Summer Job Training for Youth exposing teens to production roles; and the Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI) developing African American playwrights since 2005. Revenue is diversified across earned income (ticket sales, group sales, educational program fees), tiered individual donations (Visionary $50K+ down to Friends $200–$499), corporate and foundation sponsorship (Emerald $100K+ through Garnet $500–$4,999 tiers including Fidelity Foundations, Hearst Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Joyce Foundation, NEA, Illinois Arts Council, Shubert Foundation, BMO, and Bank of America Charitable Foundation), and government funding (HUD, State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Illinois Department of Human Services). Governance is via a 14-member board of directors — chaired by Andrea Zopp, with representatives from Boeing, McDonald's, BMO, JPMorgan Chase, and Meta — plus an auxiliary board led by Dr. Lois M. Gueno. The organization is planning the Free to BE Village, a neighborhood-scale mixed-use development including a performing arts education center, film and technology center, affordable artists' lofts, restaurant, literary café, and retail space.

Name

Black Ensemble Theater

Legal name

Black Ensemble Theater

Website

https://blackensembletheater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Ensemble Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 that produces original plays and musical biographies celebrating African American culture from its $20M Cultural Center in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. It serves general theater audiences, K-12 schools, youth, and African American playwrights via mainstage productions and four education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Fine Arts Schools (611610), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGABAG

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Theater, Broadway & Performing Arts

SECONDARYMPAGABAB

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Theater, Broadway & Performing Arts

SECONDARYBPAGAHAB

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

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Arts, Culture & Heritage Nonprofits

SECONDARYEDAMAAAG

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Arts & Creative Enrichment (Visual Arts, Music, Theater, Dance)

SECONDARYTHAHAAAG

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Conference & Convention Venues (Convention Centers, Civic Centers)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Performing arts education
• Musical biographies
• Community theater programs
• Arts education outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to main stage productions and special events. Tickets available online via Ovation TIX platform and at box office. Group sales for parties of 10+.
2. Individual Donations: Individual donors at various giving levels (Visionary $50,000+, Catalyst $25,000-$49,999, Sustainers $10,000-$24,999, Transformers, Magic Circle $2,500-$4,999, Next Stage $1,000-$2,499, Special Friends $500-$999, Friends $200-$499).
3. Corporate and Foundation Sponsorship: Corporate and foundation donors at tiered levels (Emerald $100,000+, Sapphire $50,000-$99,999, Ruby $25,000-$49,000, Jade $10,000-$24,999, Onyx $5,000-$9,999, Garnet $500-$4,999). Includes government funding from HUD, State of Illinois, City of Chicago, Department of Human Services.
4. Educational Programs: School field trips and performances through Plays With A Purpose (PWAP) program for K-12 schools. Revenue from school bookings for educational theater performances.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Black Ensemble Theater produces and stages original live theatrical productions, including original plays and musical biographies centered on African American cultural heritage, at its Cultural Center in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood. In parallel, the organization operates educational outreach programs (PWAP, SSTTA, Summer Job Training, Black Playwrights Initiative) that deliver theater-based instruction and youth job training to K-12 schools and the broader community.

Product overview

Black Ensemble Theater operates as a unified organization offering live theater productions (main stage shows), educational outreach programs, and venue/facility services. The theater produces original plays, musical biographies, and cultural tributes including productions like The Jackie Wilson Story, Soul of a Powerful Woman, Men of Soul, You Can't Fake the Funk, and The Other Cinderella. Educational programs include Plays With A Purpose (PWAP), Strengthening the School Through Theater Arts (SSTTA), Summer Job Training for Youth, and the Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI) serving K-12 schools, youth, and playwrights. The organization is developing the Free to BE Village as an immersive performing arts hub. The Cultural Center serves as the permanent venue at 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Uptown community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI): Program created in 2005 to develop scripts for the Black Ensemble Theater and increase local and national exposure for Chicago's African American Playwrights community.
• Plays With A Purpose (PWAP)
• Strengthening The School Through Theater Arts (SSTTA)
• Summer Job Training for Youth
• Free to BE Village

Products and services

• Main Stage Theater Productions Seasonal live theater productions featuring original plays, musical biographies, and tributes to African American artists and cultural figures, performed at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center for general public audiences in Chicago.
• Plays With A Purpose (PWAP) School-based theater program teaching life skills to K-12 students through live performances and accompanying curriculum, helping students navigate challenges and supporting teachers with classroom management. Targeted at Chicagoland K-12 schools.
• Strengthening the School Through Theater Arts (SSTTA) In-school theater arts training program serving students and teachers in inner-city elementary and high schools, designed to enhance cognitive and social skill development and provide teachers with strategies to improve classroom management.
• Summer Job Training for Youth Youth summer employment program where students gain hands-on exposure to theater production roles including set design, lighting, costume design, and stage management, and create and perform their own scripts.
• Black Playwrights Initiative (BPI) Initiative providing training, resources, and advancement opportunities for African American playwrights, with the purpose of developing scripts for the Black Ensemble Theater and increasing local and national exposure for the African American playwright community.
• Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center (Venue) The permanent venue for Black Ensemble Theater's productions, located at 4450 N. Clark St. in Chicago's Uptown community, hosting main stage performances, group visits, and special events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eradicate racism and its damaging effects on society through theater arts and community engagement

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights3 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackensemble
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BEtheater
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackEnsembleTheater
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-ensemble-theater
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackensembletheater/?hl=en
• TikToktiktok.com/@blackensembletheater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Black Ensemble Theater