Seattle Public Theater

What Seattle Public Theater does

Seattle Public Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company founded in 1989 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The organization has resided since 1999 at the Historic Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake, operating a 159-seat venue that hosts its mainstage season, the Distillery New Works Festival for new play development, and education programs including Teentix youth programming. It produces Resident Playwrights, curates a producing artistic director-led season slate, and operates with a small staff of 11-50 employees.

The company's product surface is live theatrical performance — mainstage productions, a new works festival, and community/youth education — supported by a standard nonprofit technology stack comprising a website, email marketing, and social channels (Facebook, Instagram), with ticketing fulfilled via NWTheatre.com. Programming includes co-productions with regional sister theaters such as Book-It Repertory Theatre, Macha Theatre Works, Pratidhwani, Sound Theatre Company, Strawberry Theatre Workshop, and The Horse in Motion, and the theater participates in the National New Play Network (NNPN) Rolling World Premiere program. A co-production with San Francisco's Magic Theater for Hedwig and the Angry Inch is scheduled for 2026.

Seattle Public Theater's revenue model is a typical nonprofit arts blend: ticket sales (individual, group, student/teentix rates), subscription products including a Flex Pass, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants from public and private funders including the National Endowment for the Arts, 4Culture, ArtsWA, and the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture. The organization serves a Seattle-area audience base that includes general ticket buyers, donors, playwrights, partner-theater collaborators, and youth participants in its education programs.

Name

Seattle Public Theater

Legal name

Seattle Public Theater

Website

https://seattlepublictheater.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seattle Public Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater founded in 1989, operating a 159-seat venue at the Historic Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake. It produces a mainstage season, the Distillery New Works Festival, and youth education programs serving Seattle-area audiences, donors, and playwrights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live 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, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Performing arts center
• New play development
• Theater education programs
• Community theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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. Ticket Sales: Single tickets, season passes, flex passes, and rush tickets sold through box office and online portal
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals at various giving levels; monthly recurring donation options available
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants/Sponsorships: Support from corporate partners, foundations including National Endowment for the Arts, 4 Culture, Arts Fund, ArtsWA, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Norcliffe Foundation, and season sponsors
4. Play Submissions and Festival Fees: Distillery New Works Festival accepts play submissions; no specific fee structure mentioned

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Seattle Public Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company that produces, presents, and stages live theatrical productions at the 159-seat Historic Bathhouse Theater on Green Lake in Seattle. Core offerings include a multi-show mainstage season (Season 37+) of contemporary plays and musicals, the annual Distillery New Works Festival for new play development, subscription ticket packages (Flex Passes and Illimitable Season Pass), single and rush ticket sales, and youth theater education programs.

Product overview

Seattle Public Theater is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theater company presenting compelling theatrical productions at the Historic Bathhouse Theater on the shores of Green Lake. The organization produces a mainstage season of diverse theatrical works, operates the Distillery New Works Festival for new play development, and offers education programming through its Youth Voices program. Ticket products include season subscriptions (Flex Passes and Illimitable Season Pass), rush tickets for sold-out shows, and gift certificates. The company serves as a Theater in Residence for Macha Theatre Works and partners with local theater companies for co-productions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Distillery New Works Festival: A celebration of emerging theater and an opportunity for playwrights to gain valuable feedback on new work. Each play receives a live reading by professional actors with audience discussions.

Products and services

• Mainstage Season Productions Full-length theatrical productions presented at the 159-seat Historic Bathhouse Theater on the shores of Green Lake, featuring contemporary plays, comedies, dramas, musicals, and special presentations across Season 37 and beyond.
• Distillery New Works Festival Annual festival celebrating emerging theater and new play development, where approximately 6-7 plays are selected from ~600-750 submissions to receive live readings by professional actors followed by audience feedback sessions to help playwrights develop their work.
• Rush Tickets Waitlist system for sold-out performances, allowing patrons to sign up one hour before showtime at the box office for potential seating availability on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Season 37 Subscription Passes (Flex Passes & Illimitable Season Pass) Subscription ticket packages including the Illimitable Season Pass ($699 for all events), 5-Ticket Flex Pass ($225), and 3-Ticket Flex Pass ($135), allowing flexible access to the full season lineup across multiple performances or shows.
• Theater Education Program Youth theater education programming for preschool through adulthood, including field trips, workshops, and mentorship opportunities for teen participants to develop original theatrical works.
• Youth Voices Program Program in which teen participants develop and perform original theater pieces based on their personal stories, providing development and performance opportunities for emerging young artists.
• Gift Certificates Gift certificates available for purchase through the Arts People platform for ticket purchases at Seattle Public Theater.

Quantifiable outcome

• Productions reviewed and selected through rigorous process
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Macha Theatre WorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMacha Theatre Works serves as Theater in Residence at Seattle Public Theater. The two organizations share producing artistic director Amy Poisson and collaborate on productions including the Distillery New Works Festival. Macha brings feminist-focused play development expertise and a pipeline of female playwrights.
• PratidhwanicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced House of Joy (2025) with Seattle Public Theater. Pratidhwani is a Seattle-area theater company focused on South Asian identity and voices.
• Seda Iranian Theatre EnsemblecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced The Forgotten History of Mastaneh (September 2023) - the first Iranian theatre company in Seattle, dedicated to amplifying immigrant and refugee voices.
• Reboot Theatre CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced 110 in the Shade (March-April 2023) - known for all-female productions and reimagining classic works.
• SIS ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced Unrivaled (2024) - a production company focused on Asian American women and their themes.
• National New Play Network (NNPN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRolling World Premiere partner for i never asked for a gofundme. Other partner theaters include About Face (Chicago) and Actors Express (Atlanta).
• The Habit Comedy TroupecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWriters from The Habit create annual holiday comedy productions including A Very Die Hard Christmas, Christmastown, and Jurassic Parking Lot.
• TeentixcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership ensures every night is Teen night - youth can purchase $5 walk-up tickets day of show for any production.
• Magic TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for special presentation of Hedwig and the Angry Inch (July 2026).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/seattlepublictheater
• Instagraminstagram.com/seattlepublictheater
• Xx.com/SeaPublicThtr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seattle-public-theater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Seattle Public Theater