Bay Street Theater

What Bay Street Theater does

Bay Street Theater is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) professional regional theater founded in 1991 in Sag Harbor, New York. It operates a 299-seat thrust venue on Long Wharf in the Hamptons, presenting a year-round program of new, classic, and contemporary works, including a Summer Mainstage Season, Music Mondays concert series, and Comedy Series. The organization also runs a substantial education division offering theater camps and performance classes for ages 4-17 and adults, alongside accessibility programs such as Pay What You Can nights, Free Student Sundays, and the Literature Live! school initiative. Notable productions that originated or were developed at Bay Street have transferred to Broadway, Off-Broadway, and international venues, including the Tony Award-winning Dear Evan Hansen and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Anna in the Tropics. The theater is led by Executive Director Tracy Mitchell and Artistic Director Scott Schwartz, with a Board of Trustees chaired by Lynn Mestel and Trustee Emeritus Julie Andrews.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue mix combining earned and contributed income: ticket sales and season subscriptions ($279-$405 per subscription tier), tiered memberships ranging from $250 (Chorus) to $25,000+ (Producer), corporate sponsorships (Sourcepass, Grenning Gallery, Yacht Hamptons among others), individual donations and planned giving, vehicle donations via the CARS program, and institutional grants from NYSCA, the Shubert Foundation, Suffolk County, and the Town of Southampton. Distribution is direct and multi-channel: a box office open 11am-5pm seven days per week, online ticketing through baystreet.org, group sales for 10+ with 10% discounts, theater rentals for private events, and gift certificates. Marketing relies on a 20,000+ subscriber email newsletter (33% open rate), 13,000+ social media followers, 87,500+ annual website visitors, print playbills, and partnerships with the Hamptons Arts Network and Hampton JazzFest. Customer-facing technology is limited to standard website ticketing, online donations, and third-party integrations with ParkMobile, OpenTable, Resy, and CARS — no proprietary platform, API, or AI/ML capabilities are present. The organization has 51-100 staff and is governed independently with no parent company.

Name

Bay Street Theater

Legal name

Bay Street Theatre Festival, Inc.

Website

https://baystreet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Bay Street Theater is a 299-seat nonprofit professional regional theater in Sag Harbor, NY, presenting new, classic, and contemporary works, music concerts, comedy, and youth education programs to Hamptons audiences and cultural tourists since 1991.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Professional regional theater
• Performing arts education
• Theater season subscriptions
• Membership fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Sag Harbor

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Individual show tickets and season subscriptions for mainstage productions and special events. Includes various pricing tiers and discount programs for students, veterans, seniors, and youth.
2. Education Programs: Summer camps for ages 4-17 including musical theater, acting, improv, dance, and scene study. Performance classes and stand-up comedy workshops for adults.
3. Memberships and Donations: Tax-deductible contributions at various levels from Chorus ($250) to Producer ($25,000+), offering escalating benefits including presale access, backstage tours, opening night tickets, and concierge services.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship packages for mainstage productions, digital programs, patio branding, and education initiatives. Marketing benefits with audience exposure.
5. Planned Giving and Vehicle Donations: Charitable bequests, living trusts, named beneficiary options, and vehicle donation program through CARS for planned giving and major gifts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bay Street Theater produces and presents live professional theater in a 299-seat venue in Sag Harbor, NY, anchored by a Summer Mainstage Season of Broadway-quality musicals and plays, a Music Mondays concert series, and a Comedy Series. The organization also runs summer theater education camps for ages 4-17, adult performance classes, and accessibility programs (Pay What You Can, Free Student Sundays, Literature Live!). Revenue is supplemented by tiered memberships, season subscriptions, individual ticket sales, corporate sponsorships, donations, and grants.

Product overview

Bay Street Theater is a year-round not-for-profit 299-seat professional regional theater in Sag Harbor, NY, operating since 1991. The theater offers a portfolio of live performance products centered on its Summer Mainstage Season featuring Broadway-quality productions and musicals, complemented by the Music Mondays concert series and Comedy Series for special events. The company extends its mission through educational offerings including Summer Theater Camp Programs for ages 4-17 and Performance Classes for adults, along with accessibility initiatives like Pay What You Can and Free Student Sundays. Additional revenue streams include Membership tiers, Season Subscriptions, Theater Rentals, Gift Certificates, and Corporate Sponsorships. The organization positions itself as a beacon for live theater innovation, education, and community engagement on the East End of Long Island.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Mainstage Season Year-defining summer season of mainstage productions including Broadway-caliber musicals and plays. The 2026 season includes Cagney (June 30-July 26), Dear Evan Hansen (August 4-August 29), and Bonkers in the Boroughs (September 2-September 6). Aimed at theater patrons and cultural tourists.
• Music Mondays Concert Series Concert series featuring music performances including jazz, gospel, and tribute shows. 2026 performances include Melissa Errico: The Streisand Effect (Aug 17), Harlem Gospel Choir: Remembering Whitney & Tina (Aug 24), An Evening with Jason Robert Brown (July 6), and Tom Kitt (Aug 10). Aimed at adult music and theater patrons.
• Comedy Series Stand-up and comedy performances featuring professional comedians. The 2026 lineup includes David Koechner (June 27). Aimed at adult comedy audiences in the Hamptons.
• Summer Theater Camp Programs Educational summer programs for children and teens ages 4-17 including My Fave Tales!, My Life: The Musical, Improv Squad, Shakespeare Shenanigans, Acting the Scene, Musical Theatre Audition Intensive, The Little Mermaid Jr., and Step Into Broadway! Dance Intensive. Aimed at parents seeking performing arts education and summer enrichment for their children.
• Performance Classes Adult and teen performing arts classes including the Think You're Funny? stand-up comedy program running October-November 2026. Aimed at adults and teens seeking performing arts instruction.
• Membership Program Tiered annual membership program with benefits escalating from ticket presale priority (Chorus, $250) to 2 opening night tickets, backstage tours, concierge access, 4-6 mainstage show tickets (Patron levels), and fully customizable private reception experiences (Producer, $25,000+). Aimed at arts patrons and major donors.
• Individual Theater Tickets Individual show tickets with tiered pricing (Matinee Regular $278.97, Matinee Premium $365.37, Evening Regular $314.97, Evening Premium $404.97) and discount programs including $20 Under 20, $30 Under 30, and 10% off for students, veterans, seniors (65+), and emergency workers. Aimed at individual show-goers.
• Season Subscriptions Annual subscription packages for the Summer Mainstage Season providing 10% off standard ticket prices, priority seating, free exchanges, and early access to shows and events. Aimed at frequent theater attendees and arts patrons.
• Theater Rentals Private event rental of the 299-seat theater facility for corporate events, weddings, and special occasions. Aimed at corporations, event planners, and private clients.
• Gift Certificates Digital gift certificates available in any denomination, redeemable online or in-person for tickets and other services. Aimed at gift-givers seeking theater experiences.
• Corporate Sponsorships Corporate sponsorship packages offering brand visibility through mainstage, digital program, patio, and education sponsorships with associated marketing benefits. Aimed at local and regional businesses seeking audience exposure.
• Literature Live! School Program Arts education initiative providing free theater experiences for school groups, allowing students to attend classic shows at no cost. Aimed at schools and student groups.

Quantifiable outcome

• Many productions that premiered or were developed at Bay Street have moved to Broadway, Off-Broadway, regionally and abroad
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A.C.T. of ConnecticutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership with A.C.T. of Connecticut for the Bay Street reimagined production of Dear Evan Hansen.
• Hamptons Arts NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional arts network collaboration for cross-promotion, audience development, and cultural programming across Hamptons arts organizations.
• SourcepassminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Bay Street Theater.
• Grenning GalleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Sag Harbor gallery sponsor.
• Yacht HamptonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarquee sponsor for Bay Street Theater.
• In Home Sag HarborminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business sponsor supporting Bay Street Theater.
• Hampton JazzFestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for presenting the Harlem Gospel Choir tribute concert as part of the annual jazz festival.
• Riki Kane LarimerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducer for Cagney musical production at Bay Street Theater.
• Kate Edelman JohnsonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive producer for Cagney musical production.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goodspeed Musicals: Connecticut-based nonprofit regional theater focused on musical theater development and new work incubation. Operates on a similar scale with a comparable Broadway-transfer and niche-stage business model.
• Williamstown Theatre Festival: Berkshire-based nonprofit regional theater with a comparable summer season, Broadway-development pipeline, and intellectual-leisure audience. Closest analog to Bay Street's developmental/premiere positioning in a summer-resort geography.
• Bucks County Playhouse: Pennsylvania-based nonprofit regional theater of similar seat-count scale, summer-season orientation, and Broadway-development heritage. Strong structural analog in second-home/resort geography.
• Long Wharf Theatre: New Haven-based nonprofit professional regional theater with comparable producing scale and a tradition of developing works that transfer to Broadway. Operates in an adjacent Northeast geography with similar institutional positioning.
• Westport Country Playhouse: A nonprofit professional regional theater in coastal Connecticut operating a similarly intimate venue with a summer season and year-round programming. Highly comparable in scale, geography (NY tri-state affluent catchment), and subscription/membership model.

Broad incumbents

• Arena Stage: DC-based nonprofit regional theater with national recognition, comparable producing model, but materially larger scale, multiple venues, and longer operating season than Bay Street.
• Hartford Stage: Larger Connecticut-based Tony-honored regional theater producing new plays and classics. Comparable in nonprofit subscription model but with greater institutional scale and a longer season.
• La Jolla Playhouse: California-based nonprofit theater with deep Broadway-transfer credits and a developmental-producing model. Comparable in premiere-and-transfer pipeline but with substantially larger scale and a year-round season.
• Paper Mill Playhouse: Larger New Jersey-based regional theater producing Broadway-scale musicals in a subscription model. Comparable in producing/previewing Broadway-bound work but with a larger venue and broader subscription footprint.
• Geffen Playhouse: LA-based nonprofit producing theater of comparable premieres/subscription model with a higher overall production volume. Useful benchmark for institutional maturation and donor-development paths.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BayStTheater_
• Facebookfacebook.com/baysttheater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Bay Street Theater