Indianapolis Shakespeare Company

What Indianapolis Shakespeare Company does

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company (Indy Shakes) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater company founded in 2007 in Indianapolis, Indiana (originally as Heartland Actors Repertory Theatre; rebranded to Indianapolis Shakespeare Company in 2018). The organization produces free, fully professional Shakespeare in the Park productions for the Indianapolis community, anchored by an annual mainstage run at the Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Riverside Park (the 2024 production is King Lear). Its programming portfolio extends beyond the mainstage to include the Traveling Troupe, which delivers abridged 45-minute Shakespeare performances at schools, parks, summer camps, day cares, senior facilities, churches, and libraries, and additional accessibility offerings such as ASL-interpreted and livestreamed performances. Recent seasons have diversified the repertoire: a 2022 hip-hop adaptation (Ricky 3 - A Hip Hop Shakespeare Richard III) and the 2023 "What's in a Canon?" initiative, which opened programming to works by playwrights of varied backgrounds (e.g., Mojada by Luis Alfaro at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre).

Revenue is generated exclusively through philanthropic mechanisms rather than ticket sales: individual donations, tiered corporate sponsorships (Full Season Title, Gold Mainstage, Silver Mainstage, Main Stage Title, Traveling Troupe Title), artist sponsorships, endowment contributions, and grants from federal (National Endowment for the Arts), state (Indiana Arts Commission), and local arts agencies, plus multiple private foundations including the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation, Arthur Jordan Foundation, and Nicholas H. Noyes Jr. Memorial Foundation. All mainstage productions are free to attend; the Traveling Troupe charges $350 per public performance. The organization is led by Executive Artistic Director Ryan Artzberger (Juilliard-trained, with credits at The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Goodman Theatre, and Indiana Repertory Theatre) and is governed by a board of directors including founding board President Ben Tebbe, with a staff size in the 11–50 range. The go-to-market motion is event-driven, with marketing concentrated on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, email, the Wix-hosted website, and Eventbrite registration.

Name

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company

Legal name

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company, Inc.

Website

https://indyshakes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theater producing free, professional Shakespeare in the Park productions and community outreach via its Traveling Troupe, serving Indianapolis's Near Northwest neighborhoods and surrounding region through donations, sponsorships, and arts grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Shakespeare in the Park
• Community theater performances
• Educational outreach programs
• Outdoor stage performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: As a nonprofit theater company, Indy Shakes relies on individual donations from patrons to support productions. Donations help pay actors, rent performance spaces, and purchase materials for costumes and set pieces.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship tiers including Full Season Title, Gold Mainstage, Silver Mainstage, Main Stage Title, and Traveling Troupe Title. Custom sponsorship packages are also available with options for logo placement, social media mentions, VIP experiences, and more.
3. Artist Sponsorships: Individual artists can be sponsored for specific productions, with sponsors receiving recognition and supporting professional actors and creative teams.
4. Endowment Support: The company accepts endowment contributions as another way to support long-term financial sustainability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company (Indy Shakes) is a non-profit theater company producing free, professional Shakespeare productions at the Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Riverside Park, Indianapolis. Its core offering is a summer mainstage season of full-length Shakespeare plays performed for the community at no charge, supplemented by a Traveling Troupe outreach program that delivers abridged Shakespeare performances to schools, parks, libraries, senior facilities, and summer camps across the region.

Product overview

Indianapolis Shakespeare Company (Indy Shakes) is a non-profit theater company in its 17th year of producing high-quality, fully professional Shakespeare performances. The organization operates as a single unified offering centered on live theater productions, primarily Shakespeare in the Park. The core product portfolio consists of Mainstage Productions performed at the Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Riverside Park, supplemented by the Traveling Troupe for community and educational outreach. Additional revenue and support streams include Corporate Sponsorships (with tiered packages from Full Season Title to custom builds), Artist Sponsorships, and general Donations. Supporting programs include Auditions for paid acting roles, the 'What's in a Canon' initiative expanding repertoire beyond Shakespeare, and accessibility features such as ASL-interpreted and livestream performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Free, fully professional full-length Shakespeare plays performed at the Taggart Memorial Amphitheatre in Riverside Park, Indianapolis, open to all community members regardless of ability to pay. Recent seasons have included King Lear, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, and a hip-hop adaptation of Richard III.
• Traveling Troupe Community and education outreach program presenting 45-minute abridged Shakespeare performances at parks, K-12 schools, summer camps, day care settings, senior facilities, churches, and libraries. Public performance fee is $350 (reduced from $1,000) for community bookings.
• What's in a Canon? Initiative Repertoire-expansion initiative featuring productions by playwrights from diverse racial, ethnic, and gender backgrounds, staged at partner indoor venues such as the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served 2,500+ attendees from 32 Indiana counties at a single production
• +2 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marian UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarian University serves as Title Sponsor for Indy Shakes' Traveling Troupe. The partnership supports educational outreach through free Shakespeare performances at local parks and schools, with the university contributing financial and promotional support for As You Like It productions.
• Arts Council of IndianapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor funding partner supporting free Shakespeare productions. The Arts Council provides grants and recognition that enable professional theater programming for the Indianapolis community.
• Indiana Arts CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts agency providing funding support. Activities are made possible in part by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency.
• National Endowment for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal arts agency supporting programming. Activities are made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
• Noblesville CreatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts organization partnership supporting programming in the greater Indianapolis area.
• Indy Parks FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThanks to the support of the Indianapolis Parks Foundation and Indy Parks, Indy Shakes provided free programming within Indy Parks to bring Shakespeare productions to several parks across the city.
• PenrodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization partnership supporting Indiana's arts community.
• Phoenix Theatre Cultural CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner at 705 N. Illinois St used for auditions and some productions, enabling indoor performances and community events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Indiana Repertory Theatre: Indianapolis-based professional theater company producing a season of plays in a dedicated venue. Most directly comparable peer given shared city, professional actor model, and overlapping audience and donor base.
• Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre: Indianapolis performing-arts venue partner of Indy Shakes (hosts auditions and some productions like Mojada). Comparable as a small-budget professional Indianapolis theater offering live stage work and community programming.
• Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Regional professional Shakespeare-only theater company operating a repertory season in Cincinnati. Highly comparable mission, repertory model, and mid-size professional company structure.

Regional players

• Nashville Shakespeare Festival: Regional Shakespeare festival producing outdoor summer productions with community outreach in Tennessee. Comparable free/outdoor mainstage plus education outreach architecture.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Large, well-established professional Shakespeare company on Navy Pier in Chicago. Comparable core Shakespeare-producing mission but at substantially larger scale and venue footprint.
• Great Lakes Theater: Cleveland-based classical theater company producing Shakespeare and classics with educational touring. Comparable artistic programming and touring-Troupe-like education outreach.
• Alabama Shakespeare Festival: State-level professional Shakespeare festival producing a multi-show season with significant education programs. Comparable repertory and education mission at larger scale.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Long-established regional professional theater known for the Humana Festival and producing new work. Comparable professional season programming and national reputation-building.
• Oregon Shakespeare Festival: One of the largest and longest-running professional Shakespeare festivals in the U.S., based in Ashland, OR. Comparable season-based Shakespeare repertory and educational outreach at national scale.

Others

• Heartland Actors Repertory Theatre: Former name of the subject company (rebranded to Indianapolis Shakespeare Company in 2018). Listed to acknowledge historical identity rather than as an active market peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IndyShakespeare
• Facebookfacebook.com/indianapolisshakespeare
• Instagraminstagram.com/indyshakespeare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indianapolis-shakespeare-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Indianapolis Shakespeare Company