History Theatre

What History Theatre does

History Theatre, Inc. is a private nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1978 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, dedicated to producing original plays and musicals about Minnesota history and the diverse American experience. It operates a 587-seat thrust stage venue at 30 East 10th Street, designed by Ralph Rapson, where no seat is more than 40 feet from the stage. The organization has produced over 100 world premieres and more than 125 new works over its 45+ year history, working with nationally recognized playwrights and over 3,000 theatre artists.

The company's core products are organized around a mainstage season of original historical plays and musicals, the annual RAW STAGES New Works Festival (held each January), Next Stage Workshops (summer), and a Legends Concert Series featuring tribute performances (Elvis, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly). Education offerings include the Seats to Stage Residency program for K-12 schools and the Living Through History writing class for adults. Distribution is regional, concentrated in the Twin Cities, via online ticketing (Center Stage Ticketing, Ludus), a physical box office, and group sales managed by a dedicated staff member.

History Theatre's business model combines earned revenue (one-time ticket purchases ranging $25-$50 and education program fees of $750-$2,000) with contributed revenue from tax-deductible donations, monthly giving, stock transfers, employer matching, and named funds (Ron Peluso Artistic Futures Fund, Lance Belville Fund for New Play Development). The organization holds 501(c)(3) status, receives Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grants and Wells Fargo Foundation Minnesota funding, and is governed by a Board of Directors. Customer segments include general theatre audiences (primary), K-12 students and schools, and adult learners. The organization is currently undergoing a leadership transition, with Rob Thomas and Laura Leffler assuming co-leadership on July 1, 2026.

Name

History Theatre

Legal name

History Theatre, Inc.

Website

https://historytheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

History Theatre is a 45+ year nonprofit performing arts organization in Saint Paul, Minnesota that produces original plays and musicals about Minnesota and American history, operates a 587-seat venue, runs an annual new works festival, and delivers school and adult education programs for Twin Cities audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Regional Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)

Keywords

• Theatrical productions
• Performing arts venue
• New play development
• Arts education programs
• Historical drama theatre

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

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: Primary revenue from selling tickets to mainstage productions, special events, and Legends Concert Series performances. Online ticket sales through Center Stage Ticketing and Ludus platform.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, monthly giving program, stock transfers, employer matching, and support for named funds including Ron Peluso Artistic Futures Fund and Lance Belville Fund for New Play Development.
3. Education Programs: Revenue from Seats to Stage residency programs in schools, writing classes, and educational workshops for students and adults.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

History Theatre is a nonprofit professional theatre that creates, develops, and presents original plays and musicals about Minnesota history and the diverse American experience on a 587-seat thrust stage in downtown St. Paul. It also runs new play development programs (RAW STAGES festival, Next Stage workshops), tribute concert events (Legends Concert Series), and arts education programs for schools and adults (Seats to Stage residency, Living Through History writing class).

Product overview

History Theatre is a theater company producing theatrical productions (plays and musicals) on a 587-seat thrust stage in St. Paul, Minnesota. Their core offerings include mainstage theatrical productions focused on Minnesota history and diverse American experiences, the RAW STAGES New Works Festival for developing new plays, and education programs including the Seats to Stage Residency for schools and Living Through History writing classes for adults. They also present special events through the Legends Concert Series and provide Play Guides as educational supplements. The company has produced over 100 world premieres since its founding in 1978.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RAW STAGES New Works Festival: Annual new works festival held in January featuring readings and workshops of plays in development.
• Next Stage Workshops
• Ron Peluso Artistic Futures Fund
• Lance Belville Fund for New Play Development

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Full-scale theatrical plays and musicals presented on History Theatre's 587-seat thrust stage in St. Paul, focused on Minnesota history and the diverse American experience. Ticketed to the general public through the box office and online ticketing platforms.
• RAW STAGES New Works Festival
• Next Stage Workshops
• Seats to Stage Residency Program
• Living Through History Writing Class
• Legends Concert Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced over 100 world premieres since 1978
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Theater MucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership with Theater Mu for 'Blended Harmony: The Kim Loo Sisters' (Book and Lyrics by Jessica Huang; Music by Jacinth Greywoode), demonstrating commitment to Asian American storytelling and collaborative production relationships in the Twin Cities theatre community.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Timeline Theatre Company: Chicago-based regional theatre producing original and adapted plays inspired by historical events. The closest conceptual peer to History Theatre - both produce original work rooted in historical storytelling for regional audiences on a single-venue scale.
• Mixed Blood Theatre: Minneapolis-based nonprofit producing original work centering diverse communities, with a Radical Hospitality free-ticket program. Comparable mission and Twin Cities regional footprint to History Theatre.
• Penumbra Theatre Company: St. Paul, MN-based nonprofit theatre founded in 1976 with a focus on African American experience and community-based storytelling. Comparable in size, mission, and Twin Cities location - competing for overlapping donor and audience pools.
• Park Square Theatre: St. Paul-based regional theatre producing classic, new, and educational work, including historical and contemporary programming. Local Twin Cities direct competitor for audiences and school group bookings.
• Children's Theatre Company: Minneapolis-based Tony Award-winning theatre producing work for young audiences and families. Direct competitor in Twin Cities for school group bookings and family audience segments.
• Theater Mu: St. Paul-based Asian American theatre company producing original work and new play development. Active co-production partner of History Theatre; comparable in scale and mission focus on historically underrepresented communities.

Broad incumbents

• Guthrie Theater: Minneapolis-based major regional theatre (3 stages, much larger programming budget) with significant endowment and national profile. While it produces a mix of classics and new work, it competes with HT for Twin Cities arts patrons, foundation dollars, and media coverage.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based national regional theatre with substantial new play development operations. Comparable in mission around producing original American work and competing for similar foundation and national media attention, though vastly larger in scale.
• Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Tony Award-winning Berkeley, CA regional theatre known for new play development and premiere production. Comparable operational model (single-city regional theatre with new work focus) but much larger programming budget and national profile.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Ashland, OR-based Tony Award-winning regional festival producing both classical and substantial new work development. Comparable mission of producing American stories and running a robust new play program, though at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HistoryTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/history_theatre
• Xx.com/HistoryTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/history-theatre

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 History Theatre