Salt Lake Acting Company

What Salt Lake Acting Company does

Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) professional theatre founded in 1970 by Edward Gryska and headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. The organization produces contemporary and new plays in two flexible venues inside a leased, historic 19th Ward House of Worship built in 1896 — the 113-seat Chapel Theatre and the 160-seat Upstairs Theatre (convertible to a 206-seat cabaret space for the annual summer show). The core offering is a 4-6 production mainstage season featuring regional and world premieres, augmented by an annual summer cabaret parody production and a children's show. SLAC is a core member of the National New Play Network and operates a recognized new-play development pipeline through the New Play Sounding Series (running since 1994, nurturing 100+ new plays) and the Playwrights' Lab, employing a Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors' Equity Association to support 150+ professional artists annually.

SLAC generates revenue through a diversified mix of earned and contributed income: single-ticket sales (via online ticketing at purchase.saltlakeactingcompany.org and box office at 801-363-7522), season subscriptions, individual donations, foundation grants (Shubert, Eccles, Doctorow, Price Family), corporate sponsorships (Albion Financial, Fidelity Investments), and government arts funding (Salt Lake County ZAP, Utah Division of Arts & Museums, NEA, Salt Lake City Arts Council). Ancillary programs include the Making Space for Artists facility-rental initiative, the Title I Arts Education Program (2,000+ K-12 students annually), the Professional Theatre Program for Emerging Artists offering paid mentorships, and the SLAC Digital streaming platform launched in 2020 in partnership with Salt Lake Film Society's @homeArts. The organization runs on a lean staff of 10-15 full-time employees under Executive Artistic Director Cynthia Fleming (in role since 2015), with a 20+ member Board of Trustees, and serves as the Intermountain West's primary venue for bold, contemporary theatrical work.

There is no proprietary technology stack underpinning operations. The company has not raised external funding rounds, does not have parent-company ownership, and does not engage in M&A activity. Strategic growth is achieved through programmatic expansion (new plays, education, accessibility via the Amberlee Fund, digital streaming) and national co-productions rather than venue buildout or commercial scaling.

Name

Salt Lake Acting Company

Legal name

Salt Lake Acting Company

Website

https://saltlakeactingcompany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Salt Lake Acting Company is a Salt Lake City-based 501(c)(3) non-profit professional theatre founded in 1970, producing contemporary plays, new play development, and arts education programs serving the Intermountain West region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Contemporary theatre productions
• Professional performing arts
• New play development
• Arts education programs
• Theatre season subscriptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

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: Revenue from single-ticket purchases for mainstage productions, children's plays, and special events. Tickets sold online through purchase.saltlakeactingcompany.org and via box office phone/email.
2. Season Subscriptions: Annual subscription packages offering multiple shows at discounted rates compared to single tickets, providing predictable revenue and audience commitment.
3. Annual Fundraiser (The Party): Annual fundraising event with tickets starting at $125, featuring live and silent auctions, food and drink, with opportunities for walk-on stage roles.
4. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions to the 501(c)(3) organization, including the Amberlee Accessibility Fund for building accessibility improvements.
5. Foundation and Corporate Sponsorships: Support from foundations including Shubert Foundation, George S. & Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, and corporate partners including Albion Financial Group, Fidelity Investments, and others.
6. Government Grants: Funding from Salt Lake County Zoo Arts and Parks Program (ZAP), Utah Division of Arts & Museums, National Endowment for the Arts, and Salt Lake City Arts Council.
7. Space Rental (Making Space for Artists): Program providing professional resources for artists to rehearse, workshop, or produce work using SLAC's facilities including two theatre spaces, technical equipment, and ticketing services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Salt Lake Acting Company produces and presents contemporary professional theatre productions year-round in its two flexible theatres (113-seat Chapel Theatre and 160-seat Upstairs Theatre). Offerings include 4-6 regional and world premiere mainstage plays per season, an annual summer cabaret-style parody show, new play development programs (New Play Sounding Series, Playwrights' Lab), arts education programs for K-12 and emerging artists, and the SLAC Digital streaming platform. The company sells individual tickets, season subscriptions, and facility rentals, and operates as a nonprofit 501(c)(3).

Product overview

Salt Lake Acting Company (SLAC) is a small professional theatre offering a portfolio of interconnected theatrical products and programs. The core offering consists of mainstage productions (4-6 regional and world premieres annually) featuring the annual summer cabaret-style show, supported by developmental programs for new plays (New Play Sounding Series and Playwrights' Lab). Education initiatives include the Title I Arts Education Program offering free children's matinees and the Professional Theatre Program providing paid mentorships. The Making Space for Artists Program provides facilities and resources to the broader artistic community. SLAC Digital (launched 2020) extends reach through streaming. Ticket products include season subscriptions, single tickets, and the annual fundraiser event 'The Party'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Professional theatrical productions including regional and world premieres presented year-round in SLAC's two flexible theatres (113-seat Chapel Theatre and 160-seat Upstairs Theatre). Intended for theatre-goers, season subscribers, and arts patrons.
• SLAC's Summer Show (annual summer parody production) Annual summer parody production featuring satirical takes on contemporary themes, performed in cabaret-style format with live music. The Upstairs Theatre converts into a 206-seat cabaret space for this show.
• New Play Sounding Series (NPSS) Developmental reading series established in 1994 that nurtures emerging and established playwrights, offering a constructive, low-risk arena for new play development with audience feedback sessions. Has nurtured over 100 new plays with nearly 50% going on to full production.
• Playwrights' Lab Week-long developmental laboratory providing playwrights with a creative team and 'resource artists' to explore scripts without production pressure. Includes dedicated rehearsal time, daily community meals, and workshops.
• Title I Arts Education Program Educational program welcoming over 2,000 K-12 students annually to free field trip matinee performances of professional children's productions at SLAC's theatre, serving Title I schools and underserved students.
• Professional Theatre Program for Emerging Artists (PTP) Paid mentorship program providing aspiring theatre artists with professional work experience in production settings, both on stage and behind the scenes.
• Making Space for Artists Program Program providing professional resources for artists to rehearse, workshop, or produce work using SLAC's facilities, including two theatre spaces, technical equipment, and ticketing services.
• Community Engagement Programs Suite of community programs including the Green Room Gallery for local visual artists, Post-Play Discussions after Sunday matinees, Free ZAP Tuesdays community performances, and partnerships with local organizations.
• SLAC Digital Streaming Platform Streaming platform launched in partnership with Salt Lake Film Society's @homeArts nonprofit consortium of arthouse cinemas, enabling audiences to stream SLAC productions and archived content at home.
• Season Subscriptions Multi-show ticket packages providing discounted access to SLAC's full season of productions with priority booking and additional benefits for theatre patrons.
• The Party (Annual Fundraiser) SLAC's annual fundraising gala featuring food, drink, live and silent auctions, with tickets starting at $125 and opportunities for walk-on stage roles. 21+ only.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 students reached annually through Title I Arts Education Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salt Lake Film SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2020Partnership to launch SLAC Digital streaming platform through Salt Lake Film Society's @homeArts nonprofit consortium of arthouse cinemas. SLAC is the first non-cinema organization to join the platform, making archived and streaming content available to audiences at home. The platform was developed by Salt Lake Film Society's media accelerator studio MAST.
• Vote ForwardminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 September 2020National nonprofit partnership for the American Dreams production, organizing letter-writing campaigns targeted toward underrepresented voters to reinforce voting importance explored in the production.
• ASSIST (Nonprofit Community Design Center)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 May 2020ASSIST provides generous support for the Amberlee Accessibility Fund project to install an elevator in SLAC's lobby, leveraging architecture, planning, and construction expertise to provide equitable accessibility.
• National New Play NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSLAC is a core member of the National New Play Network, committed to commissioning, developing, and producing new plays. The network supports playwrights' labs and provides resources for new play development.
• The King's English BookshopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership for Naked Mole Rat production, providing books and merchandise from Mo Willems for purchase at the theatre.
• Children's Service Society of UtahminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner for children's production, collecting pajamas and feminine hygiene products during show run.
• Visual Art InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership featuring student art in SLAC's Green Room Gallery alongside productions.
• ACLU of UtahminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership for Sunny in the Dark production, connecting the play's themes with ACLU's mission.
• Art AccessminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner for accessibility and inclusion initiatives, connecting SLAC with underserved audiences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pioneer Theatre Company: Salt Lake City's other professional regional theatre, also producing a multi-show season. SLAC and Pioneer Theatre are the two flagship professional theatre companies serving the same local market, though Pioneer is affiliated with the University of Utah and operates at a larger scale.
• Plan-B Theatre Company: Salt Lake City-based professional theatre producing original and contemporary works. Plan-B shares SLAC's commitment to new play development and contemporary programming within the same local market.
• Geva Theatre Center: Rochester, NY-based regional theatre operating under a similar Small Professional Theatre contract with Actors' Equity Association. Comparable size and structure with a multi-stage season, new play development, and education programs.
• Berkeley Repertory Theatre: Tony Award-winning regional theatre with a strong national new play development program and world premiere focus. Comparable in mission and programming philosophy, though at a meaningfully larger operating scale than SLAC.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Renowned regional theatre famous for the Humana Festival of New American Plays and strong new play development pipeline. Closely comparable to SLAC in its commitment to commissioning and producing new work, though significantly larger in scale.
• Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park: Regional theatre operating multiple stages with a mix of classic and contemporary programming. Comparable as a multi-stage regional theatre with new play development and educational outreach, though with broader repertoire than SLAC.
• PlayMakers Repertory Company: Regional theatre based in Chapel Hill, NC operating under a similar professional contract structure. Comparable as a LORT/Small Professional Theatre with a season of contemporary and classic works, plus education and outreach programs.
• The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis: Regional theatre producing a season of contemporary and classic works with strong new play development and education programming. Comparable structure and mission, though at a larger operating scale than SLAC.
• Round House Theatre: Bethesda, MD-based regional theatre operating under a similar professional contract structure with education programming and new play development. Comparable as a mid-size regional theatre focused on contemporary American work.

Regional players

• Utah Shakespeare Festival: Major professional theatre in Cedar City, Utah, operating under an Actors' Equity contract. Comparable as a regional professional theatre in Utah/Intermountain West, though it focuses on Shakespeare and classic works rather than contemporary premieres.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/saltlakeactingcom
• Facebookfacebook.com/saltlakeactingcompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/saltlakeactingco
• TikToktiktok.com/@saltlakeactingco
• Xx.com/slactingco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/salt-lake-acting-company

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 Salt Lake Acting Company