Miami Theater Center

What Miami Theater Center does

Miami Theater Center (MTC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2005 and headquartered in a renovated 1946 Art Deco movie theater at 9806 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, Florida. It operates as South Florida's exclusive nonprofit Theater for Young Audiences, producing live theatrical performances and educational programs for K-12 students, families with young children, and youth theater participants. The organization delivers programming through a 330-seat Main Stage with state-of-the-art sound and lighting, an adjacent 38'-3" x 32'-7" Rehearsal Studio, and a Virtual Field Trip streaming platform launched during the pandemic. Its education division spans Summer Camp (ages 6-14), Spotlight Kids and Spotlight Kids Sr./Jr. after-school musical theater programs (ages 7-15), Young Leaders Fellowship (ages 15-18), field trips, in-school teaching artist workshops, virtual field trips, and the OnCall hospital residency at Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Family Series productions and film screenings round out the public-facing slate.

MTC's revenue model is diversified across earned and contributed streams: ticket sales for Family Series and field-trip performances, recurring education program tuition (e.g., $2,850 for an 8-month Spotlight Kids program), venue and rehearsal studio rentals (contributing approximately $200,000 annually under Managing Director Yolima De Avila), tiered corporate sponsorships ($1,200-$10,000), and a substantial base of government and foundation grants from the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, National Endowment for the Arts, Miami-Dade County, The Batchelor Foundation, The Children's Trust, Knight Foundation, Publix Charities, and AJNFF. Free tickets and transportation are provided to Miami-Dade Public School students and teachers. The go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by direct school partnerships (reaching 392 schools and 345,000 students via the MDCPS Cultural Passport Program), co-founding membership in the Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective, and co-tenancy with Miami Light Project.

The organization is exposed to material near-term risk from a $32 million state arts funding cut enacted in 2025, which has already reduced summer camp scholarship availability. Leadership comprises Artistic Director Victoria Row-Traster (formerly Royal National Theatre and New Victory Theater), Managing Director Yolima De Avila (since 2008), Technical Director Eventz Paul, Education Manager Terrence Brunn, and a small staff including Facility Managers Manuel and Miguel Bonilla and Assistant Technical Director Nia Nichols.

Name

Miami Theater Center

Legal name

Miami Theater Center

Website

https://mtcmiami.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Miami Theater Center is a Miami Shores-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating South Florida's exclusive Theater for Young Audiences, producing live theater and arts education programs for K-12 students, families, and youth across Miami-Dade County through a 330-seat venue, school partnerships, and a Virtual Field Trip platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Youth theater programming
• Arts education
• Children's live performance
• Venue rental services
• Musical theater training

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

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 & Performance Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales for live performances, family series shows, and theatrical productions presented at the 330-seat Main Stage venue.
2. Venue Rentals: Rental income from the Main Stage (330 seats, 40' x 30' stage) and Rehearsal Studio (38' x 33' open stage) for meetings, receptions, and productions. Managed Director Yolima De Avila has added approximately $200,000 to the budget through venue rentals for continued educational programming.
3. Education Program Fees: Tuition-based programs including Summer Musical Theater Camp, Spotlight Kids after-school musical theater (Mon/Wed $2,850 for 8 months, Tue/Thu same price), Spotlight Kids Sr. ($1,350 for 3 months), and Spotlight Kids Jr. ($650 for 3 months). Includes aftercare option at $120/week.
4. Sponsorships & Donations: Corporate sponsorship tiers including Season Sponsor ($10,000), Family Series Sponsor ($7,500), Featured Show Sponsor ($5,000), Scholarship Sponsor ($2,500), and Access Sponsor ($1,200). All sponsorships are customizable. Individual donations also collected.
5. Government & Foundation Grants: Grant funding from government and foundation sources including Florida Arts and Culture, National Endowment for the Arts, Miami-Dade County, The Batchelor Foundation, The Children's Trust, and others. Organization faces significant financial challenges from $32 million state funding cuts to arts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Miami Theater Center produces and presents live theater performances and arts-education programs for young audiences, families, and schools from a renovated 1946 Art Deco 330-seat Main Stage in Miami Shores. Its integrated portfolio includes Summer Musical Theater Camp, after-school Spotlight Kids programs, in-school Teaching Artist workshops, school field trips, Virtual Field Trips, the OnCall hospital residency, Family Series live shows and film screenings, and rental of the Main Stage and Rehearsal Studio to arts organizations.

Product overview

Miami Theater Center operates as a nonprofit Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) offering a unified portfolio of live performance and arts education programs. The core offering includes a renovated 330-seat Art Deco main stage theater and a rehearsal studio available for rental. The education division encompasses multiple connected programs: Summer Camp (ages 6-14), Spotlight Kids and Spotlight Kids Sr./Jr. after-school musical theater programs, Virtual Field Trips for K-12, OnCall hospital residencies, in-school programs, and field trip experiences at the venue. Family Series productions bring children's theater to young audiences. All programs are designed to serve diverse communities with inclusive, accessible arts programming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Main Stage Theater Venue Rental A renovated 1946 Art Deco 330-seat performance venue with a 40' x 30' stage, state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment, professional production crew, and box office services, available for rental to arts organizations, event planners, and community groups.
• Rehearsal Studio Rental

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 392 schools and 345,000 students through Miami-Dade County Public Schools Cultural Passport Program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Miami-Dade Arts Education CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Formed in 2020 by Miami Theater Center, The Adrienne Arsht Center, The Moss Center, and Culture Shock Miami Program (Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs). The collective provides diverse and high-quality arts programming to K-12 students across Miami-Dade County through online/virtual offerings and in-person field trips. Has programmed two seasons of diverse artists across multiple disciplines including music, theater, dance, and visual arts.
• The Adrienne Arsht CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Miami performing arts center with mission to engage and connect people from every corner of the community through artistic excellence and inspiring educational experiences. Co-founder of Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective with MTC.
• Culture Shock MiamicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAudience development program of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs designed to introduce the next generation of audience members to live arts and cultural experiences. Co-founder of Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective.
• Miami Light ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNot-for-profit cultural organization founded in 1989, housed within MTC. Presents live performances by innovative dance, music, and theater artists from around the world; supports development of new work by South Florida-based artists; and offers educational programs for students of every age. Eventz Paul serves as Productions Manager for MLP in addition to Technical Director role at MTC.
• Nicklaus Children's HospitalflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's hospital partnership for the OnCall program delivering impactful, joyful theatrical experiences to children and teens during hospital stays. Residency program with dedicated Teaching Artists bringing live performance to pediatric patients. Supported by The Batchelor Foundation challenge grant and Admire Family Foundation.
• Moss CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresents national and international artists in music, dance, and theater to South Miami-Dade community. Co-founder of Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective working with MTC to provide arts programming to K-12 students.
• Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS) Cultural Passport ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with the fourth largest school system in the nation (392 schools, 345,000 students) to provide virtual and in-person arts content. MDCPS stretches over 2,000 square miles with students speaking 56 different languages and representing 160 countries.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Coterie Theatre: Kansas City, MO-based nonprofit TYA company with nationally recognized programming and strong school partnership model; comparable as a mid-sized regional TYA operator with educational outreach.
• Imagination Stage: Bethesda, MD-based nonprofit professional theater for young audiences with education programs and a main-stage venue; closely mirrors MTC's combination of TYA productions, classes, camps, and school partnerships.
• First Stage: Milwaukee-based nonprofit theater for young audiences offering mainstage productions, theater academy classes, and school partnerships; directly comparable TYA operating model with in-house venue.
• Main Street Theater: Houston-based nonprofit theater operating a mainstage plus TYA series, school residencies, and arts education; directly comparable in venue-plus-education mix to MTC.
• Children's Theatre Company: Minneapolis-based Tony Award-winning TYA company operating its own venue with school residencies, classes, and family programming; a national benchmark and one of the largest U.S. TYA institutions comparable in mission to MTC.
• Seattle Children's Theatre: Seattle-based nonprofit professional TYA company producing mainstage productions and education/outreach; comparable in dedicated-TYA mission and school partnership model.
• New Victory Theater: New York City's nonprofit Theater for Young Audiences on 42nd Street; directly comparable as a dedicated TYA presenter with its own venue, in-school programs, and arts-education mission. MTC's Artistic Director previously worked on its curriculum team.
• Nashville Children's Theatre: Tennessee's leading professional TYA company producing mainstage shows, in-school tours, and education programming; directly comparable in scale and TYA-only mission.
• Adrienne Arsht Center: Miami's largest performing arts center and MTC's co-founder in the Miami-Dade Arts Education Collective; comparable as a multi-venue presenting/education operator in the same metro, though broader in programming than MTC's TYA focus.

Regional players

• Culture Shock Miami: Miami-Dade County's audience-development program offering $5 tickets to 18-and-under audiences at partner venues; a regional arts-access peer rather than a producer, and a current MTC partner in the Arts Education Collective.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/user49555497
• Xx.com/MTCMiami
• Facebookfacebook.com/MiamiTheaterCenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Miami Theater Center