Young Playwrights’ Theater
Young Playwrights' Theater is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers in-school and out-of-school playwriting programs, residencies, and professional productions to youth ages 8-24 across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, with a mission focused on young people targeted by systems of oppression.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1995
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Young Playwrights’ Theater does
Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater education organization founded in 1995 by playwright Karen Zacarías and headquartered in Washington, DC. It delivers in-school and out-of-school playwriting instruction to young people ages 8-24 across Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia, with a stated mission of serving youth targeted by systems of oppression. Core products include the In-School Playwriting Program (K-12 classroom workshops), Out-of-School Time Programs (after-school and summer), the Young Playwrights' Workshop (year-long DCPS residencies culminating in performances at The Kennedy Center), the Young Playwrights in Progress (YPIP) script-development program for ages 14-24, and the SAFER anti-racism program delivered with partner organizations. Annual output includes the Ovation Showcase and the Silence is Violence social-justice performance series, launched in 2015.
Operationally YPT runs on a small staff of 1-10, a working Board of Directors, and a network of contracted teaching artists and professional performers. Revenue is generated through individual donations (one-time and recurring), foundation and government grants (e.g., HumanitiesDC, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Catalogue for Philanthropy), event sponsorships (KPMG, GRF CPAs as 2025 Ambassador Sponsors), ticketed productions, and modest program fees from school partnerships. Marketing and distribution rely on direct DCPS partnerships, a website, social media (@yptdc), Constant Contact email, and a podcast channel. Digital extensions include Thinkific-hosted courses (Writers at Play, The Playwrights' Lab) and a Virtual Stage platform.
In its 30th year, YPT claims to have inspired roughly 30,000 young artists cumulatively, with digital product expansion (podcast, virtual courses) layered onto its in-person core. The organization has no disclosed funding rounds or material M&A activity; a Genesis Inspiration Foundation partnership is the only documented institutional funding event.
Young Playwrights’ Theater firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Young Playwrights’ Theater
- Legal name
- Young Playwrights' Theater
- Website
- https://youngplaywrightstheater.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1995
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Young Playwrights' Theater is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers in-school and out-of-school playwriting programs, residencies, and professional productions to youth ages 8-24 across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, with a mission focused on young people targeted by systems of oppression.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Young Playwrights’ Theater industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Theater Education
- NAICS
- Fine Arts Schools (61161), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Playwriting & Scriptwriting Workshops (Stage) (EDAMAMAD), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)
Keywords
Where Young Playwrights’ Theater is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Young Playwrights’ Theater business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: YPT accepts one-time and recurring donations from individuals through its website platform and mail. The organization hosts fundraising events like Purple Promenade and Thank You 5! Happy Hour.
- Foundation and Government Grants: YPT receives grant funding from organizations such as HumanitiesDC, The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. The organization also participates in workplace giving programs.
- Program Fees: YPT provides programming to schools and community organizations, potentially through contracted partnerships with DCPS and other institutions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Young Playwrights’ Theater product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Young Playwrights' Theater delivers in-school and out-of-school theater and playwriting programs for young people ages 8-24 in the Washington, DC region, weaving dramatic writing into school curricula and providing year-long residencies, community workshops, and staged productions. The organization supplements this with a professional pipeline program (YPIP) for emerging playwrights aged 14-24, public performances (Ovation Showcase, Silence is Violence series), and digital courses for educators and adult writers.
Product overview
Young Playwrights' Theater (YPT) is a nonprofit theater education organization offering a portfolio of programs for youth (ages 8-24) and adults. The core offerings include the In-School Playwriting Program and Out-of-School Time Program as foundational youth development initiatives, supplemented by the Young Playwrights' Workshop (year-long DCPS residencies), and the Young Playwrights in Progress (YPIP) program for emerging playwrights aged 14-24. The organization stages annual productions including the Ovation Showcase and the Silence is Violence social justice series. Digital offerings include Writers at Play and The Playwrights' Lab (via Thinkific), the Virtual Stage, and Silence is Violence: The Podcast. The SAFER program addresses anti-racism through theater.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 30,000 young artists inspired over 30 years of operation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Young Playwrights’ Theater
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Young Playwrights’ Theater technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Young Playwrights’ Theater partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Theater AllianceminorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- Flapjack TheatricsminorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- Solstice Sister StudiominorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- Cody Bahn Photography and DesignminorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- Old Takoma Ace HardwareminorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- tabletopminorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- Compass Rose TheaterminorPodcast sponsor for Silence is Violence: The Podcast.
- Sitar Arts CentercoreYPT partnered with Sitar Arts Center for the SAFER (Students Advocating for the Eradication of Racism) program, meeting weekly over several months to produce a staged reading in May 2023.
- Prince George's Community College Center for the Performing ArtsminorVenue partner for Silence Is Violence: New Normal performance on April 17, 2023.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Young Playwrights’ Theater competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD-based nonprofit that provides theater education and productions specifically for young people (and adults). Closest direct comparable in mission, audience, and DC-metro footprint to YPT's in-school and out-of-school programs.
- New Victory Theater: New York City's theater dedicated to performing arts for kids and families, combining productions with in-school and community education programs. Closest direct peer to YPT's youth theater education + production model outside DC.
- Atlantic Theater Company / Atlantic Acting School: New York-based theater and affiliated acting school that runs adult and youth training in playwriting and performance. Comparable in combining professional production with structured theater education.
- Sitar Arts Center: DC-based nonprofit providing multidisciplinary arts education to youth and families, including a direct YPT co-program partner on the SAFER initiative. Comparable in audience (low-income DC youth), funding model, and program mix.
- The Theatre Lab: DC-based nonprofit that provides theater education and life-skills programs to youth and adults. Comparable in operating model, education-first mission, and DC geographic focus.
Emerging players
- National New Play Network: National alliance of theaters developing and producing new plays, including by early-career playwrights. Comparable in its focus on new-play development and on creating pathways for emerging playwrights, similar to YPT's YPIP program.
Broad incumbents
- Round House Theatre: DC-area professional theater company with education and new-play development programs. Comparable in producing work by emerging playwrights and in operating within the DC theater ecosystem alongside YPT.
- Arena Stage: Major regional theater in Washington, DC where YPT students and artistic staff have performed and worked. Comparable in DC theater ecosystem, but operates as a large producing theater rather than an education-focused nonprofit.
- Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: DC-based professional theater known for new and provocative work. Comparable as a DC-area new-play producing organization that engages with social-justice themes, although it does not focus on youth education.
- The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts: National performing arts center and direct YPT performance partner. Comparable as a venue and amplification partner for YPT student work, and operates its own education programs in the same DC ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Young Playwrights’ Theater social profiles
Digital presenceYoung Playwrights’ Theater financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Young Playwrights’ Theater leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Young Playwrights’ Theater funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Young Playwrights’ Theater M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Young Playwrights’ Theater
What does Young Playwrights’ Theater do?
Young Playwrights' Theater delivers in-school and out-of-school theater and playwriting programs for young people ages 8-24 in the Washington, DC region, weaving dramatic writing into school curricula and providing year-long residencies, community workshops, and staged productions. The organization supplements this with a professional pipeline program (YPIP) for emerging playwrights aged 14-24, public performances (Ovation Showcase, Silence is Violence series), and digital courses for educators and adult writers.
Is Young Playwrights’ Theater a public or private company?
Young Playwrights’ Theater is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Young Playwrights’ Theater founded?
Young Playwrights’ Theater was founded in 1995. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Young Playwrights’ Theater based?
Young Playwrights’ Theater is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Young Playwrights’ Theater make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Government Grants and program Fees.
Who are Young Playwrights’ Theater's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Imagination Stage, New Victory Theater, Atlantic Theater Company / Atlantic Acting School, Sitar Arts Center and The Theatre Lab. National New Play Network is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Round House Theatre, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Does Young Playwrights’ Theater have an API?
No public API is recorded for Young Playwrights’ Theater.
What industry is Young Playwrights’ Theater in?
Young Playwrights’ Theater's product category is Youth Theater Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAAAG, Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater), with a secondary code of EDAMAMAD, Playwriting & Scriptwriting Workshops (Stage). Its NAICS code is 61161.