The Robey Theatre Company

What The Robey Theatre Company does

The Robey Theatre Company is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit developmental theatre arts organization founded in 1994 and formally incorporated in 1996 by veteran actors Ben Guillory and Danny Glover. Operating as a federally designated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity, the company is dedicated to developing and producing plays that explore the global Black experience, preserving and reinterpreting celebrated Black Classics, and fostering a community of BIPOC artists, playwrights, and theatre professionals. It is named after the humanitarian, artist, and activist Paul Robeson, and its mission emphasizes artistic excellence intertwined with social activism.

The organization's core offerings consist of two full theatrical productions annually, the biennial three-day Paul Robeson Theatre Festival (established 2014), and three 10-week educational programs per year: the Advanced Scene Study Workshop ($500 per session, in-person at the Victory Theatre Center in Burbank), the Playwright's Lab ($250 per session, virtual via Zoom), and the Jayden's Class Act Scholarship for young artists. Productions are staged at the Los Angeles Theatre Center at 514 S. Spring Street, with co-production partnerships extending reach to East West Players, Greenway Arts Alliance, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Marketing relies on the organization's website, social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), email newsletters, and earned press coverage in outlets including the LA Times, Variety, Stage Raw, and People's World.

The business model is donation-led, supplemented by program fees and ticket sales. Revenue streams include tax-deductible individual donations from a roster of named supporters (Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Kathie Foley-Meyer, John Fisher, and others), public arts grants from the LA County Arts Commission, California Arts Council, and East Bay Community Foundation, workshop tuition, and ticket admissions. The stated team spans 11-50 members, comprising core staff (CEO/Producing Artistic Director Ben Guillory, Associate Producer Jenny Cadena, Development Lead N'Deane Helajzen, Fiscal Manager Kemvette Jones), creative personnel (Resident Dramaturg Reginald Edmund, Publicist Philip Sokoloff, Graphic Designer Jason Mimms, Video Editor Jermaine Alexander, Costume Designer Naila Alladin Sanders, Musical Director Cydney Wayne Davis), board members, consultants, and volunteer coordinators. The organization has produced more than 30 original works, received multiple NAACP Theatre Awards (including 14 nominations and 6 wins for a single 2022 production), and earned recognition for its leadership across regional and national theatre communities.

Name

The Robey Theatre Company

Legal name

The Robey Theatre Company

Website

https://therobeytheatrecompany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Robey Theatre Company is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 by Ben Guillory and Danny Glover that develops and produces plays exploring the global Black experience, operates two annual productions plus educational workshops, and serves BIPOC artists and community audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Broadway & Commercial Theatre Productions (MPAGABAA), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Theatrical education programs
• Play development workshops
• Black theatre classics
• Performing arts nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: As a federally designated 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, The Robey Theatre Company relies on donations from individuals and organizations. 100% of donations support programming and Theatre Arts Development Programs.
2. Workshop Fees: The organization generates revenue through educational program fees including the Advanced Scene Study Workshop ($500 per 10-week session) and Playwright's Lab ($250 per 10-week session).
3. Ticket Sales and Admissions: Revenue generated from ticket sales for theatrical productions and events, including the biennial Paul Robeson Theatre Festival.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Robey Theatre Company is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces theatrical productions and educational programming celebrating the global Black experience. Founded in 1994 and incorporated in 1996 in Los Angeles, California, the company stages full productions at venues including the Los Angeles Theatre Center, runs training workshops for actors, develops new work through a playwrights' lab, hosts the annual Paul Robeson Theatre Festival, and awards a scholarship to support emerging artists.

Product overview

The Robey Theatre Company is a nonprofit developmental theatre arts organization offering a portfolio of programs focused on developing and producing plays about the global Black experience. The core offerings include two full theatrical productions annually and three major educational programs: the Advanced Scene Study Workshop (ASSW) for actor training, the Playwright's Lab for playwright development, and the Paul Robeson Theatre Festival for showcasing emerging talent. Additionally, the company offers the Jayden's Class Act Scholarship to support young artists. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit and serves as curator of socially conscious theatrical performances.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Theatrical Productions
• Advanced Scene Study Workshop (ASSW)
• Playwright's Lab
• Paul Robeson Theatre Festival
• Jayden's Class Act Scholarship A scholarship program offered by the company to support emerging artists in accessing its training and development programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 30 productions developed and presented over 30+ years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East West PlayerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The Robey Theatre Company co-produced Yohen with East West Players in 1999 and again in 2017, featuring Danny Glover and June Angela. This partnership represents a long-standing collaborative relationship between two prominent Los Angeles theatre companies focused on diversity and cultural storytelling.
• Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Host venue for The Robey Theatre Company's productions. The organization is based at 514 S. Spring Street where LATC is located, serving as the primary performance venue for productions.
• Greenway Arts AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced For the Love of Freedom Part I: Toussaint with Greenway Arts Alliance. Collaborative partnership for developing and producing significant works about Black history.
• Los Angeles Department of Cultural AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment arts agency partnership for producing For the Love of Freedom Part III: Christophe, supporting the organization's mission through public arts funding.
• Kirk Douglas TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partnership for Robey/Greenway co-production of Permanent Collection at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, expanding reach to broader Los Angeles theatre audiences.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• East West Players: Founded in 1965 in Los Angeles, East West Players is the nation's premier Asian American theatre company and a long-standing co-production partner of The Robey Theatre Company (most notably Yohen, 1999 and 2017). Both are LA-based, community-rooted, mission-driven theatre companies producing original work and developing underrepresented voices.
• National Black Theatre: Founded in 1968 in Harlem, National Black Theatre is one of the oldest continuously operating Black theatres in the country. It shares Robey's mission of producing original work exploring the Black experience and developing new playwrights and performers through community-rooted programming.
• Crossroads Theatre Company: Located in New Brunswick, NJ, Crossroads is a Tony Award-winning African American regional theatre producing new works and classics from the Black theatrical canon — directly comparable to Robey's curatorial mission, educational programming, and nonprofit structure.
• Penumbra Theatre Company: Founded in 1976 in St. Paul, Minnesota, Penumbra is a regional Black theatre producing original work centered on the Black experience. Comparable in size, scope (season productions + educational programming), and mission alignment with Robey's developmental theatre model.
• Greenway Arts Alliance: LA-based nonprofit that co-produced For the Love of Freedom with Robey and shares the same community-driven, education-integrated model. Operates in a similar size band and partnership tier, making it a directly comparable peer for mission and operating structure.
• The Negro Ensemble Company: Historically significant Black theatre company (founded 1967) producing work by and about African Americans. Mission, programming philosophy, and developmental theatre structure closely parallel Robey's, though NEC's footprint is in New York.

Broad incumbents

• Center Theatre Group: LA's largest nonprofit theatre operator (Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, Kirk Douglas Theatre), overlapping with Robey's LA venue ecosystem (Robey has staged work at Kirk Douglas Theatre). A broader incumbent that competes for the same donor base and audience, though at substantially greater scale.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based Tony-winning ensemble theatre with strong artist development programming and original work focus. Comparable in nonprofit structure and educational/developmental mission, but operates at materially larger scale than Robey.

Others

• National Black Theatre Festival: Biennial multi-day festival in Winston-Salem, NC, awarded the Larry Leon Hamlin Producer Award to Robey's Ben Guillory. Comparable as an ecosystem convening point for Black theatre; Robey's Paul Robeson Theatre Festival operates at a smaller scale within the same cultural community.

Regional players

• A Noise Within: Pasadena-based classical theatre producing a season of repertory work alongside educational outreach. Comparable as a regional LA nonprofit theatre with a producing/educational dual mission, though with a different artistic focus (classical canon vs. Black theatrical canon).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@therobeytheatrecompany
• Xx.com/robeytc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Robey Theatre Company