The Old Opera House

What The Old Opera House does

The Old Opera House Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit live theatre and performing arts education organization headquartered at 204 N George Street, Charles Town, West Virginia. The venue, originally constructed in 1910-1911 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978, seats 328 (down from an original 500) and operates as one of the oldest theatres in West Virginia. The company itself was officially incorporated on May 7, 1973, after a community-led restoration effort, and reopened its main stage in October 1976 with a production of My Fair Lady.

The organization operates four product lines: (1) main stage programming comprising six annual productions, a summer family show, the annual New Voice Play Festival (a one-act playwriting competition launched in 2001), and a biennial ballet; (2) the Old Opera House Arts Centre, established in 2008, which runs performing arts classes in Acting, Dance (ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, Broadway-style), and Voice for ages 3 to adult; (3) the Jean Heiler Gallery, a visual arts gallery on the lower level; and (4) the Annual Autumn Auction fundraiser. There are no relevant underlying technology components to assess; the digital footprint consists of a Squarespace website, an email newsletter, social media, and the Center Stage Ticketing platform for online box office sales.

The business model is a hybrid non-profit structure blending earned revenue (individual show tickets at $17-$24, $110 season ticket memberships, class tuition, gift certificates) with contributed revenue (donations, the silent/live auction, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the WV Department of Arts, Culture and History, and the WV Commission on the Arts). The organization is primarily volunteer-driven, with three active volunteer groups (Theatre Guild, Op Shop, OOHLaLas), a 13-person Board of Directors, and a small staff totaling 11-50 employees led by Managing/Artistic Director Steven Brewer. Customer segments are general theatre patrons, youth and families seeking arts education, and emerging playwrights; the served geography is Charles Town, WV and the surrounding Eastern Panhandle region.

Name

The Old Opera House

Legal name

The Old Opera House Theatre Company

Website

https://oldoperahouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Old Opera House Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit live theatre and performing arts education organization in Charles Town, West Virginia, operating a 328-seat historic venue since 1911 and serving the local community with six annual productions, classes, and youth programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre and Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Performing arts education
• Community theatre
• Dance instruction
• Acting classes

Headquarters

HQ city

Charles Town

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual performance tickets across six main stage productions, summer family shows, dance recitals, ballet performances, and special events. Season ticket packages also available at $110.
2. Arts Centre Classes: Tuition revenue from performing arts classes in Acting, Dance (ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, Broadway-style), and Voice for children ages 3-18 and adults. Summer camps also offered.
3. Donations and Fundraising: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting donations. Major annual fundraiser is the Autumn Auction featuring silent and live auctions, plus ongoing support from community partners and sponsors.
4. Gift Certificates: Sale of gift certificates for theatre performances and potentially classes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Old Opera House Theatre Company is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community theatre in Charles Town, West Virginia, presenting six annual main stage productions (plays and musicals), a summer family production, the New Voice Play Festival one-act playwriting competition, and biennial ballet performances. It also operates the OOH Arts Centre, which provides performing arts classes in Acting, Dance, and Voice for children ages 3-18 and adults, plus summer camps. The organization sells tickets, season memberships, gift certificates, and class tuition, and supplements revenue through donations, sponsorships, and an annual Autumn Auction fundraiser.

Product overview

The Old Opera House Theatre Company operates as a live theatre venue offering a portfolio of theatrical productions and performing arts education. The core offerings include six annual main stage productions (plays and musicals), a summer family/youth production, the New Voice Play Festival (annual one-act play competition), and ballet productions every other year. The OOH Arts Centre serves as the educational division, providing structured classes in Acting, Dance (ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, Broadway-style), and Voice through three dedicated studios. Additional offerings include the Jean Heiler Gallery for visual arts and the Annual Autumn Auction as a major fundraiser. The theatre also sells season tickets and individual performance tickets through third-party ticketing platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Old Opera House Arts Centre: Performing arts education program offering classes in Acting, Dance (ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, and Broadway-style dance), and Voice for children and adults.
• New Voice Play Festival
• Jean Heiler Gallery

Products and services

• Main Stage Productions
• Summer Family Production
• New Voice Play Festival
• Ballet Productions
• OOH Arts Centre Performing arts education division offering year-round classes in Acting, Dance, and Voice for children ages 3-18 and adults, plus summer camps, delivered through three studios: the Acting Studio, Dance Studio, and Voice Studio.
• Acting Studio Classes Small-group theatre performance classes for young performers ages 8-18, covering scene study, role playing, improvisation, and creative exercises, taught by the Managing/Artistic Director and other acting instructors.
• Dance Studio Classes Dance instruction for ages 3-18 in ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, lyrical, and Broadway-style dance, including a Wee Ones class for younger dancers, taught by instructors including Christina Franz, Heather Carr, DesWell Carr, and Daisy Mason.
• Voice Studio Lessons Private and group voice lessons for students ages 8-18, teaching proper vocal techniques for strength, clarity, diction, breathing, and pitch, taught by Heather Mae Wilson.
• Annual Autumn Auction Annual fundraising event featuring silent and live auctions of gift certificates, collectibles, experiences, and services from local merchants; admission $50 includes wine and hors d'oeuvres (silent auction admission free).
• Season Ticket Membership Annual season ticket membership priced at $110 for the 2025-26 season, providing access to all main stage productions through a downloadable order form on the website.

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered major and minor.

• WVU MedicinemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal healthcare provider and sponsor. Sponsored productions including She Loves Me (2026) and Calendar Girls (2025).
• Charles Town KiwanismajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal service organization and sponsor. Sponsored Disney's The Little Mermaid (2026) and The Wizard of Oz (2025) in memory of Rob Payne.
• American Public University SystemmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution and sponsor. Sponsored Little Shop of Horrors (2025) and The Game's Afoot (2024).
• The Bennett AgencymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance agency and sponsor. Sponsored A Christmas Carol: Scrooge & Marley (2025) and A Christmas Story (2024).
• Wiley Chase FarmmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal farm and sponsor. Sponsored The Chicken-Fried-Fabulous Spa-Dee-Dah Sisterhood (2025) and The Outsider (2024).
• Karen and Craig MartinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndividual sponsors who sponsored Arsenic and Old Lace (2026).

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Barter Theatre: Historic regional theatre in Abingdon, Virginia founded in 1933, operating a similarly-sized multi-production season with a focus on community access and producing plays/musicals. Direct structural and operational analog as a long-running, small-city regional repertory company.
• Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre: Dinner-theatre hybrid producing a season of Broadway-style musicals with dinner service. Comparable on small-theatre, multi-programming nonprofit model with educational outreach.
• Beckley Arts Center: Southern West Virginia performing arts venue offering theatrical productions and arts education classes. Comparable community-theatre scale with mixed production/education programming.
• Greenbrier Valley Theatre: Regional professional theatre in Lewisburg, West Virginia producing a multi-show season with youth programming. Closest in-state peer by geography, mission, and scale.
• Wayside Theatre: Small regional repertory theatre producing plays and musicals with strong educational programming. Directly comparable on size, mission, and small-market single-venue operating model.

Others

• American Association of Community Theatre (AACT): National membership organization for community theatres; listed as a partner on the Old Opera House website. Useful peer as an industry umbrella rather than a direct competitor, indicating peer-network participation.

Broad incumbents

• Taproot Theatre Company: Mid-sized community theatre producing main stage and education programming with a similar nonprofit, multi-stream model (productions + classes + donations). Stronger incumbent by scale, but operates on the same template.

Regional players

• Charleston Light Opera Guild: West Virginia community musical theatre organization producing a season of musicals with education programs. Comparable on musical-theatre focus and nonprofit volunteer-driven model.
• West Virginia Public Theatre: West Virginia-based producing organization staging musicals and plays with educational outreach. Comparable mission and regional nonprofit theatre operating model within the same state.
• Shenandoah Conservatory: Performing arts conservatory in Winchester, VA offering acting, dance, and music instruction. Comparable to the Old Opera House Arts Centre on the education/training axis and serves the same Eastern Panhandle / Shenandoah Valley catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oldoperahouse
• Facebookfacebook.com/OOHCharlesTown
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/opera-house-theater-co-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 The Old Opera House