What Shakespeare & Company does

Shakespeare & Company is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit professional live theater company headquartered on a 33-acre campus in Lenox, Massachusetts. Founded in 1978 by Tina Packer, the organization operates an integrated portfolio of three business lines: Performance (a summer season of Shakespeare and classic/contemporary plays across five venues including the 500-seat Arthur S. Waldstein Amphitheatre, the Tina Packer Playhouse, the Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, and the Roman Garden Theatre), Actor Training (the internationally recognized Center for Actor Training offering a Month-long Intensive at $4,950, Summer Shakespeare Intensive at $5,850, and Weekend Intensives at $5,500), and Education (a nationally recognized program reaching 45,000+ K-12 and college students annually through Shakespeare in the Courts, Riotous Youth, Fall Festival of Shakespeare, and the Northeast Regional Tour). The company reports annual patron attendance of 40,000+, a core of 150+ professional artists, and roughly 101–250 total employees.

The business model is multi-stream and characteristic of mid-sized regional non-profit theaters. Revenue is generated through ticket sales (individual, FLEXpass subscription packages, and group bookings of 10+), high-margin professional actor training tuition, donations and fundraising (annual Gala, Players' Society, Stratford Circle planned giving, business sponsorships of 100+ local establishments), facility rentals (costumes, props/weapons/scenic, and theater/studio space), and merchandise via the Shake & Co Shop on Squareup. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer and event-driven: OvationTix online ticketing, on-site and phone Box Office, group sales outreach, and a community-led education pipeline that feeds future audiences. Distribution is concentrated in the Berkshires with national visibility via touring, awards (Newsweek Top 10 Outdoor Theater Venues, Elliott Norton, BroadwayWorld), and institutional partnerships with Tanglewood, MASSMoCA, Jacob's Pillow, and the Norman Rockwell Museum that embed the company in the regional cultural-tourism cluster.

The underlying technology stack is deliberately lean and operationally conventional: OvationTix for ticketing and donation processing, Squareup for merchandise, and standard email, web, and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X) for marketing. There is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and no API or integration layer. Competitive positioning rests on intangible assets (47-year brand and performance history), talent (internationally recognized training faculty and proprietary psychophysical methodology), and physical infrastructure (33-acre campus, five venues) — not on technology differentiation. Current leadership comprises Artistic Director Allyn Burrows, Executive Director Molly Merrihew, and Board Chair Beverly Hyman, Ph.D.

Name

Shakespeare & Company

Legal name

Shakespeare & Company Inc.

Website

https://shakespeare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Shakespeare & Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional live theater company in Lenox, Massachusetts, founded in 1978, operating a summer performance season, an internationally recognized Center for Actor Training, and an education program reaching 45,000+ students annually across five venues on a 33-acre Berkshire campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater and Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theater performances
• Professional actor training
• Theater education programs
• Shakespeare performance company
• Outdoor amphitheater theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Lenox

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: Primary revenue stream from individual and package ticket sales for live theater performances across multiple venues. FLEXpasses offer 3-show and 5-show packages with savings up to 33%.
2. Actor Training Tuition: Revenue from professional actor training programs including Month-long Intensive ($4,950), Summer Shakespeare Intensive ($5,850), Weekend Intensives ($5,500), and specialized workshops.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Significant philanthropic revenue including annual Gala, Players' Society membership, Planned Giving (The Stratford Circle), Business Sponsorships, and general donations supporting Center for Actor Training, Education Program, and Performances.
4. Annual Gala: Major annual fundraising event with ticket/table purchases, paddle raises, and donor recognition across Platinum, Gold, Silver, Diamond, and Sapphire tiers.
5. Facility Rentals: Rental income from costume rentals, props/weapons/scenic rentals, and theater/studio space rentals to external parties.
6. Merchandise Sales: Revenue from Shake & Co Shop selling apparel, accessories, and exclusive merchandise through online storefront (Squareup).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shakespeare & Company operates as a professional live theater company producing Shakespeare plays and contemporary works across five performance venues (two indoor theaters and three outdoor stages including a 500-seat amphitheater) on its 33-acre Lenox, Massachusetts campus. The company also runs the Center for Actor Training offering intensives for professional actors and theater students, plus a nationally recognized Education Program delivering Shakespeare-in-schools programming to 45,000+ students annually.

Product overview

Shakespeare & Company is a professional live theater company in the Berkshires of Massachusetts that operates as a unified portfolio of Performance, Training, and Education programs. The company presents a vibrant summer performance season featuring Shakespeare's works in repertory with classic and contemporary plays across five stages (two indoor and three outdoor). The product portfolio includes live theater productions (such as Fireflies, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, and Circus & The Bard), the Center for Actor Training with programs like the Month-long Intensive and Summer Shakespeare Intensive, and an Education Program reaching 45,000+ students annually through Shakespeare in the Courts, Riotous Youth, Fall Festival of Shakespeare, and Northeast Regional Tour. Additional offerings include venue rentals (costume, props, and theater space), the Shake & Co Shop merchandise store, and educational tours and lectures.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Actor Training: Internationally recognized professional actor training program offering Month-long Intensive, Summer Shakespeare Intensive, and specialized workshops
• Shake & Co Shop
• The Center for Actor Training

Products and services

• Live Theater Performances Professional live theater productions featuring Shakespeare plays, classic works, and contemporary plays presented across five stages (two indoor theaters and three outdoor venues) during the summer season and year-round.
• Twelfth Night Shakespeare's romantic comedy featuring shipwrecks, disguises, and mistaken identities performed outdoors during the 2026 summer season.
• Fireflies A contemporary play by Matthew Barber about a retired schoolteacher whose life is upended when a drifter named Abel Brown arrives to repair her roof.
• Circus & The Bard: The Next Chapter A collaborative production pairing jaw-dropping circus acts with Shakespeare's characters, created by Allyn Burrows, Robin Eldridge, and Pedro Reis.
• Hamlet Shakespeare's most searching play about grief, conscience, and the cost of action, featuring a young prince haunted by his father's ghost.
• Shake It Up: The Remix A high-energy mash-up of modern music and Shakespeare verse performed in the Tina Packer Playhouse transformed into the Elephant Lounge.
• The Norwegians A dark comedy set in a Minnesota bar where two women reeling from romantic betrayal hatch a plan to hire Norwegian hitmen.
• Shakespeare in the Courts

Quantifiable outcome

• 45,000+ students reached annually through education programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Spirit of the CircuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Shakespeare & Company and Spirit of the Circus (founded by Robin Eldridge and Pedro Reis) to create Circus & The Bard productions combining circus arts with Shakespeare's characters. The partnership has produced multiple iterations including 'Circus & The Bard: The Next Chapter'.
• Mass Cultural CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Card to Culture program, a collaboration with the Department of Transitional Assistance, WIC Nutrition Program, and Massachusetts Health Connector offering $5 discounted tickets to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare cardholders.
• OvationTixcoreTechnology or IntegrationTicketing platform provider used for online ticket sales, season brochures, calendar integration, and donation processing.
• Business Sponsors (100+ local establishments)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of local restaurants, hotels, shops, attractions, and services that support the company and are promoted to visitors. Includes recommendations for dining, exploration, health, services, and shopping in the Berkshire region.
• The Old Inn on the GreenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering partner for annual Gala events, providing dinner services during the Rose Meadow Tent dinner portion of the fundraising event.
• Nearby Cultural AttractionssupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Tanglewood, Norman Rockwell Museum, Edith Wharton's The Mount, Jacob's Pillow, MASSMoCA, and other regional cultural destinations creating a cultural tourism ecosystem.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/shakeandco
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/shakeandco
• Facebookfacebook.com/shakeandco
• Instagraminstagram.com/shakeandco

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 Shakespeare & Company