Kumu Kahua Theatre

What Kumu Kahua Theatre does

Kumu Kahua Theatre is a Hawaii-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1971 by University of Hawaii graduate students. The organization operates a 100-seat playhouse at 46 Merchant Street in downtown Honolulu, housed in the historic King Kamehameha V Post Office building (a National Register of Historic Places site granted by the Hawaii State Legislature in 1994). Kumu Kahua produces approximately five full-length original theatrical works per season — currently in its 56th — all written by local playwrights and centered on Hawaiian life, culture, and the multicultural experience of the islands. It self-identifies as the only theatre in the world dedicated year-round to this "Theatre of Place" concept, and has developed more than 250 original works across 55+ seasons.

The organization's product portfolio is built around a core mainstage season subscription, supplemented by the Go Try PlayWrite monthly contest, an Annual Playwriting Contest co-sponsored with UH Manoa, the Dark Night Series (renting off-nights to other theatre groups), a Digital Stage of streamed and online-exclusive content, the Backstage with Donna Blanchard interview series, the Reset Theatre Coalition (a BIPOC theatre alliance formed in 2020), and education/workshops including improvisation classes with Hawaii Pacific University. Distribution runs through a physical box office, Eventbrite online ticketing, and season subscriptions ranging from $25 (student) to $170 (Viewer's Choice).

Kumu Kahua's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit mix: ticket sales and subscriptions (transaction + recurring), individual donations in tiered levels (Plumeria to Lei Hulu), and corporate sponsorship packages (Crew $2,500 to Actor $10,000). The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and Board of Stakeholders, with a small paid staff of 1-10 led by Managing Director Donna Blanchard and Artistic Director Harry Wong III (in role since 1997). The theatre reaches approximately 3,520 participants annually (2,800 O'ahu residents, 400 neighbor island, 320 out-of-state visitors) and reports 2.6M+ print, 5.5M+ online, and 105K+ social media impressions per season. There is no technology platform or proprietary software product; the business is fundamentally a venue-based live performance and community development operation.

Name

Kumu Kahua Theatre

Legal name

Kumu Kahua Theatre

Website

https://kumukahua.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Kumu Kahua Theatre is a Honolulu-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1971 that operates a 100-seat playhouse producing original plays by Hawaii playwrights about Hawaiian life and culture. It runs a mainstage season, playwright development contests, the Dark Night Series, digital content, and education programs serving roughly 3,500 community participants annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Regional Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Regional theatre productions
• Original play development
• Hawaiʻi performing arts
• Playwriting contests
• Live theatrical performances

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

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. Ticket Sales: Individual tickets sold for performances through box office and Eventbrite online platform
2. Season Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions offering multiple show access at discounted rates including Returning ($80), New ($90), Viewer's Choice ($170), Student ($25), and Scholarship ($25) options
3. Donations and Sponsorships: Financial support from donors at various levels (Lei Hulu $5000+, ʻIlima $1000+, Pīkake $500+, Pakalana $250+, etc.) and corporate sponsors
4. Sponsorship Packages: Corporate sponsorship tiers including Crew ($2,500), Chorus ($5,000), and Actor ($10,000) levels with varying benefits

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Kumu Kahua Theatre is a Honolulu-based nonprofit performing arts organization that produces and stages original theatrical works about life in Hawaiʻi at its 100-seat downtown playhouse. Its core offering is a seasonal subscription of mainstage productions (typically five full-length plays per season) by Hawaiʻi playwrights, supplemented by playwriting contests, the Dark Night Series providing venue access to other theatre groups, digital/online theatrical content, community initiatives, and acting and playwriting workshops.

Product overview

Kumu Kahua Theatre operates as a single-venue performing arts organization offering live theatrical productions at its 100-seat playhouse in downtown Honolulu. The theatre's core offering is its Mainstage Productions season subscription, featuring five annual productions of original plays by Hawai'i playwrights. Supporting products include the Go Try PlayWrite monthly contest and Annual Playwriting Contest for playwright development, the Dark Night Series for visiting artists, Digital Stage content, the Backstage interview series, The Longs Challenge community project, and the Reset Theatre Coalition collaborative initiative. Educational workshops and classes round out the theatre's program offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Reset Theatre Coalition: A collaborative initiative formed in June 2020 between Conch Shell Productions, Kumu Kahua Theatre, and Braata Productions to spotlight playwrights of color during the Black Lives Matter movement and COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Longs Challenge
• Dark Night Series
• Go Try PlayWrite
• Annual Playwriting Contest

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions (Season Subscription) Live theatrical performances produced by Kumu Kahua Theatre at their 100-seat playhouse in downtown Honolulu, featuring original works by local playwrights about life in Hawaiʻi. The theatre typically produces five full-length works per season.
• Go Try PlayWrite Monthly playwriting contest presented in partnership with Bamboo Ridge Press. Submissions of 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes are judged by Harry Wong III, with winners receiving $100 and a subscription to Bamboo Ridge Press.
• Annual Playwriting Contest Co-sponsored with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Theatre and Dance, offering three prize categories: Hawaiʻi Prize ($600), Pacific/Rim Prize ($450), and Resident Prize ($250). Contest entries become part of Hamilton Library collection.
• Dark Night Series A series offering other theatre groups, playwrights, and performance artists the opportunity to present their work at Kumu Kahua during 'dark nights' when regular season shows are not being performed.
• Digital Stage Virtual content including portions of 50th and 51st Seasons presented online, exclusive digital productions, and partnerships with creative collectives for new digital play festivals.
• Backstage with Donna Blanchard One-on-one interview series featuring local Hawaiʻi performers and creatives discussing their artistic process, originally broadcast on ThinkTech network and ʻŌlelo.
• Education & Workshops Classes and workshops in acting, improvisation, and playwriting taught by award-winning local playwrights like Victoria Nālani Kneubuhl and Lee A. Tonouchi, plus a Directors Workshop (STAGES program) and free five-week improvisation classes in partnership with Hawaiʻi Pacific University.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% audience are permanent residents, 83% hold college degrees or higher, 97% say mission is important to them
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Hawaiʻi Pacific UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Partnership to present a free five-week improvisation class led by Michael 'Donut' Donato, combining theatre and improv education.
• Conch Shell ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020BIPOC theatre alliance formed during Black Lives Matter uprising to co-produce performances via Zoom spotlighting playwrights of color. Collaborated on five nights of world premiere performances streamed online with Q&A sessions.
• Braata ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2020BIPOC theatre alliance formed during Black Lives Matter uprising to co-produce performances spotlighting playwrights of color. Part of Reset Theatre Coalition focusing on Caribbean, Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander voices.
• Bamboo Ridge PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonthly Go Try PlayWrite contest co-sponsored with Bamboo Ridge Press. Each month features a writing prompt and awards $100 plus a Bamboo Ridge Press subscription to the winner. Entries include 5-page monologues or 10-page scenes.
• University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Theatre and DancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsors annual playwriting contest with three prize categories: Hawaiʻi Prize ($600), Pacific/Rim Prize ($450), and Resident Prize ($250). Contest entries become part of Hamilton Library collection.
• Hawaiʻi Shakespeare FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented The Winter's Tale as part of ongoing Dark Night series in July 2026. Directed by Brando Cutts, reimagined as high-fantasy setting.
• Theatre of Place NetworkminorOthersPart of a national network of theatres devoted to Theatre of Place, dedicated to stories belonging to specific geographical regions. Kumu Kahua is recognized nationally and internationally for regional programming.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Manoa Valley Theatre: Honolulu's largest community theatre producing mainstage plays and musicals. Direct peer in the same O'ahu market with overlapping audience and donor base, and previously employed Kumu Kahua's Office Manager Sara Ward for nearly 20 years.
• Honolulu Theatre for Youth: Long-established Honolulu theatre producing plays for young audiences. Operates in the same O'ahu market with overlapping institutional partners, and Kumu Kahua's Artistic Director has served as guest director there.
• Hawai'i Shakespeare Festival: Local Hawai'i festival producing Shakespeare and classical works, co-founded by Kumu Kahua's Artistic Director. Currently co-presenting The Winter's Tale through Kumu Kahua's Dark Night series, making it both a partner and a directly comparable producing organization.
• Braata Productions: Caribbean/arts organization and co-founder of the Reset Theatre Coalition with Kumu Kahua. Directly comparable as a small, culturally-focused producing company spotlighting underrepresented voices.
• Conch Shell Productions: BIPOC theatre company and Reset Theatre Coalition co-founder alongside Kumu Kahua. Directly comparable small culturally-focused producing organization with shared mission and digital co-production model.
• Diamond Head Theatre: One of Hawai'i's oldest community theatres, producing musicals and plays on O'ahu. Direct peer operating in the same Honolulu market with overlapping audience demographics and donor pool.
• The Actors Group (TAG): Honolulu-based theatre company producing contemporary and classic works. Direct peer in the same Honolulu market; Kumu Kahua's Artistic Director Harry Wong III has directed there.

Emerging players

• Perseverance Theatre: Regional theatre in Juneau, Alaska producing original and contemporary work with strong regional identity. Comparable as another geographically-isolated 'theatre of place' producing community-rooted original works.
• Mixed Blood Theatre: Minneapolis-based theatre known for producing original works rooted in specific communities and cultures. Comparable as a 'theatre of place' style organization producing original community-rooted work.

Others

• Native Arts and Cultures Foundation: National arts funder supporting Indigenous and Pacific Islander cultural production. Adjacent ecosystem participant that channels grant funding to organizations like Kumu Kahua producing Native Hawaiian and Pacific arts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/KumuKahua
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/kumukahuatheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/kumukahuatheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/kumukahua
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concord-players-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Kumu Kahua Theatre