Lifeline Theatre

Name

Lifeline Theatre

Legal name

Lifeline Theatre

Website

https://lifelinetheatre.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theater / Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Literary adaptations
• Children's theater
• Arts education programs
• Community theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual ticket purchases for MainStage and KidSeries productions through direct sales and online ticketing platform
2. Subscriptions: Season subscriptions offering discounted access to multiple productions, providing predictable revenue and audience commitment
3. Donations and Contributions: Individual donations supported through a dedicated donation portal, with a donor recognition program
4. Theatre Facility Rentals: Revenue from renting the theatre facilities to external groups, utilizing the 95-seat theater, rehearsal space, and scene shop
5. Education Programs: Fees from Student Matinees, Artists-in-Residence school programs, drama workshops, and summer camps for children

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lifeline Theatre stages live theatrical productions centered on innovative adaptations of literary works, supplemented by children's theater, education programs, and community programming. Its core offerings are MainStage Productions (full-scale literary adaptations of novels and books for adult audiences) and KidSeries (family-friendly adaptations of children's literature). The company also operates education programs including Student Matinees and Artists-in-Residence, the Fillet of Solo Festival, and a BIPOC Adaptation Workshop and Showcase, all delivered from its 95-seat theater in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood.

Product overview

Lifeline Theatre is a theater company specializing in literary adaptations, offering a portfolio of theatrical products centered around bringing books to life on stage. The core offerings include MainStage Productions (full-scale literary adaptations of novels) and KidSeries (children's theater programming), supplemented by Education Programs (student matinees, artist residencies, and drama camps), the Fillet of Solo Festival (storytelling festival), BIPOC Adaptation Workshop (playwright development), Accessibility Services (audio description, captioning, sensory-friendly performances), and Audio Drama Productions (episodic audio adaptations). The company operates a 95-seat theater venue in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood and employs over 150 artists annually, serving over 17,000 audience members each season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MainStage Productions Full-scale theatrical productions featuring literary adaptations of novels and books for adult audiences, including works by authors such as Jane Austen, Neil Gaiman, Charles Dickens, and Terry Pratchett. Productions run September through August as part of the company's 44th season (2026-27) at the 95-seat theater.
• KidSeries Children's theater programming featuring family-friendly adaptations of popular children's books, including musicals and plays suitable for young audiences. Includes sensory-friendly performance options and 2026-27 season titles such as Sugar Plum Fairy, P.I. and Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type.
• Education Programs Educational offerings including Student Matinees (over 3,000 students annually), Artists-in-Residence pairing professional actor-teaching artists with classroom teachers in K-8 schools, Drama Camps for children ages 4-11 (over 300 children annually), Stories Come Alive!, and School Drama Workshops.
• Fillet of Solo Festival Chicago's premier solo performance and storytelling festival hosted from 2015 to 2024. Multi-venue festival featuring storytelling collectives and solo performers attracting national talent.
• BIPOC Adaptation Workshop and Showcase A BIPOC-focused workshop bringing new and diverse voices to the theater stages. Provides Lifeline's expertise in literary adaptation to support playwrights and writers of color seeking to adapt works for the stage.
• Accessibility Services Services for accessible theater experiences including audio description for blind/low vision patrons, open captioning for deaf/hard-of-hearing audiences, and autism/sensory-friendly performances for individuals with cognitive/developmental disabilities.
• Theatre Facility Rentals Rental of the theatre's 95-seat theater, rehearsal space, and scene shop to external groups and producers.
• Audio Drama Productions Episodic audio drama adaptations of literary works, including adaptations of Sense & Sensibility, Miss Holmes, and Carmilla.

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Glenwood Avenue Arts DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLifeline Theatre was lead organizer of the Glenwood Avenue Arts Fest from 2002-2018, collaborating with Rogers Park artists, businesses and community organizations. The annual event grew from one day to two and a half days of art, music and family activities. In 2019, the not-for-profit Glenwood Avenue Arts District was formed and continues to manage the festival.
• Pegasus Theatre ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership for 'From the Mississippi Delta' as a co-production with Pegasus Theatre Chicago, directed by ILesa Duncan.
• BoHo TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative Rogers Park Flex Pass partnership offering flexible subscription access across multiple Rogers Park theaters including BoHo Theatre, The Factory Theater, the side project, and Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre.
• The Factory TheaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative Rogers Park Flex Pass partnership offering flexible subscription access across multiple Rogers Park theaters.
• The side projectminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative Rogers Park Flex Pass partnership offering flexible subscription access across multiple Rogers Park theaters.
• Theo Ubique Cabaret TheatreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative Rogers Park Flex Pass partnership offering flexible subscription access across multiple Rogers Park theaters.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Goodman Theatre: Chicago's oldest and largest nonprofit theater producing classic, contemporary, and new works. Comparable to Lifeline as a Chicago literary/classical theater serving similar audiences, though at significantly greater scale with multiple stages and broader programming.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: One of Chicago's largest and most prestigious theaters with extensive ensemble, new work, and educational programs. Comparable to Lifeline as a Chicago theater serving literary/dramatic audiences, though operating at much greater scale and with broader programming.

Direct peers

• The Neo-Futurists: Chicago experimental theater ensemble company. Comparable to Lifeline as a Chicago ensemble-based nonprofit theater; Lifeline's Grant Associate Bilal Dardai was previously a 12-year ensemble member and Artistic Director there.
• BoHo Theatre: Rogers Park-based Chicago theater that partners with Lifeline through the Rogers Park Flex Pass. Comparable as a small Chicago community theater serving overlapping audiences with subscription-based ticketing.
• Chicago Children's Theatre: Chicago's largest professional theater company producing works for young audiences. Comparable to Lifeline's KidSeries programming in children's theater focus, school partnerships, and family audience development.
• Lookingglass Theatre Company: Mid-size Chicago nonprofit theater producing original and adapted works. Comparable to Lifeline in scale, nonprofit model, and Chicago mid-size theater ecosystem, with similar audience-development and educational programming approaches.
• Writers Theatre: Chicago-area theater specializing in literary adaptations and new works. Directly comparable to Lifeline for its focus on dramatizing literary material and serving literary-minded audiences in a similar nonprofit, mid-size theater format.
• Adventure Stage Chicago: Chicago nonprofit theater producing work for young audiences and families, with strong school and community partnerships. Directly comparable to Lifeline's KidSeries and education programs; Lifeline's Education Director previously served there.
• Pegasus Theatre Chicago: Chicago theater company that co-produced 'From the Mississippi Delta' with Lifeline in 2022-23. Comparable as a peer Chicago nonprofit theater of similar scale engaged in co-productions and new work development.

Emerging players

• Provision Theater Company: Chicago-based theater company with similar nonprofit model and Chicago-area audience focus. Comparable as a smaller peer in the Chicago literary/contemporary theater scene producing literary adaptations and original works.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lifelinetheatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Lifeline Theatre