Peninsula Players Theatre

What Peninsula Players Theatre does

Peninsula Players Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit professional resident summer theatre located on a 16-acre forested waterfront campus at 4351 Peninsula Players Road in Fish Creek, Door County, Wisconsin, founded in 1935 by Richard and Caroline Fisher and now operating in its 91st season. Self-described as America's oldest professional resident summer theatre, it presents a five-production season annually (the 2026 lineup comprises Baggage, The Mousetrap, Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, Moon Over Buffalo, and Murder Girl) in an open-sided all-weather pavilion with in-floor radiant heating, drawing 35,000+ visitors per year drawn from regional feeder markets including Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis.

The core product is live theatrical performance staged by an Actors' Equity resident company, supplemented by educational and community programs: pre-show seminars, post-show discussions, a free winter staged-reading series (The Play's The Thing), 8-10 paid summer internships, and Door County high-school scholarships of $1,000+. Patron amenities include the Luna Bar, a beer garden, a canteen for concessions and merchandise, picnic facilities on the grounds, hearing-loop and FM assistive-listening technology in rows A-S and AA-BB, and wheelchair-accessible seating. Distribution is direct-to-consumer only: an in-house online ticketing platform (purchase.peninsulayers.com), phone box office, and walk-up sales, with no third-party reseller relationships.

Revenue is generated through eight streams: individual tickets ($54-$62 tiered by section and show type), 5-show season subscriptions (15% discount), group discounts (5% for 15+, 10% for 30+), gift certificates redeemable for any dollar amount, single-show sponsorships priced at $6,000-$12,000, playbill advertising at $300-$1,220 rates reaching 35,000+ visitors, tax-deductible annual fund donations, in-kind gifts (goods and professional services), and an endowment managed by the Door County Community Foundation. The organization maintains a 7-person full-time staff year-round (Artistic Director, Managing Director, Development Director, Box Office Manager, Marketing Director/Company Manager, Production Manager, Landscape/Grounds Manager) supplemented by approximately 50 seasonal residents living on-site during the performance season.

Name

Peninsula Players Theatre

Legal name

Peninsula Players Theatre Foundation Inc.

Website

https://peninsulaplayers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Peninsula Players Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit resident summer theatre founded in 1935 in Fish Creek, Door County, Wisconsin, presenting five professional productions each season on a 16-acre waterfront campus to 35,000+ annual visitors via direct ticket sales, subscriptions, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Professional summer theater
• Performing arts venue
• Theater ticketing services
• Nonprofit arts organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Fish Creek

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. Individual Ticket Sales: Single tickets sold for performances at $54-$62 depending on show type (play vs musical) and seating section.
2. Season Subscriptions: Package deals offering 5-show season tickets with 15% discount, plus 10% discount on additional single tickets ordered before May 1.
3. Group Sales: Discounted group tickets with 5% off for 15+ guests and 10% off for 30+ guests.
4. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates sold for any dollar amount, redeemable for tickets to any production.
5. Donations and Annual Fund: Tax-deductible contributions supporting yearly operating costs, facility maintenance, and educational programs.
6. Show Sponsorships: Single-show sponsorship opportunities ranging from $6,000-$12,000 with complimentary tickets, recognition, and backstage tours.
7. Playbill Advertising: Display advertising in printed and digital playbill distributed to over 35,000 annual visitors.
8. In-Kind Gifts: Accepts donations of clothing, furniture, appliances, professional services for on-stage, behind scenes, and administrative use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Peninsula Players Theatre produces a five-show professional summer repertory season of plays and musicals performed by a resident Actors' Equity company in an open-air pavilion on a 16-acre "Theatre in a Garden" site along Green Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. The company sells individual tickets, season subscriptions, group tickets, and gift certificates, and operates on-site concession and bar amenities for pre-show dining.

Product overview

Peninsula Players Theatre operates as a single unified live theatre experience, America's oldest professional resident summer theatre since 1935. The core product is live theatrical productions presented in an outdoor pavilion setting along Green Bay. The company offers ticketing products (individual tickets, season subscriptions, group discounts, gift certificates), on-site amenities (Luna Bar/Canteen, Beer Garden picnic area), and educational/community programs (internships, scholarships, pre-show seminars, post-show discussions, winter play readings). Supporting offerings include fundraising vehicles (annual fund, planned giving, show sponsorships, playbill advertising), in-kind donations, and volunteer opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Theatre Productions (Summer Season) Professional resident summer repertory of plays and musicals (2026: Baggage, The Mousetrap, Ring of Fire, Moon Over Buffalo, Murder Girl) presented by an Actors' Equity company in the open-air Theatre in a Garden pavilion on the 16-acre Green Bay property.
• Individual Tickets Single-performance tickets priced $54–$62 depending on show type (play vs. musical) and seating section (rows A-K, L-O, P-S), with a 50% discount for students 18 and under; a $6.00 per-order handling fee applies.
• Season Subscriptions Five-show subscription package with a 15% discount, plus free ticket exchanges and priority seating; 2026 season tickets for two range from $475.10 to $515.60 by seating section, with a one-time $9 service fee.
• Gift Certificates Redeemable gift certificates in any dollar amount, usable for single tickets ($54-$62) or season packages; electronic delivery only, with remaining balances applicable to future purchases.
• Show Sponsorships Single-show underwriting packages from $6,000–$12,000 with complimentary tickets, pre-show picnics, backstage tours, and recognition in advertising for the sponsored production.
• Playbill Advertising Print and digital display advertising in the playbill reaching over 35,000 annual visitors; advertising rates from $300 to $1,220 with early bird discounts.
• Luna Bar and Canteen Concessions Pre-show beverage service and concessions located in the Beer Garden with string lights, offering craft beers, spirits, wine, food concessions, and logo merchandise; available to theater patrons before performances.
• Summer Internship Program Summer internship opportunities for college students in administrative, scene shop, props, costume, lighting, sound, and stage management departments with housing, meals, and a stipend provided (8-10 interns per season).
• The Play's The Thing Winter Reading Series Free off-season winter staged readings of new and classic plays (e.g., Rosenberg, In the Doorway, the after wife) at Björklunden's Vail Hall in Baileys Harbor, funded by state, federal, and foundation arts grants.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 35,000 visitors attend annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Door County Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages Peninsula Players Theatre Endowment Fund. Provides professional staff and advisors to facilitate charitable giving and handle administrative details. Partnership enables various giving tools including bequests, trusts, and annuities.
• World Premiere WisconsinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-wide festival celebrating new plays and musicals. Peninsula Players participates by hosting world premiere productions as part of festival.
• Actors' Equity AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional actors' union setting standards for employment. Peninsula Players operates under union rules limiting non-union actors per production. Auditions coordinated through AEA.
• Door County AdvertisersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal businesses advertising in playbill and supporting theater. Includes lodging, dining, shopping, and services recommended to patrons.
• BjörklundenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence University affiliate providing venue for The Play's The Thing winter reading series at Vail Hall in Baileys Harbor.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Old Globe (San Diego): Major regional professional theatre with year-round operations, broader programming, and larger institutional scale but overlapping revenue streams (subscriptions, single tickets, donations, sponsorships) and similar nonprofit governance model.
• Actors Theatre of Louisville: Established regional professional theatre with subscription, sponsorship, and donation-driven revenue and education programs — relevant benchmark for nonprofit regional theatre scale and governance.

Direct peers

• Williamstown Theatre Festival: Long-running summer repertory company in a New England tourist region producing classic and contemporary plays with professional talent, subscription model, and educational programming — paralleling Peninsula Players' resident-summer format.
• Goodspeed Musicals: Regional repertory producing musicals in Connecticut with multiple venues, subscription packages, and group sales — comparable resident-company model with similar revenue stream mix.
• Barrington Stage Company: Regional professional summer theatre in the Berkshires with subscription, single-ticket, and group-sales revenue streams — comparable regional resident theatre operations.
• Utah Shakespeare Festival: Tourism-anchored summer repertory festival in Cedar City producing classic and contemporary works at a scenic venue with subscription and group services — parallel experiential/repertory model.
• American Players Theatre: Wisconsin-based professional resident summer theatre (Spring Green) operating under a nearly identical repertory model: outdoor-inspired venue, Actors' Equity company, mix of classics and contemporary work, and reliance on tourism plus subscriptions. Most directly comparable peer.
• Walnut Street Theatre: Long-running nonprofit regional theatre operating a repertory season with subscription and group-ticketing programs — directly comparable business model in single-venue regional theatre operations.

Others

• Door County Tourism Zone Commission (event ecosystem): Not a single competitor but the broader Door County tourism ecosystem (lodging, dining, other attractions like Peninsula State Park) that competes for tourist entertainment dollars and whose seasonal traffic is essential to Peninsula Players' audience pipeline.

Regional players

• Alabama Shakespeare Festival: Regional repertory theatre producing a season of classics and new works with subscription packages and education programs; overlapping operational structure but based in the southern U.S.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PenPlayers
• Facebookfacebook.com/PeninsulaPlayersTheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peninsula-players-theatre-fc

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 Peninsula Players Theatre