Civic Theatre of Allentown

What Civic Theatre of Allentown does

Civic Theatre of Allentown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1927 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, operating two owned venues on N 19th Street: the Historic 19th Street Theatre (470 seats, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2024 following a 2017–2019 restoration) and Theatre514 (an 87-seat black box space acquired in 2002 and opened in 2004). The organization produces a season of live theatre productions (including area premieres and an annual A Christmas Carol run since 1991), runs a year-round arthouse cinema program (the 19th Street Film Series, launched 1989), and operates Civic Theatre School, the Lehigh Valley's oldest continuously operating youth theatre education program serving grades 1–12 with summer and Saturday sessions plus scholarships.

The organization's core product portfolio spans live performances, arthouse cinema, the Civic Theatre School, the Allentown Film Festival, artist development workshops for adults, 'What You Will Wednesdays' Pay-What-You-Will programming, and facility rentals (commercial rates $3,000/day for 19th Street Theatre; $2,000/day for Theatre514). Technology infrastructure is built entirely on commodity SaaS: Salesforce for ticketing and donations, CourseStorm for class registration, FlippingBook for digital playbills, Givebutter for galas, and Bonfire for merchandise. No proprietary technology or AI/ML capability is evident in the source material.

Revenue mechanics rely on a diversified nonprofit mix: ticket sales (adult $35, student/senior/military $30, PWYC $10–35, member rates $25/$6), individual and dual memberships (annual, expiring June 30), Civic Angel recurring monthly donations (starting at $10/month), corporate sponsorship packages, grants from foundations (Trexler Trust, Chip Rohrbach Foundation), facility rentals, and a $1,500/seat Name A Seat program. Ticket sales cover less than 50% of operating costs, making donations, memberships, sponsorships, and grants (collectively over 50% of operating support) structurally essential. The organization serves over 30,000 community members annually across the Greater Lehigh Valley, with ~22,000 receiving printed playbills at live events and ~60 students receiving need-based scholarships per year.

Name

Civic Theatre of Allentown

Legal name

Civic Theatre of Allentown

Website

https://civictheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Civic Theatre of Allentown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1927 that produces live theatre, arthouse cinema, and youth/adult theatre education in Allentown, PA, serving over 30,000 Greater Lehigh Valley community members annually across two owned historic venues.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Services

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

Keywords

• Live theatre performances
• Arthouse cinema programming
• Youth theatre education
• Facility rental services
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Live theatre and film ticket sales constitute the primary revenue stream. Ticket sales cover less than 50% of operating costs for high-quality professionally produced programming.
2. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Civic Theatre relies on donations, sponsorships, and grants to cover costs and keep programming accessible.
3. Memberships: Civic Theatre Membership provides exclusive perks including discounted tickets ($25 for live theatre, $6 for cinema), free family movie screenings, and advanced notice of events. Memberships expire June 30th annually.
4. Facility Rentals: Historic 19th Street Theatre (470 capacity) and Theatre514 (87 capacity) available for rental. Commercial rate $3,000/day (19th St) or $2,000/day (Theatre514). Nonprofit rate $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Sponsorship packages offer tickets, recognition, branding, visibility, and networking opportunities for businesses supporting the performing arts.
6. Name A Seat Program: Dedicating a seat in the Historic 19th Street Theatre or Theatre514 for $1,500 with engraved plaque supporting operations and theatre preservation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Civic Theatre of Allentown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization that produces and presents live theatre productions, year-round arthouse cinema, and youth/adult theatre education. It operates two venues—the Historic 19th Street Theatre (470 seats) and Theatre514 black box (87 seats)—and sells tickets, memberships, education enrollments, and facility rentals to the Greater Lehigh Valley community.

Product overview

Civic Theatre of Allentown operates as a multi-venue performing arts organization offering live theatre productions, arthouse cinema, and theatre education. The core portfolio consists of the Historic 19th Street Theatre (470-seat main venue) and Theatre514 (87-seat black box space), which host live performances including annual productions and special events. The Civic Theatre School provides youth and adult theatre education, while Civic Cinema screens independent and classic films. Supporting offerings include membership programs (Civic Membership, The Marquee Society, The Civic Company), facility rentals, the Allentown Film Festival, and community programs like What You Will Wednesdays and Artist Development Workshops.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Civic Theatre School: The area's first established training program for young actors, offering classes for students in kindergarten through high school since 1956.
• Theatre514
• Civic's Theatre514

Products and services

• Live Theatre Performances Professionally produced mainstage season including musicals, plays, and holiday productions presented in the Historic 19th Street Theatre for the Greater Lehigh Valley community.
• Civic Cinema (19th Street Film Series) Year-round arthouse cinema programming featuring independent, foreign, and classic films screened in the 19th Street Theatre for general audiences in the Lehigh Valley.
• Civic Theatre School Theatre training program for students grades 1-12 with summer, fall, and winter Saturday sessions, plus adult Artist Development Workshops in scene study, playwriting, and musical theatre dance. Need-based scholarships available.
• Civic's Theatre514 (THE HUB) 87-seat black box theatre at 514 N 19th Street hosting intimate performances, experimental works, music, storytelling, play readings, dance, spoken word, comedy, and improv for local artists and audiences.
• Facility Rentals Rental of the Historic 19th Street Theatre and Theatre514 for corporate events, private screenings, staged readings, and performances, with optional marquee branding.
• Civic Theatre Membership Annual membership offering $25 live theatre tickets, $6 film tickets, free family movie screenings, advance event notice, and patron lounge bar discounts; Individual and Dual tiers available.
• The Marquee Society Premium membership tier providing enhanced recognition and benefits for major supporters of the theatre.
• What You Will Wednesdays Pay What You Will performance series at Theatre514 featuring local talent across music, theatre, play readings, dance, spoken word, comedy, and improv.
• Allentown Film Festival Annual April film festival featuring more than 160 films worldwide with strong local filmmaker representation, presented across multiple venues in partnership with Civic Cinema.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30,000 community members served annually through live theatre, cinema, and education
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alvin H. ButzcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Construction partner for the major 2017-2018 restoration of the Historic 19th Street Theatre. The restoration transformed all public-facing spaces and helped secure National Register of Historic Places designation.
• Mills + Schnoering ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Architectural partner for the historic restoration of the 19th Street Theatre, working to return the space to its original beauty while modernizing facilities.
• Cedar Crest CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017During the 9-month closure for 2017-2018 theatre renovation, Civic Theatre productions moved to Cedar Crest College under a generous partnership arrangement.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Paper Mill Playhouse: Millburn, NJ-based nonprofit regional theatre that operates in a historic venue with similar mix of mainstage productions, education programs, and community engagement. Comparable in scale, organizational structure, and emphasis on youth theatre training.
• Goodspeed Musicals: Connecticut-based nonprofit musical theatre company operating from a historic venue with deep regional roots and educational programming. Similar nonprofit regional theatre model with strong brand recognition and educational mission.
• Bucks County Playhouse: Historic nonprofit regional theatre in New Hope, PA producing professional mainstage productions with educational programming. Operates with a similar model of year-round live theatre in a restored historic venue serving a defined Pennsylvania region.
• Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival: Regional professional theatre company in nearby DeSales University area producing live theatrical performances including classics and new works for the Lehigh Valley region. Comparable in mission, regional scope, and educational programming mix to Civic Theatre.

Broad incumbents

• Walnut Street Theatre: Philadelphia-based nonprofit theatre and the oldest continuously operating theatre in the English-speaking world. Larger in scale but operationally comparable as a nonprofit regional theatre producing mainstage shows, education, and youth programs in Pennsylvania.

Emerging players

• Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts: Regional arts-focused secondary school that produces live theatrical performances and competes for students and arts programming dollars in the same Lehigh Valley market. Functions as both a peer and a talent pipeline partner for Civic Theatre School.

Regional players

• Muhlenberg College Department of Theatre & Dance: Adjacent Lehigh Valley performing arts organization that has hosted Civic Theatre productions during the 2017-2018 renovation. Both serve the same geographic market with overlapping live performance programming and educational offerings, though Muhlenberg operates as an academic institution.
• Allentown Arts Council: Local arts funding body and Civic Theatre partner; serves as the awarding organization for Civic's multiple Arts Ovation Awards. Functions as both a peer recognition body and a regional arts ecosystem anchor comparable to Civic's community role.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CivicTheatreofAllentown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civic-theatre-of-allentown
• Instagraminstagram.com/civictheatre
• Xx.com/CivicAllentown

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Civic Theatre of Allentown