The Acting Company

What The Acting Company does

The Acting Company is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional theater company founded in 1972 by John Houseman and Margot Harley with the first graduating class of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School. Its core function is developing emerging actors by producing national touring repertories of classic and new plays, reaching audiences in small towns and major cities across America. The company has performed in 48 U.S. states and 10 foreign countries for over 4 million cumulative audience members, and has launched the careers of approximately 400 actors, including Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone, Jeffrey Wright, Rainn Wilson, Keith David, and Lorraine Toussaint. It also operates education programs — in-school residencies, the Shakespeare School Tour, NYC Residencies, and On the Road — that bring professional theater to underserved schools and disadvantaged communities.

The company's product portfolio is structured around live performance and arts education rather than technology. Programs include the Reading Series, Production Archives, the London Theater Excursion (a curated international travel experience scheduled for October 2026), and education programs. It has no disclosed proprietary technology, no patents or trademarks, no public API, and no app. Distribution relies on national touring, Off-Broadway productions in New York, and partnerships with resident theaters including the Guthrie, Kennedy Center, and New York City Center; Alliance Artist Management serves as its booking agent. Recognition includes the 2003 Tony Award for Excellence in the Theater and the 2019 Audelco Award for Best Play.

The business model is a hybrid of earned revenue and contributed revenue typical of U.S. regional and touring theaters. Earned income is generated from ticket-bearing performances across national tours, Off-Broadway engagements, and the fee-based London Theater Excursion. Contributed income comes from tax-deductible donations routed through DonorPerfect, foundation grants, and board-led fundraising overseen by an Executive Director of Institutional Advancement. Customer segments are horizontal: general theater audiences across the U.S. and students in underserved schools. Marketing is conducted through the company website, email newsletter, and community partnerships with equity and diversity organizations. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by venue and program.

Name

The Acting Company

Legal name

The Acting Company

Website

https://theactingcompany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Acting Company is a not-for-profit professional theater founded in 1972 that develops emerging actors through national touring repertories of classic and new plays, reaching audiences across 48 U.S. states and serving underserved schools via arts-education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

akta.pro primary industry

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Professional theater productions
• Touring repertory theater
• Actor training programs
• Arts education residencies
• Not-for-profit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Theater Performances and Tours: Revenue generated from touring theater productions coast-to-coast, bringing classical and new plays to audiences across America. The company has been seen by over 4 million people in 48 States and 10 foreign countries.
2. Donations and Fundraising: As a not-for-profit cultural institution, the company relies on tax-deductible donations from supporters to fund operations and mission activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Acting Company is a not-for-profit professional theater company that develops emerging actors by producing and touring repertories of classic and new plays across the United States and internationally. Its portfolio includes national touring productions, in-school education residencies, teacher training workshops, a staged reading series, and curated international theater travel experiences.

Product overview

The Acting Company offers a unified portfolio of live theater programs and educational services. Its core offering consists of touring theater productions that bring professional performances of classic and new plays coast-to-coast across America. Supporting programs include a Reading Series for staged readings, a Shakespeare School Tour for educational outreach, NYC Residencies for in-school programming, and a curated London Theater Excursion travel experience. The company functions as a single, integrated not-for-profit theater company rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Touring Repertory (On the Road) National touring repertories bringing classic and new plays to small towns and major cities across America. Aimed at general audiences seeking professional theater and at underserved communities with limited access to live performance.
• Reading Series A recurring program featuring staged readings of plays, providing emerging actors with performance opportunities and audiences with access to new and classic works. Held in New York.
• Shakespeare School Tour Educational touring program bringing professional productions of Shakespeare's works to schools across the country, serving K-12 students and educators.
• Education Overview Programs Comprehensive education programming including professional productions, in-school residencies, and teacher training workshops for underserved schools and disadvantaged communities.
• NYC Residencies In-school residencies and teacher training workshops bringing professional theater and arts education to students in New York City. Targeted at NYC schools serving underserved communities.
• London Theater Excursion A curated week-long theatrical travel experience to London featuring multiple productions, artist meet-and-greets, and cultural outings. Led by London Arts Discovery and Margot Harley; targeted at theater supporters and enthusiasts.
• Production Archives Digital and physical archive documenting the company's past productions since its founding in 1972, available as an institutional and research resource.

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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance Artist ManagementcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as the company's booking agent for tour inquiries, facilitating the national touring of productions.
• The Juilliard SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in 1972 with the first graduating class of the Drama Division of The Juilliard School. John Houseman and Margot Harley established the company with these graduates.
• We See You White American TheaterminorOthersOne of several organizations the company acknowledges as guiding their equity, diversity, inclusivity, and justice commitments.
• Broadway Advocacy CoalitionminorOthersOne of several organizations the company acknowledges as guiding their equity, diversity, inclusivity, and justice commitments.
• Black Theatre CoalitionminorOthersOne of several organizations the company acknowledges as guiding their equity, diversity, inclusivity, and justice commitments.
• Black Theatre UnitedminorOthersOne of several organizations the company acknowledges as guiding their equity, diversity, inclusivity, and justice commitments.
• Black Lives MatterminorOthersOne of several organizations the company acknowledges as guiding their equity, diversity, inclusivity, and justice commitments.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Roundabout Theatre Company: Long-established NYC-based nonprofit professional theater company producing a mix of classic and new works Off-Broadway and on Broadway. Highly comparable nonprofit producing model with similar artistic-development and audience-access missions.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Major nonprofit repertory theater producing classical (Shakespeare-focused) and new plays with national touring reach. Closely parallels The Acting Company's classic-and-new-play touring model and education programming.
• The Public Theater: Iconic NYC nonprofit theater producing new and classic works with a strong talent-development mission and Off-Broadway presence. Comparable nonprofit structure and emerging-artist focus.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nonprofit ensemble theater developing actors and directors through long-running productions and national tours. Comparable actor-development mission and nonprofit operating model.
• Hartford Stage: Tony Award-winning regional nonprofit theater producing classic and new plays. Comparable nonprofit producing-and-touring repertory model focused on actor development.
• American Repertory Theater: Harvard-affiliated nonprofit theater with a strong emerging-artist pipeline and Off-Broadway transfers. Comparable mission of developing new work and talent with educational integration.
• PlayMakers Repertory Company: Nonprofit professional repertory theater producing classic and new plays with academic affiliations and touring engagements. Comparable repertory producing model and education-outreach programming.

Broad incumbents

• Guthrie Theater: Major regional nonprofit theater and a current hosting partner of The Acting Company. A significantly larger institutional theater with overlapping repertory programming and education missions.

Regional players

• McCarter Theatre Center: New Jersey-based nonprofit professional theater producing a mix of classics, new plays, and co-productions with major regional houses. Comparable repertory model with new-work development emphasis.

Emerging players

• American Players Theatre: Wisconsin-based classical repertory theater producing Shakespeare and classics with touring elements. Comparable nonprofit producing model focused on classical canon performance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theactingco
• Facebookfacebook.com/theactingcompanynyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-acting-company-nyc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Acting Company