Asolo Rep

What Asolo Rep does

Asolo Repertory Theatre (DBA: Asolo Rep) is a non-profit professional repertory theatre company founded circa 1960 and headquartered at 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida, within the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. The organization presents 8–12 productions annually across two venues — the Mertz Theatre (mainstage) and the 161-seat Cook Theatre — operating one of the few true rotating repertory models in the United States, in which audiences can attend multiple productions within a single week. Asolo Rep is deeply integrated with the Florida State University School of Theatre through the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, a top-25 globally ranked three-year MFA program that recruits 10–12 graduate students per year and places third-year students into professional mainstage casts.

The company's core product is live theatrical performance spanning contemporary works, classics, and musical theatre, supplemented by world premieres (two of which have transferred to Broadway). Education and engagement programs — including Asolo Rep On Tour, the Access to the Arts school-outreach initiative, the Rush Club youth ticket program, summer intensives, and apprenticeships — extend reach into schools and the broader community. A volunteer program with 400+ ushers, a dedicated scenic studio, venue rentals, accessibility services (audio description, open captioning), and a press/media operation round out the operational footprint. The company maintains an international training presence via the London Study Center for second-year Conservatory students.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: (1) ticket sales (subscriptions, single tickets, and group sales of 10+) at $33–$75 per seat, (2) individual and corporate donations, (3) foundation grants (Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Designing Women Boutique, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, Roy Cockrum Foundation), and (4) education programs and special events (Director's Take Luncheon, Annual Gala, Starry Night Series). Marketing is multi-channel, anchored by email newsletters, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok), community partnerships, and in-theatre engagement events. Leadership includes Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein (appointed July 2023 on a five-year contract) and Managing Director Ross Egan; governance is via a Board of Directors chaired by Board President Randell Johnson. The organization is private and operates as an independent non-profit with no parent company or PE/VC ownership.

Name

Asolo Rep

Legal name

Asolo Repertory Theatre

Website

https://asolorep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Asolo Repertory Theatre is a non-profit professional theatre in Sarasota, Florida, presenting 8–12 productions annually in rotating repertory across the Mertz and Cook stages. It operates the FSU/Asolo Conservatory MFA program and serves patrons, students, and donors through live performance, education, and community engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Live theatrical productions
• Professional repertory theatre
• Arts education programs
• Actor training conservatory
• Community performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from single tickets, subscriptions, and group sales for 8-12 annual productions across two stages (Mertz Theatre and Cook Theatre)
2. Individual and Corporate Donations: Donations from individuals through various giving programs (Make Me A Match, Legacy & Planned Giving, General Donations) and corporate sponsorships
3. Foundation Grants: Strategic Partnership Grants from Community Foundation of Sarasota County, plus grants from Designing Women Boutique, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, and other foundations supporting season programming and educational initiatives
4. Education Programs: Revenue from summer intensives, education programs, and school partnerships through Access to the Arts program
5. Special Events: Revenue from Director's Take Luncheon, Annual Gala, Starry Night Dinner Series, and other special events
6. Venue Rentals: Rental income from scenic studio and venue rentals to external parties

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Asolo Repertory Theatre produces and presents professional live theatrical performances in rotating repertory at the Mertz Theatre and Cook Theatre in Sarasota, Florida, delivering 8-12 productions per season spanning contemporary works, classics, and musicals. In partnership with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, it also delivers a top-25 ranked three-year MFA actor training program. Supporting offerings include education and community engagement programs, season subscriptions, group sales, and venue rentals.

Product overview

Asolo Repertory Theatre is a professional theatre company operating as a single unified product focused on live theatrical productions and arts education. The core offering consists of mainstage productions at the Mertz Theatre and Cook Theatre venues, presenting 8-12 shows per season including contemporary works, classics, and musicals in rotating repertory. The organization is closely affiliated with the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, a top-25 ranked MFA program that uses the Cook Theatre for student productions. Additional products include education and engagement programs (Asolo Rep On Tour, Rush Club, Summer Intensives), subscription and group sales packages, gift certificates, venue rentals, apprenticeship opportunities, volunteer programs, special events, accessibility services, and press/media resources. The company also accepts play submissions from represented playwrights and Florida-based writers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asolo Repertory Theatre Mainstage Productions Professional theatre productions performed in the Mertz Theatre at the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, featuring 8-12 productions per season including contemporary works, classics, and musical theatre experiences in rotating repertory format, targeted at general public theatre patrons.
• Cook Theatre Productions A contemporary 161-seat venue designed to create an intimate relationship between audience and actors, serving as the primary performance space for the FSU/Asolo Conservatory and small-cast Asolo Rep shows, targeted at audiences seeking intimate theatrical experiences.
• FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training A competitive three-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) graduate program in actor training, ranked among the top 25 MFA programs worldwide, combining classroom training, guest artist workshops, and professional productions, targeted at aspiring actors seeking professional conservatory training.
• Education & Engagement Programs Programs including Asolo Rep On Tour (community outreach), Rush Club (youth rush tickets), Youth & Adult Programs, Summer Intensives, and Scholarships & Financial Aid, targeted at students, educators, and community members seeking arts engagement.
• Apprenticeship Program Full-time apprenticeship opportunities for early-career and emerging artists and arts administrators, including Stage Management and Company Management tracks, targeted at early-career theatre professionals.
• Venue Rentals Rental opportunities for the Scenic Studio and theatre spaces for events and productions, targeted at external producers, corporate event organizers, and community groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 volunteers contribute to operations each season
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 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

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Designing Women BoutiquecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024Received $50,000 grant as Major Season Sponsor for 2024-2025 season. Partnership of 22 years with $12 million in grants and merchandise contributed to Sarasota nonprofits.
• Community Foundation of Sarasota CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 January 2024Strategic Partnership Grant recipient providing $77,500 to support 2023/2024 season, Access to the Arts program, Director's Take Luncheon, Annual Gala, and special events. Partnership spanning over 28 years supporting educational and community outreach.
• Community Foundation of Sarasota CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 February 2023Received $77,500 Strategic Partnership Grant for 2022/2023 season from funds including John and Dorothy Brennan Charitable Fund, Allen Wirtz Nobbe and Jo Bowen Nobbe Fund, Two-Generation Approach Fund, and John J. Clopine Fund.
• William G. and Marie Selby FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $25,000 grant designated for construction steel for new costume storage facility to preserve historical couture costumes.
• The Roy Cockrum FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant funder that made possible the world premiere of Knoxville at Asolo Rep in April-May 2022.
• Florida State University (FSU) School of TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner50-year partnership (since 1991) with FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training - a three-year MFA program where second and third-year students perform in Asolo Rep productions alongside professional actors.
• The RinglingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 performed at The Historic Asolo Theater, bringing Peter Rothstein's production to Sarasota for its debut.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arena Stage: Regional repertory theatre operating multiple venues in Washington, DC. Comparable scale of season programming, education outreach, and nonprofit producing model.
• Hartford Stage: Tony Award-winning regional repertory theatre with a comparable mix of classics, new works, and educational programs. Similar mid-size regional operating profile to Asolo Rep.
• Guthrie Theater: Major regional repertory theatre with multiple stages and large-scale programming. Peter Rothstein directed at the Guthrie, evidencing prior direct ties. Operating scale and repertory model map closely to Asolo Rep.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Largest regional repertory theatre in the US, presenting a lengthy season of classics and new work across multiple stages. Highly comparable to Asolo Rep on regional repertory model, season scale, and educational mission.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Long-standing regional repertory theatre known for new-play development (Humana Festival). Directly comparable on repertory programming, new-work incubation, and education/community programming.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Premier regional theatre known for ensemble company, new-work development, and educational programs. Comparable mission emphasis on premiering new work alongside classics.
• Yale Repertory Theatre: Regional repertory theatre tied to a top-tier university MFA program (Yale School of Drama). Directly comparable to Asolo Rep on its FSU/Asolo Conservatory integration model.
• McCarter Theatre Center: Regional theatre presenting a season of plays, musicals, and special events, with educational programming. Comparable size and repertory-on-one-campus footprint.

Regional players

• Florida Studio Theatre: Largest professional regional theatre in Sarasota, FL. Direct local competitor for Sarasota audiences, donors, and corporate sponsors, with overlapping programming and education initiatives.

Others

• The Ringling: Cultural partner organization in Sarasota that co-hosts productions (e.g., All Is Calm at the Historic Asolo Theater). Functions as a complementary arts institution rather than a competitor, serving overlapping audiences in the Sarasota market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/AsoloRep
• Facebookfacebook.com/AsoloRep
• Instagraminstagram.com/asolorep
• TikToktiktok.com/@asolorep
• Xx.com/asolorep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Asolo Rep