The Puppet Co.

What The Puppet Co. does

The Puppet Co. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional puppet theatre founded in 1983 by Allan Stevens and Christopher Piper, operating as a Center for Exploration of the Puppet Arts out of a purpose-built 150-seat Playhouse inside the renovated Arcade building at Glen Echo Park (a National Park Service site) in Glen Echo, Maryland. It is one of only two year-round puppet theatres between New York and Atlanta. The company's core product is live puppetry performance built on a repertory of over 300 active rod puppets, marionettes, hand puppets, and hybrid puppets, supported by a 500+ piece archival collection of historically significant works from mid-Atlantic puppetry pioneers including Tony Sarg, Margo and Rufus Rose, and Bil and Cora Baird. Programming is organized around two principal ticketed series — Mainstage shows (ages 4+, ~45-60 minutes) and Tiny Tots shows (ages 18 months-4 years, 30 minutes, sensory-friendly) — with a current 2026 production of The Three Billy Goats Gruff directed by incoming Artistic Director Danny Pushkin.

The Puppet Co. monetizes across roughly ten distinct revenue streams: Mainstage and Tiny Tots ticket sales through the Showare online platform and on-site box office; theatre and party-room rentals priced $200-$1,100; birthday party packages combining room rental with show tickets and/or puppet workshops ($350-$575, up to $575 full-package); puppet workshops at $125 base + $10 per participant; audio and video recording services at $40-$80/hour; program advertising ($100-$600); adult programming (Puppet Slams, Witching Hour variety shows, Comedy Nights) at $15-$75 ticket tiers; the new Story, Puppet, Play Camp at $325/week; touring productions for external Mid-Atlantic venues; and tax-deductible donations via Zeffy, PayPal Giving Fund, Zelle, and corporate/foundation sponsorships (including Carl M. Freeman Foundation and Trawick Foundation). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through on-site box office, online ticketing, school and group bookings (with Title 1 transportation grants channeled through the Glen Echo Park Partnership), private event rentals, and touring shows.

The organization is led by Executive Director Isabel Dawson (since September 2023) and Artistic Director Danny Pushkin (appointed April 2026), with a volunteer Board of Directors and an Artistic Council of company members. It has earned two Cherry Adler Awards (2000, 2010), a Citation of Excellence from UNIMA (2008/2009), a Discovery Channel Excellence Award (2006), and back-to-back Helen Hayes nominations for Outstanding Production/Performance in Theatre for Young Audiences (2024, 2025). Total reported attendance reached 16,500+ in 2022 and 11,322 on Mainstage alone in 2025.

Name

The Puppet Co.

Legal name

The Puppet Co.

Website

https://thepuppetco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Puppet Co. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit year-round puppet theatre in Glen Echo, Maryland, producing live Mainstage and Tiny Tots performances, birthday parties, workshops, and touring shows for families, schools, and adults across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Puppet Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Puppetry & Marionette Theatre (MPAGABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theatre Services & Design (Scenic/Costume/Props/Stage Management) (MPAGABAO)

Keywords

• Live puppet theater
• Children's entertainment
• Puppetry performances
• Arts education
• Birthday party venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Echo

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales - Mainstage Shows: Primary revenue from ticket sales for Mainstage productions recommended for ages 4+. Tickets sold online and at box office. Mainstage series had 11,322 attendees in 2025.
2. Ticket Sales - Tiny Tots Shows: Revenue from shorter 30-minute performances designed for children 18 months to 4 years old with modified theater environment (lights on, doors open).
3. Theatre Rentals: Rental of theatre space (capacity 150) for private events, parties, and productions. Party room rental available for smaller gatherings.
4. Birthday Party Packages: Complete party packages including party room time plus show tickets or puppet workshops. Options range from $350-$575 for 4 hours plus tickets/workshops.
5. Recording Sessions: Rental of recording booth and video recording space. Audio recording at $40-$80/hour, video recording at $40-$60/hour with additional equipment add-ons.
6. Puppet Workshops: Custom puppet-making and manipulation workshops taught by teaching artists. Recommended for ages 5+. $125 base + $10 per participant.
7. Program Advertising: Ad space sales in show programs reaching thousands of families annually in MD, VA, and DC areas. Pricing from $100-$600 depending on placement and color.
8. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations through Zeffy, PayPal Giving Fund, Zelle, check, and cash. Also receives support through wish list item donations and corporate sponsorships.
9. Touring Shows: Revenue from touring productions of legacy shows including Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and the 3 Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Peter and the Wolf.
10. Puppet Slam & Adult Events: Adult-oriented evening programming including Puppet Slams with varied ticket levels ($15-$35) and specialty events like Comedy Nights and Witching Hour variety shows.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Puppet Co. produces and performs professional live puppet theater productions at its purpose-built playhouse inside Glen Echo Park, Maryland. It offers Mainstage shows for ages 4+, Tiny Tots shows for ages 18 months–4, touring productions, theatre and party rentals, puppet workshops, school field trips, recording services, and adult programming, supplemented by donations and sponsorships.

Product overview

The Puppet Co. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit puppet theater company operating as a Center for Exploration of the Puppet Arts at Glen Echo Park in Maryland. The company offers a portfolio of live puppet theater products centered on two mainstage series: Mainstage Shows featuring full-length productions using rod puppets, marionettes, hand puppets, and body puppets for audiences ages 4+; and Tiny Tots Shows designed for children 18 months to 4 years with sensory-friendly accommodations. Supporting products include Touring Shows available for external bookings, Theatre Rental and Party Packages for private events, Puppet Workshops for creative education, Audio and Video Recording services for outside artists, and educational Story, Puppet, Play Camp. The company also produces adult programming including Puppet Slams, Witching Hour, and Comedy Nights, plus offers Field Trip programs with group discounts. All offerings are theatrical performances and educational programs rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,322 Mainstage attendees in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative relationship for producing programs at Glen Echo Park. The Puppet Co. is located within Glen Echo Park and operates in cooperation with the Partnership, National Park Service, and Montgomery County. The Partnership also provides grants for transportation funding for Title 1 schools visiting the park.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlen Echo Park is owned by the National Park Service. Programs are produced in cooperation with NPS.
• Montgomery CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative relationship for producing programs; Montgomery County arts funding support.
• Puppet Slam NetworkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsors Puppet Slam evenings of short-form puppetry. The Puppet Co. Slams are evenings of short-form puppetry acts sponsored by the Puppet Slam Network.
• Best of BethesdaminorOthersFinalist in Best of Bethesda 2026 awards program.
• WMATAminorOthersPublic transportation provider; #29 bus from Friendship Heights Metro Station or Bethesda Metro Station provides access to Glen Echo Park.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD-based non-profit professional theater for young audiences offering mainstage productions, classes, and field trips. Direct regional competitor for DMV family entertainment dollars and school field trip bookings.
• Synetic Theater: Arlington, VA-based non-profit theater known for wordless Shakespeare adaptations; Danny Pushkin has performed there. Comparable as a DMV-based non-profit theater serving family and adult audiences with distinctive artistic style.

Direct peers

• Center for Puppetry Arts: Atlanta-based year-round puppetry center with a dedicated theater, museum, and educational programming. Highly comparable as the other major U.S. year-round puppet theater; both organizations share mission-driven non-profit structure, museum-style collections, and family-focused programming.
• Puppetworks: Brooklyn-based year-round puppet theater that produces marionette and hand puppet performances for families and adults. Directly referenced in the source data as the other year-round puppet theatre between NYC and Atlanta, making it the closest geographic-mission peer.
• National Marionette Theatre: Touring and venue-based puppet theater producing marionette productions for family audiences. Comparable in product format (live marionette/puppet performances), target audience (young children), and reliance on touring productions plus venue residencies.
• Adventure Theatre MTC: Glen Echo Park-based professional theater for young audiences; Danny Pushkin served as Resident Artist here. Shares location, audience (DMV families with young children), non-profit status, and Helen Hayes-eligible programming with The Puppet Co.

Emerging players

• Penny's Puppets: Featured guest artist at The Puppet Co.'s Tiny Tots series. Comparable as a professional puppetry company producing live shows for very young children (toddlers and preschoolers), often performing at The Puppet Co. and similar venues.
• Beale Street Puppets: Featured guest artist at The Puppet Co.'s Tiny Tots series. Comparable as an independent professional puppeteer producing shows for young children, often performing at regional puppet-friendly venues including The Puppet Co.

Others

• Genesius Guild: Annapolis, MD-based non-profit producing free outdoor classical theater; Isabel Dawson served as Executive Director before The Puppet Co. Comparable as a small non-profit regional theater, though different art form (live classical vs. puppetry).

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Discovery Theater: Live educational theater program within the Smithsonian, producing puppet and live performances for young audiences. Comparable in product (live puppet/storytelling theater) and mission, but operates as part of a much larger institutional umbrella.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thepuppetco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Puppet Co.