Playhouse on the Square

What Playhouse on the Square does

Playhouse on the Square, legally Circuit Playhouse, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional resident theatre company founded in 1969 and headquartered in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee. It operates three physical venues — a 250-seat mainstage at 66 S. Cooper Street, The Circuit Playhouse at 51 S. Cooper Street, and TheatreWorks@TheSquare at 2085 Monroe Avenue — presenting 17–18 stage productions annually across large-scale musicals, intimate plays, experimental works, and new works developed through the NewWorks@TheWorks playwriting competition in partnership with Northern Michigan University. The organization reaches approximately 50,000 individuals annually through productions and 30,000 children through 13 educational and outreach initiatives including Youth Theatre School, Adult Theatre School, Summer Conservatory, School Matinees, Touring Productions, and the PlaySlam! youth playwriting competition.

The company's revenue model is a hybrid of earned and contributed income. Ticket sales and season subscriptions (ranging from $210 for an 8-pack to $760 for a 32-ticket Benefactor level, with preview tickets at $25 and regular adult tickets at $40) cover approximately 50% of production costs, with the balance funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorships ($2,500–$50,000 packages), grants from ArtsMemphis, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and the NEA, plus ancillary revenue from facility rentals ($10–$13/sq ft for non-profit offices, plus weddings and corporate events), costume rentals, and education program fees ($125–$1,000 per class). Distribution is anchored by a direct-to-consumer physical box office, the OvationTix online ticketing platform, season subscriptions, school matinee programs, touring productions within a 200-mile radius, and corporate group sales.

Founded by Jackie Nichols and Walter Slaughter as a student troupe in 1963 and incorporated in 1969, the company grew from a $30,000 annual budget to approximately $2.5 million by 2019. It transitioned executive leadership from Nichols to Michael Detroit as Executive Producer, with Whitney Jo as Managing Director. Underlying technology is limited to commercial SaaS — AudienceView/OvationTix for ticketing, Google Analytics, Point App for volunteers, Vimeo for video — with no proprietary platforms, AI capabilities, or patents disclosed. The organization operates as the sole year-round professional resident theatre company in the Mid-South region, leveraging its location within Overton Square (which draws over 1 million annual visitors) as a distribution anchor.

Name

Playhouse on the Square

Legal name

Circuit Playhouse, Inc.

Website

https://playhouseonthesquare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Playhouse on the Square is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional resident theatre company operating three Memphis venues, producing 17-18 stage productions annually, running 13 education programs, and serving approximately 50,000 audience members and 30,000 children in the Mid-South region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Theatre arts education
• Season subscriptions
• Facility rentals
• Performing arts company

Headquarters

HQ city

Memphis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single ticket sales for individual productions across three stages. Covers preview shows, regular performances, and special pay-what-you-can performances. Ticket sales and subscriptions cover approximately 50% of production costs.
2. Season Subscriptions: Multi-show subscription packages providing 8-32 tickets valid across Playhouse on the Square, The Circuit Playhouse, and TheatreWorks productions. Offered at Regular, Twelve Pack, Double, Patron, and Benefactor levels.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Production and event sponsorship packages ranging from $2,500 to $50,000 with recognition and benefits based on sponsorship level. Also includes individual show sponsors.
4. Donations and Charitable Support: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations supporting the non-profit mission. Includes corporate giving, individual giving, and support from arts funders (ArtsMemphis, Tennessee Arts Commission, NEA).
5. Facility Rentals: Office rentals for non-profit organizations at $10-$13 per square foot, costume rentals, and event/facility rentals for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations.
6. Education Programs: Fees for theatre education including Youth Theatre School ($125 per 8-week class), Adult Theatre School ($150 per 8-week class), Summer Conservatory ($185-$1,000), and touring productions.
7. Playwriting Competition Entry Fees: $15 entry fee for NewWorks@TheWorks playwriting competition ($10 for Dramatist Guild members and returning submitters).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels9 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Playhouse on the Square operates as Memphis' sole year-round professional resident theatre company, presenting 14-18 stage productions annually across three venues (Playhouse on the Square mainstage, The Circuit Playhouse, and TheatreWorks@TheSquare). The company runs an extensive theatre education division including youth and adult classes, a summer conservatory, school matinees, touring productions, facility tours, and playwriting competitions, supported by ticket sales, subscriptions, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Playhouse on the Square operates as a multi-venue professional resident theatre company with three distinct performance spaces: Playhouse on the Square (mainstage at 66 S. Cooper St), The Circuit Playhouse (intimate venue at 51 S. Cooper St), and TheatreWorks@TheSquare (experimental stage at 2085 Monroe Ave). The organization presents 14-18 stage productions annually ranging from large-scale musicals to intimate plays and new works. Complementing the performance venues, the company offers a comprehensive theatre education division including Youth Theatre School, Adult Theatre School, Summer Youth Theatre Conservatory, School Matinees, Touring Productions, Facility Tours & Workshops, PlaySlam! Youth Playwriting Competition, Winter Workshops, and the Showstopper Workshop Series. Additional revenue streams include Facility Rentals for events, Costume Rentals, and Office Rentals for non-profits. The organization also runs special fundraising events including The Annual Original Art Auction and Great Wine Event. Accessibility initiatives include Pay-What-You-Can performances. The company operates under Circuit Playhouse, Inc. as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving Memphis and the Mid-South.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions at Playhouse on the Square Primary theatrical productions presented at the 250-seat mainstage venue at 66 South Cooper Street, featuring large-scale musicals and plays for general audiences.
• The Circuit Playhouse Secondary performance venue at 51 South Cooper Street hosting intimate plays and smaller-scale productions.
• TheatreWorks@TheSquare Third stage venue at 2085 Monroe Avenue for experimental productions, new works, and smaller performances.
• Youth Theatre School Saturday classes for students K-12 covering acting, musical theatre, and technical theatre skills over 8-week sessions with showcase performances. Priced at $125 per 8-week class.
• Adult Theatre School 8-week evening classes for adults including Beginning Acting, Advanced Acting, Musical Theatre, and Improvisation, priced at $150 per 8-week class.
• Summer Youth Theatre Conservatory

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches 50,000 individuals annually through productions and 30,000 children through education programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Northern Michigan University - Forest Roberts TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlaywriting competition collaboration merging Playhouse's NewWorks@TheWorks competition (since 2013) with NMU's Mildred and Albert Panowski competition (since 1977). Six finalists receive $100 each for staged readings in Memphis; two winning plays receive $1,500 each for world premieres at TheatreWorks@TheSquare, with one selected for full production at NMU's Forest Roberts Theatre in Marquette, Michigan.
• AutoZonecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEducation Super Sponsor supporting Playhouse's Theatre Education Program which has enriched the Memphis community since 1985.
• Dr. Thomas RatliffmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSuper Sponsor for Sweeney Todd production. Major individual supporter of theatrical productions.
• Dorothy O. KirschmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayhouse Sponsor for multiple productions including Sweeney Todd. Longtime supporter of the theatre.
• Steve CohenmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerShow Sponsor for Sweeney Todd production.
• Mike McLaren & Diane VescovomajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent Sponsors for Great Wine fundraising event benefitting Playhouse on the Square.
• TN4ARTSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvocacy organization defending and expanding public funding for the arts in Tennessee. Supports specialty license plate program providing 80% of TAC grants.
• International PapermajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for PlaySlam! annual youth playwriting competition and festival for Middle and High School students in the Mid-South area.
• Shirley StagnerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for Youth Theatre School and Adult Theatre School programs.
• Opera MemphisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of Sweeney Todd with Playhouse on the Square.
• The Memphian HotelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBoutique hotel located near Playhouse venues offering discounts to season subscribers and featuring dining establishments popular with theatre patrons.
• Overton Square/Loeb PropertiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHistoric entertainment district in Midtown Memphis anchored by Playhouse and four other theatres. Overton Square draws 1 million+ visitors annually.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC): Nashville-based multi-venue presenting organization with resident companies and education programs. Functions as both venue operator and presenter, overlapping with Playhouse's presenter/programmer role at its three stages.
• Playhouse Square: Cleveland-based multi-venue performing arts complex hosting resident and touring productions across numerous theatres. Comparable multi-stage operating model and education/community programming, though at materially larger scale.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Long-established multi-stage professional regional theatre famous for the Humana Festival of New American Plays. Larger and more nationally prominent than Playhouse but operates an analogous producing + education + new-works model.

Direct peers

• Alliance Theatre: Atlanta-based professional resident theatre with a comparable mainstage + education model including school matinees and touring programs. Similar structure of producing season programming plus robust theatre-education division.
• Nashville Repertory Theatre: Tennessee-based professional regional theatre producing a season of plays and musicals with education outreach. Closest in-state peer of comparable scale and repertory model, also drawing on Tennessee Arts Commission and corporate sponsorships.
• Hattiloo Theatre: Memphis-based Black theatre company producing a season of plays and musicals. Direct local peer competing for the same Mid-South audience, donors, and corporate sponsors within the Memphis market.

Regional players

• Berkeley Repertory Theatre: West Coast professional regional theatre producing a mainstage season plus robust education outreach. Similar professional resident model with comparable community engagement programming, though serving a different geographic market.

Emerging players

• Germantown Community Theatre: Memphis suburb community theatre producing a season of plays and musicals with youth education. Smaller scale than Playhouse and largely volunteer-driven, but overlaps in Memphis-area audience and youth programming.
• Clarence Brown Theatre: University of Tennessee professional theatre producing a summer season plus education. Comparable repertory producing function with a strong conservatory/education component, anchored to an academic institution.

Others

• Memphis Brooks Museum of Art: Memphis-based cultural nonprofit institution also reliant on donations, ArtsMemphis funding, and corporate sponsorships. Adjacent peer in the Memphis arts ecosystem competing for the same donor and sponsor pool, useful for understanding Memphis arts funding dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/playhouseonthesquare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/playhouse-on-the-square

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Playhouse on the Square