What Pegasus Theatre Chicago does

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater company (Tax ID 36-3002953) founded in June 1978, originally as Pegasus Players. The organization develops and produces bold theatrical works that center Black, emerging, and youth voices and promote intercultural exchange, performing primarily at Chicago Dramatists (773 N. Aberdeen) and Columbia College Chicago's Getz' Courtyard Theatre. Its core programming consists of two product lines: mainstage theatrical productions (currently in its 46th season, 2025-2026) and the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), a citywide playwriting competition for Chicago students in grades 7-12 that has reached 116,000+ teenagers, evaluated 16,000+ scripts, and produced 75+ student-written short plays professionally since inception.

The business model blends earned and contributed revenue. Earned revenue comes from ticket sales priced at $10-$35 per ticket (adults $25-$35, seniors $25, students/youth $12-$18), group sales, school matinees, and limited virtual streaming. Contributed revenue — the larger and more strategically critical stream — comes from individual donations and a concentrated roster of institutional foundation funders including MacArthur, Donnelley, Logan, Polk Bros, Seabury, NEA, Illinois Arts Council, Paul M. Angell Foundation, and A Road Together. Supporting programs include the MUSE festival for female artists, YPF in-school residencies placing professional playwrights in CPS classrooms, and post-show community engagement events. The organization operates with 1-10 employees under Executive & Producing Director ILesa Duncan, with a board of directors and advisory council providing governance.

Pegasus' distribution is regional (Chicago metropolitan area) with historical international cultural-exchange precedent (1993 U.S. government-sponsored tour through Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Jordan) and recent virtual streaming capability introduced during the 2020-21 season. The company holds 77 Joseph Jefferson Citations — more than any other Chicago theatre in that category — and outreach programs have served approximately 400,000 people across the organization's history.

Name

Pegasus Theatre Chicago

Legal name

Pegasus Theatre Chicago

Website

https://pegasustheatrechicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater company producing bold mainstage works centering Black, emerging, and youth voices, and operating the 39th-year Young Playwrights Festival competition and in-school residencies for Chicago grades 7-12 students at Chicago Dramatists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Performing arts theatre
• Theatrical productions
• Arts education programs
• Youth playwriting competition
• Community engagement events

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: The primary revenue stream comes from ticket sales for mainstage theatrical productions and the Young Playwrights Festival. Pricing varies by production with standard adult tickets ($25-$35), senior discounts ($25), and youth/student pricing ($12-$18). Group rates are available.
2. Donations and Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID: 36-3002953), Pegasus relies heavily on charitable contributions from individuals and institutional donors. The website prominently features donation appeals and mentions specific giving amounts ($100 pays an artist to workshop a new play).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Pegasus Theatre Chicago produces and presents bold, imaginative theatrical productions at Chicago Dramatists that center Black, emerging, and youth voices and promote intercultural exchange. It operates the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF), a 39-year-old citywide playwriting competition for Chicago students in grades 7-12 that includes in-school residencies and professional production of winning student plays, alongside the MUSE Festival and community engagement programming.

Product overview

Pegasus Theatre Chicago is a professional nonprofit theater company offering a portfolio of theater products and arts education programs. Its core offerings include main stage theatrical productions at Chicago Dramatists featuring works by and about Black, emerging, and youth voices, and the Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) — a citywide high school playwriting competition with in-school residencies. Additional offerings include the MUSE Festival for female artists and community engagement events. The company operates as a 501(c)(3) organization celebrating its 46th season in 2025-2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Stage Productions Professional theatrical productions staged at Chicago Dramatists (773 N. Aberdeen), featuring bold, imaginative works that center Black, emerging, and youth voices, examine social issues, and promote intercultural exchange. Examples include In the Continuum, Eclipsed, Shakin' The Mess Outta Misery, and The Green Book.
• Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) Annual citywide playwriting competition for Chicago middle and high school students (grades 7-12) that provides workshops, competition judging, mentorship, and professional production of winning student plays. Receives over 500 submissions annually.
• YPF In-School Residency Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 77 Joseph Jefferson Citations earned - more than any other Chicago theatre
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

One partnership is on record.

• James L. and John S. Donna...

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: One of the most prominent Chicago theaters nationally, producing ensemble-driven work. Comparable as a Chicago nonprofit theater but operates at substantially larger scale and audience reach than Pegasus.
• Goodman Theatre: Major Chicago regional theater producing a wide range of works across multiple stages. Operates in the same city and industry but at significantly larger scale and with broader programming.
• Court Theatre: Chicago-based professional theater producing classic and contemporary work with a focus on African American experience. Mission-overlaps Pegasus' BIPOC-centered programming while operating at larger scale.

Direct peers

• Chicago Dramatists: Chicago-based playwright development organization that hosts Pegasus' mainstage productions at 773 N. Aberdeen. Comparable as a fellow Chicago theater focused on new play development and serving dramatists.
• Chicago Children's Theatre: Chicago nonprofit producing professional theater for young audiences with strong education programming. Comparable as a Chicago nonprofit combining mainstage productions with school-based arts education.
• American Blues Theater: Chicago's smallest Equity theater producing bold, character-driven plays. Comparable as a small Chicago ensemble with similar production scale and programming approach.
• Congo Square Theatre Company: Chicago theater company dedicated to producing works about the Black African diaspora. Shares Pegasus' mission to center Black voices and is of similar small-theatre scale.
• eta Creative Arts Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit producing theater that celebrates Black culture and artistry. Comparable mission focus on Black storytelling and community-centered programming.
• Lifeline Theatre: Small Chicago ensemble theatre producing bold, intimate productions. Pegasus' Executive Director ILesa Duncan previously served as artistic director at Lifeline, making it a directly comparable small-theatre peer with overlapping leadership and mission.
• Lookingglass Theatre Company: Chicago ensemble theater producing original and adaptive works. Comparable as a mid-sized Chicago nonprofit theater focused on ensemble-driven, mission-oriented productions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pegasusthtrchi
• Facebookfacebook.com/PegasusChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pegasus-players

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Pegasus Theatre Chicago