GableStage

What GableStage does

GableStage Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater founded in 1979 in Coral Gables, Florida, formerly known as Florida Shakespeare Theatre and renamed GableStage in 1998 when it moved to the historic Biltmore Hotel (now operating as The Wolfson Family Theatre). The company produces a five-play mainstage season of bold, contemporary, and classical works — currently in its 28th season — and has staged 160+ professional productions since founding while welcoming 600,000+ patrons.

The organization's revenue model is hybrid: ticket sales and season subscriptions (Premium $435, Mid-week $360, Preview $265; single tickets from $50) cover approximately 30% of operating costs, with donations, sponsorships, gala fundraising, and foundation grants covering the balance. Notable financial partners include the Wolfson Family, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Warten Foundation, Carol Marie Weber Family Foundation, and Grove Bank & Trust. The 2025 Gala raised $333,000.

Beyond mainstage productions, GableStage operates a portfolio of education and community programs — Shakespeare in the Schools, IGNITE (high school partnership with New World School of the Arts), A Dose of Fun hospital theatre (Nicklaus and Holtz Children's Hospitals), student matinees via the Cultural Passport Program, and an 8-week Diary of a Production adult course — reaching 10,000+ students annually and 350,000+ over its history. Under Producing Artistic Director Bari Newport (hired June 2021) and Executive Director Juan José Escalante, governance is led by Board Chair Roz Stuzin. The company is approved as resident company of the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse and partnered with Florida International University since 2015 on redevelopment. Technology stack is standard SaaS: OvationTix for ticketing/donations and Constant Contact for email.

Name

GableStage

Legal name

GableStage Theatre Company

Website

https://gablestage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GableStage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater in Coral Gables, Florida, producing a five-play mainstage season and education programs reaching 10,000+ students annually, funded through ticket sales, subscriptions, donations, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), 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 industry

Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Professional theater productions
• Arts education programs
• Season ticket subscriptions
• Theatrical performance venue
• Community outreach theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Coral Gables

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: Single tickets and subscription packages for mainstage theatrical productions. Single tickets start at $50 with special rates for military, students, teachers, artists, and groups. Subscription tiers (Premium, Mid-week, Preview) offer 35% savings with flex tickets and bonus benefits.
2. Donations and Charitable Support: Annual fund donations, major gifts (including Joe Adler Legacy Campaign, Jewish Philanthropy Circle), and transformational gifts from individual donors. Ticket sales cover only 30% of operating budget, making donations essential to sustaining operations.
3. Production Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorship of specific productions with tiered benefits (Presenting, Lead, Co-star, Supporting sponsorships). Production sponsors receive recognition, opening night tickets, marketing exposure, and rehearsal access.
4. Education Program Support: Sponsorship of education programs including Visionary ($25,000), Champion ($10,000), Empower ($7,500), Transform ($5,000), and Inspire ($2,500) tiers. Programs serve students through Shakespeare in the Schools, IGNITE, student matinees, and hospital outreach.
5. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates sold for season subscriptions, single tickets, and adult education classes (Diary of a Production).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GableStage is a nonprofit professional theater company that produces five mainstage productions per season of bold, thought-provoking plays at The Wolfson Family Theatre in Coral Gables, accompanied by a portfolio of education programs (Shakespeare-in-the-Schools, IGNITE, A Dose of Fun), adult education (Diary of a Production), audience enrichment events, and outreach initiatives. The company sells single tickets, season subscriptions, group tickets, and gift certificates through the box office and OvationTix, and supplements earned revenue with donations and production sponsorships.

Product overview

GableStage is a professional theater company that produces mainstage theatrical productions of artistic excellence at The Wolfson Family Theatre in Coral Gables, Florida. The organization operates as a unified presenting theater with a comprehensive portfolio of related services including robust education programs (Shakespeare-in-the-Schools, IGNITE, A Dose of Fun hospital program), adult education (Diary of a Production classes), audience enrichment (pre-show talks, talkbacks, community dialogues), outreach initiatives, and special events. The company offers subscription packages, group discounts, and gift certificates as revenue-generating products alongside its core theatrical programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• A Dose of Fun: The Wonder Show!: Theatre in hospitals initiative using interactive theatre, puppetry, music, and imaginative storytelling for children ages 5-13.
• IGNITE
• Shakespeare-in-the-Schools
• Windows on the Work
• After Words

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions Professional, bold, thought-provoking theatrical productions exploring contemporary issues and ideas, presented at The Wolfson Family Theatre at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables; produced at the rate of five mainstage shows per season for adult theatre patrons in South Florida.
• A Dose of Fun: The Wonder Show! Hospital and school theatre program using interactive theatre, puppetry, music, and imaginative storytelling to support children ages 5–13, including pediatric patients and elementary school students throughout Miami-Dade County.
• IGNITE Education program engaging high school theatre students with an inside look at professional theatre-making, including mentorship and production access, in partnership with New World School of the Arts.
• Shakespeare-in-the-Schools School touring program bringing contemporary adaptations of Shakespeare's classics directly to Miami-Dade public school classrooms, in partnership with Florida International University.
• Diary of a Production Immersive 8-week adult education class that observes professional production rehearsals from first rehearsal to opening night, offered to subscribers and non-subscribers at differentiated pricing.
• Season Subscriptions Annual subscription packages (Premium, Mid-week, Preview tiers) offering best seats at best prices, savings up to 35%, flex tickets, free exchanges, and bonus tickets for the season.
• Single Tickets Per-show ticket purchases starting at $50, with special rates for military personnel, students, teachers, artists, and Blue Star Families; sold via OvationTix online and the box office.
• Group Tickets & Discounts Group booking option for parties of 8 or more offering $10 off per ticket, a complimentary organizer ticket, a flat $10 fee, welcome signage, and curtain speech recognition for corporate, organizational, and family group outings.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates redeemable toward season subscriptions, single tickets, and adult education class registrations.
• Annual Gala and Special Events Annual gala (the 2025 Gala raised $333,000), Gala Dinner Series on-stage dining experience at $1,500 per ticket, backstage blowout sales, subscriber events, and similar special events for donors and patrons.
• Production Sponsorships Tiered corporate and individual sponsorship of specific productions (Presenting, Lead, Co-star, Supporting tiers) with recognition, opening night tickets, marketing exposure, and rehearsal access for sponsors.
• Education Program Sponsorships Tiered sponsorship of education programs (Visionary $25,000, Champion $10,000, Empower $7,500, Transform $5,000, Inspire $2,500) supporting student matinees, Shakespeare in the Schools, IGNITE, and hospital outreach.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced 160+ professional productions and welcomed 600,000+ patrons since founding
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Florida International University (FIU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership on Shakespeare's 13th season bringing bold adaptations to Miami-Dade classrooms. Partnership includes redevelopment plans for the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse site, with shared use anticipated. Created A Dose of Fun hospital program in partnership with FIU's Department of Theatre.
• The SEED School of MiamiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncreased Access Initiative partner receiving ticket and transportation support to eliminate barriers to theatre attendance for students.
• Overtown Youth CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncreased Access Initiative partner receiving ticket and transportation support.
• Florida Memorial UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncreased Access Initiative partner receiving support.
• Nicklaus Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Dose of Fun hospital theatre program brings interactive performances to children ages 5-13 receiving long-term and critical pediatric care. Includes weekly residencies and bedside performances.
• Holtz Children's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA Dose of Fun program travels bedside-to-bedside bringing performances to children unable to leave their rooms, with interactive participation and puppet-making kits.
• MOSAIC MiamicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership presenting Can We Talk? series of curated post-show conversations between audience members and community leaders, now in its fourth year. Moderated by Executive Director Matt Anderson.
• Temple Beth AmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDramatically Speaking community speaking series at The Hub brings artists, scholars, and community leaders together for dialogue on timely themes inspired by mainstage productions. Now in its fifth season. Presented by Temple Beth Am Sisterhood and Zelda Kloner's Gift Fund.
• Brévo TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric three-way co-production of Fat Ham with Brévo Theatre and Island City Stage, made possible through major funding from the Warten Foundation.
• Island City StagecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric three-way co-production of Fat Ham with Brévo Theatre and Island City Stage.
• New World School of the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond-year partner for IGNITE program engaging 60 junior and senior thespians in professional theatre experiences.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre: Regional professional theater in Coral Gables producing Broadway musicals, dramas, and children's programming. Directly comparable to GableStage in size, mission, and South Florida audience.
• Florida Studio Theatre: Major regional theater in Sarasota, FL producing contemporary works, cabaret, and education programs. Comparable in scale, mission, and statewide regional theater positioning.
• Zoetic Stage: Miami-based regional theater producing contemporary works and musicals at the Adrienne Arsht Center. Comparable in scale and programming philosophy to GableStage's contemporary focus.
• Brévo Theatre: South Florida regional theater focused on diverse voices and contemporary works. Co-production partner with GableStage on Fat Ham, serving overlapping audiences.
• Island City Stage: Wilton Manors-based regional theater producing LGBTQ+ themed and contemporary works. Already a co-production partner with GableStage on Fat Ham, making it a directly comparable peer.
• Miami New Drama: South Florida regional theater producing multilingual contemporary works at the Colony Theatre on Miami Beach. Directly comparable in scale, contemporary programming focus, and South Florida audience.
• Barrington Stage Company: Regional theater in Pittsfield, Massachusetts where Bari Newport previously worked before joining GableStage. Comparable in scale, programming approach, and subscription model.

Broad incumbents

• Broward Center for the Performing Arts: Fort Lauderdale-based major performing arts venue hosting touring Broadway, concerts, and resident companies. Competes for South Florida arts audiences and corporate sponsorships.
• Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts: Miami's largest performing arts center hosting Broadway tours, opera, ballet, and resident companies. Operates at significantly larger scale than GableStage and overlaps in audience and donor pool.

Emerging players

• New World School of the Arts: Miami-based performing arts conservatory partnering with GableStage on the IGNITE program for high school students. Touches the same student pipeline and shares audience development interests.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvHzI2cn0bZnYdAzrS85jqw
• Facebookfacebook.com/GableStage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gablestage
• Instagraminstagram.com/gablestage
• Xx.com/gablestage

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 GableStage