Circle Theatre
Circle Theatre is a nonprofit professional regional theatre founded in 1981 in Fort Worth, Texas, producing contemporary theatrical works on a Three Quarter Thrust mainstage and an intimate Velvet Lounge for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex audience, with an accompanying High School Playwriting Project.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersFort Worth, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Circle Theatre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Circle Theatre
- Legal name
- Circle Theatre
- Website
- https://circletheatre.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Circle Theatre is a nonprofit professional regional theatre founded in 1981 in Fort Worth, Texas, producing contemporary theatrical works on a Three Quarter Thrust mainstage and an intimate Velvet Lounge for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex audience, with an accompanying High School Playwriting Project.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Circle Theatre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Live Theatre Productions
- NAICS
- Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)
Keywords
Where Circle Theatre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Worth
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Circle Theatre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from individual mainstage and Velvet Lounge performance tickets, preview performance tickets, season subscription packages, and group bookings.
- Donations and Sponsorships: Charitable contributions from donors including an Inner Circle membership program and corporate sponsorship arrangements.
- Venue Rental: The theatre space is available for rental to external groups and organisations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Individual mainstage tickets |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Preview performance tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Season subscription tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Student Night Rush tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Circle Theatre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Circle Theatre is a nonprofit professional regional theatre in Fort Worth, Texas that produces and presents live theatrical performances on a seasonal basis across two venue experiences: a mainstage (~200 seats) and the intimate Velvet Lounge. The company stages regional premieres, world premieres, and contemporary works, and supplements productions with community programming including post-show talkbacks, wine tastings, the High School Playwriting Project, and professional artist training workshops.
Product overview
Circle Theatre is a professional regional theatre company in Fort Worth, Texas, offering live theatrical productions across two distinct venue experiences: the Mainstage for full-scale productions and the Velvet Lounge for intimate, immersive performances. The theatre operates on a seasonal model, presenting curated productions including regional premieres, world premieres, and reimagined classics. Beyond performance, Circle Theatre provides educational programming through its High School Playwriting Project and professional training opportunities, while offering membership, rental, and ticketing services to serve its community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Velvet Lounge: An intimate performance space within Circle Theatre used for immersive, up-close theatrical experiences and smaller productions such as Scrooge in Rouge.
Products and services
- Mainstage Productions Full-scale theatrical productions performed on Circle Theatre's mainstage venue with approximately 200 seats, featuring professional actors and complete production values including sets, costumes, lighting, and sound. Targeted at general theatre-going adults and families in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
- Velvet Lounge Productions Intimate, immersive theatrical experiences performed in the Velvet Lounge space, placing audiences up-close with performers for bold, experimental productions. Targeted at theatre-goers seeking more personal, unconventional experiences.
- High School Playwriting Project (HSPP) Annual program supporting young playwrights with finalist readings, scholarships, and opportunities for high school students to develop their theatrical writing skills. Targeted at high school students in the Fort Worth area with an interest in playwriting.
- Professional Training Programs Professional development opportunities for actors and artists including Meisner workshops, theatrical intimacy training, and script development programs. Targeted at emerging and established theatre artists.
- Inner Circle Membership Donor membership program providing exclusive benefits, priority access to tickets, and opportunities to support Circle Theatre's operations and programming. Targeted at individual donors and arts patrons.
- Season Ticket Packages Subscription packages offering discounted access to multiple productions throughout the season, with Buddy Passes for bringing friends to performances free. Targeted at regular theatre-goers and subscribers in the DFW area.
- Venue Rental Rental of Circle Theatre's venue spaces for external events, productions, and private functions. Targeted at external groups, organizations, and event organizers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 40 awards from Dallas-Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum, The Column Awards, BroadwayWorld Dallas Awards, and Fort Worth Star-Telegram between 1999 and 2020
Companies that use Circle Theatre
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Circle Theatre technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Circle Theatre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Uptown PlayerscoreCircle Theatre is partnering with Uptown Players to co-produce Jagged Little Pill. The musical will run in Dallas first before heading to Circle Theatre's basement theatre August 5-28, 2027. This partnership allows both companies to elevate the production and create something special for audiences.
- Kiwanis Club of Fort WorthcoreKiwanis Club of Fort Worth sponsors the High School Playwriting Project (HSPP). Due to their support, Circle Theatre can offer increased scholarships and opportunities to student writers, including Finalist Scripts ($2000), Semifinalist Scripts ($1000), and Top 20 Scripts ($100).
- Texas Wesleyan UniversityminorTexas Wesleyan University hosts the HSPP Finalist Reading Series at its Law Stone Fine Arts Center/Thad Smotherman Theatre (3001 Avenue E., Fort Worth, TX 76105). The event includes free staged readings of finalist and semifinalist plays performed by professional DFW actors.
- Second Thought TheatrecoreCircle Theatre co-produced 'What We Were' by Blake Hackler with Second Thought Theatre. The production won multiple awards from Dallas-Fort Worth Theatre Critics Forum including Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, and Outstanding Sound Design.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Circle Theatre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jubilee Theatre: Fort Worth-based professional regional theatre focused on diverse programming and community engagement. Comparable in scale and in the Fort Worth market, competing for the same patron and donor pool.
- Stage West: Fort Worth-based professional regional theatre with a comparable small-venue, contemporary-play focus. Direct peer in the same city, similar seat count, and overlapping audience segments.
- WaterTower Theatre: Addison, TX-based professional regional theatre producing a season of contemporary plays and musicals. Comparable in mission and programming style; serves the broader DFW metro area.
- Second Thought Theatre: Dallas-based professional theatre producing bold new plays; existing co-production partner with Circle Theatre. Comparable small professional scale with similar boundary-pushing programming identity.
- Kitchen Dog Theater: Dallas-based professional theatre focused on new works and contemporary plays. Comparable in scale, programming emphasis on innovative contemporary work, and DFW audience overlap.
- Uptown Players: Dallas-based professional theatre producing contemporary and musical works; existing co-production partner with Circle Theatre. Directly comparable small professional theatre serving the broader DFW market.
- Amphibian Stage Productions: Fort Worth-based professional theatre producing contemporary and innovative works. Closely comparable in size, programming philosophy (innovative/regional premieres), and target audience.
Broad incumbents
- Dallas Theater Center: One of the largest regional theatres in the U.S., based in Dallas. Overlaps with Circle Theatre's audience and donor pool but operates at a materially larger scale with multiple venues and bigger budgets.
- Bass Performance Hall / Performing Arts Fort Worth: Premier Fort Worth venue presenting touring Broadway, concerts, and large-scale performances. Indirect competitor for arts-and-culture dollars in the same metro and for audience attention across the calendar.
Emerging players
- Imprint TheatreWorks: Dallas-based emerging professional theatre where Circle Theatre's Artistic Director previously served. Smaller and newer, but produces contemporary work that overlaps thematically with Circle's programming.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Circle Theatre social profiles
Digital presenceCircle Theatre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Circle Theatre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Circle Theatre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Circle Theatre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Circle Theatre
What does Circle Theatre do?
Circle Theatre is a nonprofit professional regional theatre in Fort Worth, Texas that produces and presents live theatrical performances on a seasonal basis across two venue experiences: a mainstage (~200 seats) and the intimate Velvet Lounge. The company stages regional premieres, world premieres, and contemporary works, and supplements productions with community programming including post-show talkbacks, wine tastings, the High School Playwriting Project, and professional artist training workshops.
Is Circle Theatre a public or private company?
Circle Theatre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Circle Theatre founded?
Circle Theatre was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Circle Theatre based?
Circle Theatre is headquartered in Fort Worth, United States, in the North America region.
How does Circle Theatre make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Sponsorships and venue Rental.
Who are Circle Theatre's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jubilee Theatre, Stage West, WaterTower Theatre, Second Thought Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater, Uptown Players and Amphibian Stage Productions. Broad incumbents are Dallas Theater Center and Bass Performance Hall / Performing Arts Fort Worth. Imprint TheatreWorks is listed as an emerging player.
Does Circle Theatre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Circle Theatre.
What industry is Circle Theatre in?
Circle Theatre's product category is Live Theatre Productions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAB, Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies. Its NAICS code is 711110 and its SIC code is 7900.