Horse Trade Theater Group

What Horse Trade Theater Group does

Horse Trade Theater Group is a New York City-based Off-Off-Broadway theater organization operating as a venue provider and artistic platform for independent theater artists. Founded in 1998/1999 and headquartered at 85 E. 4th St in the East Village, the organization runs three performance spaces — Kraine Theater (85 E. 4th St), UNDER St Marks (94 St Marks Pl), and Fanfare (100 E. 4th St) — plus The Red Room NYC workshop space. Its core product is rental of these venues to independent producers and companies on a per-night or per-hour basis, with performance rates ranging from $350 to $850 and non-performance rates from $10 to $35 per hour, supplemented by technical support, fireguard services, and optional general liability insurance. The company also operates the Resident Program (in continuous operation since 1999), which provides select companies with ongoing artistic infrastructure including rehearsal and performance space, administrative and marketing support, and audience development; The Drafts acting ensemble, responsible for developing more than forty original plays through a monthly reading series; and an unpaid semester-long internship program that supplies much of the operational labor for a 1-10 person staff.

The business model is a hybrid of venue rentals, festival programming (FRIGID New York, Burlesque Blitz, The Fire This Time Festival, Gotham Storytelling Festival), recurring event series (TOLD, The Liar Show, BTK Band, The Soundtrack Series), educational workshops ($450 tuition per participant), and donor/grant support typical of a nonprofit theater. Horse Trade makes money primarily through per-night venue rental fees (one-third due at contract signing, balance on payment plan), hourly space use charges, modest workshop tuition, ticketing pass-throughs via SmartTix and TDF, and audience development driven by monthly email newsletters and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr). Distribution is direct and domestic, targeting mid-market independent producers, resident companies, emerging playwrights, and individual storytellers in the NYC indie theater scene. Customer-facing technology is limited to standard SaaS integrations (Constant Contact for email, SmartTix/TDF for ticketing); there is no proprietary platform, app, or API. The organization is structured as a private nonprofit under US/New York jurisdiction with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investors disclosed.

Name

Horse Trade Theater Group

Legal name

Horse Trade Theater Group

Website

https://horsetrade.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Horse Trade Theater Group is a New York City Off-Off-Broadway nonprofit theater organization operating three East Village performance venues (Kraine Theater, UNDER St Marks, Fanfare), offering venue rentals, artist residencies, festivals, and play development programs for independent theater artists and small companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Off-Broadway Theater Venue Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Venue Management & Booking Services (Third-Party Operators) (MPAGALAJ)

Keywords

• Off-Off-Broadway venue rental
• Independent theater residencies
• Performing arts venue management
• Playwriting workshops
• Indie theater festivals

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Venue Rentals: Horse Trade venues are available for rent year-round. Performance rates vary by venue, time slot, and day of week. Non-performance rates charged per hour for rehearsals, tech, classes, and other uses.
2. Workshop Tuition: Playwriting workshops offered with registration fees; Spring 2013 workshop tuition was $450 per participant for a semester-long program limited to nine participants.
3. Intern Program: Unpaid internship program providing entry into the downtown indie theatre world. School and resume credit available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Horse Trade Theater Group operates three Off-Off-Broadway performance venues in New York's East Village (Kraine Theater, UNDER St Marks, Fanfare) plus The Red Room NYC. It rents these venues to independent theater producers, provides a Resident Program and playwriting workshops for indie artists, and produces a slate of recurring storytelling and theater events plus annual festivals (FRIGID New York, The Fire This Time Festival, Gotham Storytelling Festival, Burlesque Blitz). Revenue comes primarily from venue rentals, workshop tuition, donations, and box office from its own productions.

Product overview

Horse Trade Theater Group is a New York-based Off-Off-Broadway theater company operating a multi-venue portfolio consisting of three performance spaces (Kraine Theater, UNDER St Marks, and Fanfare) plus The Red Room NYC. The company provides an integrated ecosystem for independent theater artists through venue rentals, the Resident Program for company residencies, and The Drafts ensemble for play development. Programming includes recurring events like the TOLD storytelling show, The Liar Show, and The Soundtrack Series, as well as festivals such as FRIGID New York (winter) and The Fire This Time Festival. Additional services include a Playwriting Workshop, submission program for playwrights and producers, internship opportunities, and comprehensive theater rental services including technical support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kraine Theater Performance venue at 85 East 4th St, New York, NY 10003, available for rent with performance rates from $200 to $850 per night depending on day and time slot; weekend block (Thu-Sat) priced at $1,950.
• UNDER St Marks Performance venue at 94 St Marks Pl, New York, available for rent with performance rates from $200 to $550 per night depending on day and time slot.
• Fanfare Performance and rehearsal space at 100 East 4th St, New York, available for rent with hourly rates starting at $20 for classes and rehearsals and a $10/hr resident rate.
• The Red Room NYC Performance venue used for the Horse Trade Playwriting Workshop sessions (e.g., 2nd Saturdays, 12-3pm) and other readings.
• Resident Program Artistic residency program offering rehearsal and performance space, plus administrative, marketing, and artistic support to select Off-Off-Broadway artists and companies on a rolling submission basis.
• The Drafts Acting ensemble developing over forty original plays through a monthly reading series, led by Artistic Director Heidi Grumelot.
• The Fire This Time Festival Annual festival founded in 2009/2010 by Kelley Nicole Girod providing rising playwrights of African and African American descent a platform to write and develop new work; the first season sold out every presentation.
• FRIGID New York Winter resident festival produced by Horse Trade Theater Group featuring independent theater productions.
• Horse Trade Playwriting Workshop Semester-long playwriting workshop cohort bringing together playwrights to develop and polish completed full-length drafts; sessions clarify storytelling, develop craft, and provide professional dramaturgical resources at $450 tuition.
• Theater Rental Services Rental of performance venues (Kraine, UNDER St Marks, Fanfare) and rehearsal spaces to independent artists and companies, including technical support, light and sound equipment, fireguard service at $75 per performance, and general liability insurance buy-in at $150 plus $15 per performance.
• Submission Program Program accepting script submissions from playwrights for consideration in The Drafts readings at one of three performance spaces, and producer submissions for workshopping, testing, or producing complete shows.
• Internship Program Unpaid semester-long internship (15-20 hours per week) for rising college seniors, recent graduates, and graduate students offering exposure to technical, marketing, literary management, volunteer coordination, and front-of-house management; school and resume credit available, plus free attendance at Horse Trade readings, salons, and special events.
• TOLD Monthly storytelling show hosted by Seth Lind (Director of Operations at This American Life) featuring New York storytellers telling true stories tied to a central theme, with special guest interludes and audience participation.
• BTK Band Improvised storytelling rock band show where raconteurs tell true stories while music and lyrics are improvised live to turn their stories into songs.
• The Soundtrack Series Monthly storytelling event at The Gallery at LPR where guest storytellers share hilarious or heart-wrenching stories tied to songs from their past.
• The Liar Show Storytelling show where four performers tell short personal stories while one makes up their story; audience members can interrogate the cast and expose the liar to win a T-shirt.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over forty original plays developed through The Drafts monthly reading series
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Integration3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: Legendary East Village Off-Off-Broadway venue founded in 1961 supporting experimental theater with multiple performance spaces. Directly comparable as a long-standing NYC indie theater venue with artist residencies and festival programming.
• HERE Arts Center: SoHo-based nonprofit performing arts venue supporting indie and experimental theater, dance, and music. Directly comparable as a multi-discipline indie performance venue providing space and development support to independent artists.
• 59E59 Theaters: Multi-venue Off-Off-Broadway complex in Manhattan hosting resident theater companies and rental productions. Comparable as a multi-venue NYC theater operator with similar pricing structure and artist support services.
• Dixon Place: Lower East Side performance venue and incubator for independent artists across theater, dance, puppetry, and storytelling. Directly comparable as a small NYC indie venue operating similar programming, festivals, and artist development programs.
• The Flea Theater: Off-Off-Broadway theater in Lower Manhattan operating its own performance venue and resident artist programs (the Bats and interns). Directly comparable as a small nonprofit theater with venue operations and artist development focus.

Peers

• The New York Theatre Workshop:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/httheater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Horse Trade Theater Group