Luna Stage

What Luna Stage does

Luna Stage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater company founded in 1992 and headquartered at 555 Valley Road in the Valley Arts District of West Orange, New Jersey. The company develops and produces original plays and site-specific community-engaged productions, and operates arts education programming including a Kids Summer Theatre Camp, Summer Teen Conservatory, and adult classes (including Reel.Dance.Music). Luna is believed to be the only professional theater in the United States offering its full slate — productions, classes, camps, and events — on a pay-what-you-choose basis, a model adopted in 2020.

The company derives revenue from four streams: ticket sales (pay-what-you-choose, suggested $10-$60 mainstage), institutional and individual donations/grants, education program fees (suggested $145-$375 per week for camps), and facility rental/co-presentations with other companies. Anchor funders include the National Endowment for the Arts, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, Shubert Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and Valley National Bank. Luna reaches audiences through community partnerships (NJ Theatre Alliance, NAACP Montclair Branch, Friends of the Howe House), email marketing, social media, earned press, and site-specific performances in non-traditional venues. The company produces content that has reached international venues including Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre and New York's 59E59 Theaters and WP Theater.

Luna Stage has developed over 100 new works for the stage, including the breakout play The Whipping Man by Tony Award winner Matthew Lopez and works by Obie Winner Nikkole Salter. Under Artistic Director Ari Laura Kreith (since 2019, succeeding founder Jane Mandel) and Managing Director Liz Cesario (promoted 2022, 14-year tenure), the company has secured two NEA grants, launched the Suzzanne Douglas Memorial Commissioning Fund for BIPOC playwrights, and won the NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play in 2025. The organization operates with a small staff (11-50 employees) and is governed by a Board of Directors and Advisory Board.

Name

Luna Stage

Legal name

Luna Stage Company

Website

https://lunastage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Luna Stage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theater in West Orange, NJ that develops original plays, runs community-engaged and site-specific productions, and operates youth and adult arts education programs — all on a pay-what-you-choose model — serving general audiences, families, teens, and underserved communities in the Valley Arts District and beyond.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM), Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC)

Keywords

• Live theatrical productions
• Performing arts education
• Community theater
• Summer theater camps
• New play development

Headquarters

HQ city

West Orange

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales and Admissions: Revenue from ticket sales for theatrical productions, season passes, and special performances. All tickets are offered on a pay-what-you-choose basis, allowing audiences to pay what they can afford.
2. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Luna Stage relies on individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and government arts funding to sustain operations.
3. Education Programs: Revenue from summer theatre camps, classes for youth and teens, classes for adults, and the Summer Teen Conservatory. Programs are offered on a pay-what-you-choose basis.
4. Space Rental: Luna Stage rents their facilities and produces co-presentations with other theatre companies and arts organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Luna Stage is a nonprofit professional theater that produces and presents live mainstage productions, commissions and develops new plays through community-engaged programs, and offers year-round performing-arts classes plus summer theater camps for youth, teens, and adults. Performances and programs are sold under a pay-what-you-choose model to maximize accessibility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kids Summer Theatre Camp Summer theater camp designed for younger students to develop performance skills through an immersive multi-week daytime program. Targeted at school-age children in the New Jersey region.
• Summer Teen Conservatory 2026 Two-week intensive summer conservatory for teens focused on advanced theater training. Targeted at teenage students seeking rigorous pre-professional theater instruction.
• Classes for Youth and Teens Year-round performing-arts classes for school-age children and teenagers, covering acting and related theater skills across fall and spring terms. Targeted at youth and families in the local New Jersey community.
• Classes for Adults Adult performing-arts classes including offerings such as Reel.Dance.Music, designed for adult learners seeking creative expression and skill development.
• Reel.Dance.Music Adult performing-arts class combining film/dance/music elements, offered as part of Luna Stage's adult education programming.
• Mainstage Theatrical Productions Professional live theatrical productions presented on Luna Stage's mainstage throughout the season, including contemporary plays and new works. Targeted at general audiences, families, and theater enthusiasts.
• 2026-2027 Season Pass Subscription pass granting access to multiple mainstage productions during the 2026-2027 season. Targeted at regular theatergoers seeking bundled access to the season.
• Hamlet (Abridged and Outdoors) Free outdoor abridged staging of Shakespeare's Hamlet designed to expand community access to classic theater. Targeted at general audiences and community members.
• Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library Specific mainstage production presented by Luna Stage, exemplifying its programming of contemporary and historical theatrical works. Targeted at general theater audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ new plays developed for the stage
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Richard Jordan ProductionsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Olivier, TONY, EMMY and 19-time Scotsman Fringe First Award-winning producer Richard Jordan for Edinburgh productions at the Traverse Theatre. Jordan has a long association with the Traverse Theatre and produced RIFT in 2025 and Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library in 2026.
• New Jersey Theatre AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLuna Stage is a Senior Member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance. Partnership includes collaborative programming, the Stages Festival, and the Stages Online initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Crossroads TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCrossroads Theatre collaborated with Luna Stage on The Ground On Which We Stand, with Ricardo Kahn serving as Artistic Director of Crossroads Theatre. The project was commissioned by Luna Stage and developed in collaboration with Crossroads Theatre.
• Traverse TheatremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEdinburgh-based venue where Luna Stage has produced multiple productions including RIFT (2025) and Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library (2026). Luna Stage is a returning company to this prestigious venue.
• NAACP Montclair BranchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization supporting Luna Stage's DEIA mission and programming that addresses social justice themes.
• Friends of the Howe HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner focused on historic preservation of the James Howe House. Luna Stage collaborated on The Ground On Which We Stand, a theatrical performance inspired by the history and legacy of the first home owned by a formerly enslaved person in Montclair.
• 59E59 TheatersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York venue where Luna Stage produced the world premiere of Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library in October-November 2024.
• WP TheatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew York venue where Mrs. Stern Wanders the Prussian State Library transferred and extended after its 59E59 run, December 2024 - January 2025.

Scale indicators6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Playwrights Horizons: NYC-based nonprofit theater dedicated to new American plays and musicals. Comparable focus on new play development pipeline, though at a larger scale and with a denser NYC talent pool.
• Arden Theatre Company: Philadelphia-based mid-size nonprofit professional theater producing mainstage productions and education programs. Similar organizational scale, regional footprint, and balance of new works and classics.
• Passage Theatre: Trenton, NJ-based small professional theater producing new works and community-engaged programming. Comparable in scale and in commitment to community-rooted, diverse storytelling.
• People's Light: Pennsylvania-based professional nonprofit theater producing new plays, classics, and education programs of similar scale. Strong comparable on the mix of production, education, and community engagement that defines Luna's model.
• Barrington Stage Company: Pittsfield, MA-based nonprofit regional theater known for developing new plays (including a Pulitzer winner). Highly comparable on new play development pipeline and professional regional scale.
• George Street Playhouse: New Brunswick, NJ-based professional theater producing new works and classics with similar community focus and education programming. Direct geographic peer operating in the same New Jersey market.
• Two River Theater: Professional nonprofit regional theater based in Red Bank, NJ, producing new plays and classics with comparable season programming, community engagement, and education programs. Closest in scale and New Jersey regional positioning to Luna Stage.
• Crossroads Theatre Company: New Brunswick, NJ-based Tony Award-winning African American theater. Direct collaboration partner with Luna on The Ground On Which We Stand and most comparable on BIPOC playwright commissioning mission.

Broad incumbents

• Hartford Stage: Connecticut-based larger regional theater with Tony Award recognition and new play development. Overlaps with Luna on new work programming and education but operates at a larger institutional scale.
• McCarter Theatre Center: Princeton, NJ-based larger regional theater with extensive new play and education programming. Operates in the same NJ ecosystem with overlapping audience base, though at a meaningfully larger scale than Luna.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lunastageco
• Facebookfacebook.com/lunastage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Luna Stage