What The Barrow Group does

The Barrow Group (TBG) is a nonprofit performing arts organization headquartered at a 19,000-square-foot Performing Arts Center on the 9th floor of 520 8th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Founded in 1986 by co-Artistic Directors Seth Barrish and Lee Brock, TBG operates as an integrated acting school, Off-Broadway theater company, and facility-rental business serving professional and aspiring actors, youth (ages 6–18), corporate clients, K-12 schools, higher education institutions, and independent artists. The organization trains more than 4,000 students annually, has developed or produced more than 150 shows since inception (including 70+ fully staged Off-Broadway productions), and runs the FAB Women's development company with a 100-member ensemble of professional women artists.

TBG's core product is its proprietary acting methodology — "The Barrow Group Approach" — emphasizing spontaneity, simplicity, relaxation, and authenticity, codified in Seth Barrish's published book "An Actor's Companion – 99 Bits of Craft." All faculty are required to complete a rigorous year-and-a-half internal Teacher Training Program with the co-Artistic Directors before teaching independently, creating a structurally defended teaching standard. The organization offers a layered product portfolio: multi-level adult acting classes (Beginner through Professional Scene Study), 1-Year conservatory-style programs (Professional Acting, Intermediate Acting, Directing, Actor Craft Expansion, Teen Ensemble), specialty classes in playwriting, screenwriting, voice, dialects, clowning, and Alexander Technique, plus youth after-school classes, summer camps, and online classes delivered via Zoom. Performance and development offerings include Off-Broadway productions, artist residencies, FAB Women, community events (Improv Saturdays, Fast Play Festival, Short Film Festival, Student Sharings), and mainstage readings. The facility's eight studios and 70-seat and 60-seat theaters are also rented to outside artists and organizations.

TBG generates revenue through six distinct streams: class tuition and training programs, performance ticket sales, studio and theater rentals, corporate workshops, K-12 and higher education residencies, and philanthropic donations. Pricing is highly distributed, ranging from $10 audit sessions and $20 drop-in improv classes to $2,500 year-long teen ensemble programs and hourly studio rates of $20–$153 depending on space and renter category. The organization operates without parent-company, PE, or VC ownership, governed by an independent Board of Trustees, and has received recognition including Drama Desk Awards for Off-Off-Broadway Excellence (1995 and 2005), an Obie Award (2004), Lucille Lortel Awards (2011, 2013), and a Drama Desk Award for Best Ensemble (2009), with alumni including Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway and Emmy winners Tony Hale and Poorna Jagannathan.

Name

The Barrow Group

Legal name

The Barrow Group Performing Arts Center

Website

https://barrowgroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Barrow Group is a nonprofit NYC acting school and Off-Broadway theater company founded in 1986, training 4,000+ students annually through a proprietary acting methodology delivered at its 19,000-sq-ft Midtown Performing Arts Center, and serving adult actors, youth, corporate clients, and educational institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Training and Theater Production

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Camps (Theater, Musical Theater, Dance) (EDAMALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Screenwriting Workshops (Film/TV/Web) (EDAMAMAE), Writing Retreats & Intensive Bootcamps (EDAMAMAK)

Keywords

• Acting school
• Acting classes
• Theater productions
• Corporate workshops
• Arts education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Class Tuition & Training Programs: Revenue from adult and youth acting, directing, playwriting, screenwriting, and specialty classes at various levels (beginner through professional). Programs include 10-week classes, one-year conservatory programs, summer intensives, and online courses. Class fees vary by format and duration.
2. Performance Tickets: Revenue from ticket sales for Off-Broadway productions, readings, student sharings, and community events staged in TBG's 70-seat theater and 60-seat studio theater.
3. Studio & Theater Rental: Revenue from renting TBG's eight studios and two theaters to outside artists, companies, and organizations. Rental rates vary by space (studios 1–9), time slot, and whether the renter is for-profit, nonprofit, or a TBG student.
4. Corporate Workshops: Custom experiential programs for corporate clients focused on presence, communication, creativity, and team-building. Programs range from single-session workshops to multi-day intensives and ongoing engagements.
5. Education Residencies: Fee-for-service residencies for colleges, universities, conservatories, and K-12 schools. TBG offers acting, voice, movement, and ensemble intensives tailored to each institution's goals.
6. Donations & Philanthropic Support: As a nonprofit organization, TBG receives charitable contributions. The organization maintains a donor contact form and holds annual benefits (e.g., 40th Anniversary Spring Benefit in 2026).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Barrow Group delivers multi-level acting, directing, playwriting, and screenwriting classes and 1-year conservatory-style training programs using its proprietary "Barrow Group Approach." It supplements training with Off-Broadway productions, youth and teen programs, corporate workshops, K-12 and higher-education residencies, studio and theater rentals, and community events.

Product overview

The Barrow Group is a nonprofit NYC performing arts organization offering a comprehensive suite of training programs and theater production services. The core offering consists of multi-level acting classes (Professional, Intermediate, Beginner) and 1-Year Programs (Professional Acting, Intermediate Acting, Directing, Actor Craft Expansion, Teen Ensemble). Supplementary programs include youth classes and summer camps for ages 6-18, playwriting and screenwriting instruction, directing workshops, and online classes via video conferencing. The organization also provides corporate workshops, K-12 education residencies, and higher education residencies. Performance opportunities include Off-Broadway productions, artist performance residencies, FAB Women (women's development company), student sharings, and community events including Improv Saturdays, Fast Play Festival, and Short Film Festival. Physical infrastructure includes eight studios and a 70-seat theater available for rental. The organization has developed its own methodology documented in 'An Actor's Companion' by Seth Barrish, supported by a rigorous teacher training program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FAB Women: A women's development company dedicated to creating intimate, powerful, and thought-provoking theatrical work reflecting the lived experiences of women.

Products and services

• 1-Year Professional Acting Program (Conservatory) Comprehensive one-year conservatory training program for professional working actors, taught by co-Artistic Directors Seth Barrish and Lee Brock using The Barrow Group Approach.
• 1-Year Intermediate Acting Program One-year part-time evening acting program for actors with previous training and experience who want to take their craft and career to the next level using The Barrow Group Approach.
• 1-Year Directing Program One-year program for professional directors or TBG-trained professional actors beginning a directing career, teaching The Barrow Group approach to evoking spontaneous performances.
• 1-Year Actor Craft Expansion Program Advanced one-year program that builds on the first year of training for graduates of TBG's 1-Year Professional and/or Intermediate Acting Programs.
• Professional Scene Study Classes

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ students trained annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Bailey HouseminorOthersTBG has collaborated with The Bailey House, providing workshops in theatre, improvisation, and filmmaking as part of its community outreach and education programming.
• St. Mary'sminorOthersTBG has partnered with St. Mary's to deliver theatre, improvisation, and filmmaking workshops through its education outreach program.
• The Harlem United Community Aids CenterminorOthersTBG has partnered with The Harlem United Community Aids Center to provide theatre, improvisation, and filmmaking workshops as part of its community programming.
• The Cooke SchoolminorOthersTBG has collaborated with The Cooke School to deliver theatre, improvisation, and filmmaking workshops through its education outreach program.
• The Children's Hope FoundationminorOthersTBG has partnered with The Children's Hope Foundation to provide theatre, improvisation, and filmmaking workshops as part of its community outreach efforts.
• Quinnipiac UniversityminorOthersTBG has partnered with Quinnipiac University for its New Play Festival, providing residencies and educational programming for university students.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Stella Adler Studio of Acting: One of NYC's most established acting conservatories, offering multi-level training rooted in a distinctive methodology (Stella Adler technique). Directly comparable to TBG as a tuition-based, multi-level acting school targeting serious actors in NYC.
• Atlantic Theater Company / Atlantic Acting School: Operates both an Off-Broadway producing theater and an acting school (Atlantic Acting School at NYU) that trains students in a specific studio methodology. Closely mirrors TBG's dual mission of producing plays and training actors in a codified approach.
• HB Studio: Long-running NYC acting school offering multi-level classes, workshops, and residencies. Comparable to TBG as a non-degree, multi-level conservatory serving both serious and emerging actors.
• William Esper Studio: NYC acting school founded by William Esper, offering a Meisner-based conservatory program including a two-year professional training track. Closely comparable to TBG's 1-year conservatory programs and method-based instruction.
• Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute: Prominent NYC acting school offering Method-based training for adults and youth with both in-person and online programs. Directly comparable as a multi-level, branded-method acting school in NYC.
• Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre: Historic NYC conservatory offering a two-year professional acting program and Meisner-based instruction. Comparable to TBG as a serious, conservatory-level acting school in NYC with rigorous multi-year programs.
• The Acting Studio - New York: NYC acting school offering multi-level classes, audition prep, and corporate training. Comparable to TBG as a multi-level NYC acting school with both consumer and corporate clients.
• Circle in the Square Theatre School: NYC acting school affiliated with an Off-Broadway theater, offering conservatory programs grounded in a specific methodology. Closely mirrors TBG's integrated school-plus-theater model and conservatory-style training.

Emerging players

• Second City: Chicago-based improv theater and training center with a global brand and training programs. Comparable to TBG's community/Improv Saturdays and youth programs as a hub for both theatrical production and acting/comedy training.
• Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Training Center: Improv and sketch comedy training center in NYC/LA offering multi-level classes and a relationship to a working theater. Comparable to TBG's improv community programming and youth/adult training structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thebarrowgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJTvqcJJi2EwaNeUIyeQZOA?themeRefresh=1
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBarrowGroupTheatreCompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thebarrowgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebarrowgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 The Barrow Group