Soul Rep Theatre Company

What Soul Rep Theatre Company does

Soul Rep Theatre Company is a Dallas-based nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1995 by three Dallas/Fort Worth natives — Guinea Bennett-Price, Anyika McMillan-Herod, and Tonya Holloway — who established the company after discovering that no Dallas theatre was dedicated to the Black experience. The company produces theatrical works celebrating the Black and African diasporic experience, operating primarily through seasonal productions at the South Dallas Cultural Center and the AT&T Performing Arts Center, with 65+ plays produced over 17 full seasons including 12 New Play Festivals premiering 78 short works by 62 playwrights (75% women, 70% playwrights of color). Programming emphasizes new works (32%), regional premieres (40%), and family-friendly children's plays (20%), and includes the biennial TED SHINE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL, the Parrish Charitable Foundation August Wilson Play Series, and the Black Broadway Summer cross-company initiative.

The company runs a hybrid revenue model spanning six streams: ticket sales and seasonal Flex Pass subscriptions via the OnTheStage ticketing platform; individual donations and grants from institutional funders (TACA, Parrish Charitable Foundation, anonymous donors); branded merchandise ($15-$65 unit pricing); Amazon marketplace sales of the 'Common Threads' anthology; and educational program fees ($50 Liberation Laboratory summer camp registration with need-based scholarships, free for attendees). Educational outreach extends to 3 area school districts and Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, serving 350+ children across 8 summer camps. Go-to-market combines community-led engagement, event-driven seasonal productions, digital marketing (website, social, email, PR), and collaborative partnerships with 8+ Dallas-area theatre companies plus the founding of the BIPOC Arts Coalition for equitable arts funding advocacy. The company is led by the three co-founders in artistic and executive roles supported by a small administrative team of 11-50 employees.

Name

Soul Rep Theatre Company

Legal name

Soul Rep Theatre Company

Website

https://soulrep.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soul Rep Theatre Company is a Dallas-based nonprofit Black theatre founded in 1995 that produces theatrical works, educational programs, and new play festivals celebrating the Black experience, serving 3,000+ patrons annually across the DFW metroplex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theatre

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (7115)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

Keywords

• Black theatre productions
• Performing arts education
• Live theatrical performances
• Arts education programs
• New play development

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Season Subscriptions: The company generates revenue through ticket sales for individual productions and season subscription Flex Passes, offering flexible access to the full season lineup.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations from supporters to sustain operations and empower the company's mission of promoting Black art and voices in Dallas.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, hoodies, tote bags, hats, mugs, water bottles, and other apparel items through the company website.
4. Anthology Sales: Sale of the published anthology 'Common Threads' documenting 30 years of the company's theatrical works, available through Amazon.
5. Grants and Sponsorships: Funding from foundations including TACA New Works grants, Parrish Charitable Foundation August Wilson Play Series sponsorship, and support from other institutional donors.
6. Summer Camp and Educational Programs: Free summer media and performance intensive programs for middle and high school students, with a $50 registration fee and need-based scholarships available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soul Rep Theatre Company is a Dallas-based nonprofit that produces live Black theatrical productions and arts education programming. Its offerings include a seasonal lineup of full-length plays and regional or world premieres (including the Parrish Charitable Foundation August Wilson Play Series), the biennial TED SHINE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL for new works by emerging Black playwrights, the Liberation Laboratory summer camp for middle and high school students, Flex Pass season subscriptions, branded merchandise, and the published 'Common Threads' anthology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seasonal Theatrical Productions
• TED SHINE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL
• Liberation Laboratory Summer Camp
• Season Flex Pass Subscription
• Soul Rep Branded Merchandise
• 'Common Threads' Anthology

Quantifiable outcome

• Produced 12 New Play Festivals premiering 78 short plays by 62 playwrights
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, key and supporting.

• BIPOC Arts CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2020Coalition formed during COVID-19 pandemic with Bishop Arts Theatre, Teatro Dallas, and Cara Mia Theatre to advocate for equitable treatment and funding of BIPOC artists and arts organizations in Dallas. Serves as platform for antiracism and equitable funding advocacy.
• Circle TheatreflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerBlack Broadway Summer partnership with Soul Rep and Stage West Theatre. When patrons buy a ticket to one show, they receive a 20% discount to the other two. Joint promotion of three landmark plays by Black playwrights - A Strange Loop (Circle), Fat Ham (Stage West), and Ain't No Mo' (Soul Rep).
• Stage West TheatreflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerBlack Broadway Summer partnership with Soul Rep and Circle Theatre. Joint cross-promotional discount program for three Broadway plays by Black playwrights.
• AT&T Performing Arts CenterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating venue for Soul Rep productions through the Elevator Project, including The Monarch (2018) and Elm Thicket (2024) world premieres.
• Cara Mia TheatrekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing co-production partner for multiple productions including For Colored Girls..., Herstories, The Hungry Woman, and My Red Hand My Black Hand.
• Dallas Children's TheaterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for children's productions including Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, The Snowy Day, and other youth-focused programming.
• Echo Theater CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for The Monarch and Cadillac Crew productions.
• Stage WestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for Blues For An Alabama Sky.
• Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual ArtskeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership hosting the Liberation Laboratory program - a comprehensive arts education program for youth inspired by Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed. Also houses the Theatre Conservatory where Guinea Bennett-Price serves as Director.
• Kitchen Dog TheatersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner for various theatrical productions in the Dallas area.
• South Dallas Cultural CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue partner for Soul Rep productions including the TED SHINE NEW PLAY FESTIVAL, Liberation Laboratory summer camp, and ongoing performances. Located in South Dallas.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dallas Children's Theater: Dallas-based children's theatre and co-production partner on Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and similar; comparable regional nonprofit theatre with similar education-program dimension.
• Kitchen Dog Theater: Dallas-based independent theatre collaborating on productions with Soul Rep; comparable new-works focused small professional regional theatre.
• Bishop Arts Theatre Center: Dallas-based Black-focused theatre that co-founded the BIPOC Arts Coalition with Soul Rep; comparable community-rooted mission, nonprofit structure, and South Dallas cultural focus.
• Circle Theatre: Fort Worth-based regional theatre and Black Broadway Summer co-marketing partner; comparable professional regional theatre with co-production and subscription model.
• Stage West Theatre: Fort Worth-based regional theatre co-producing in the Black Broadway Summer partnership; comparable regional repertory theatre structure with subscription ticketing.
• Cara Mia Theatre Company: Dallas-based BIPOC theatre company co-founding the BIPOC Arts Coalition with Soul Rep and a long-standing co-production partner on multiple productions; shares mission, regional footprint, and audience base almost identically.
• Echo Theater Company: Dallas-based new works theatre co-producing The Monarch and Cadillac Crew with Soul Rep; comparable small professional producing theatre with similar new-play focus.
• Teatro Dallas: BIPOC theatre in Dallas and fellow BIPOC Arts Coalition co-founder; shares nonprofit structure, culturally-specific mission, and DFW geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Black Theatre: Long-running NYC Black institution (founded 1968) and the historic benchmark for Black theatre in the U.S.; comparable mission-to-audience fit and 501(c)(3) operating model, though at meaningfully larger scale.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: National repertory theatre known for new American works and community programs; comparable repertory / new plays production model at a substantially larger scale, illustrating regional theatre scale benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCs9wcPe8W8MW5roci7T_RiQ
• Xx.com/rep_theatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/SoulRepTheatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Soul Rep Theatre Company