Illinois Theatre Association

What Illinois Theatre Association does

The Illinois Theatre Association (ITA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, that advocates for theatre arts across the entire state. ITA serves five distinct constituencies through dedicated divisions: College/University Theatre, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre, Youth Theatre (Creative Drama and Theatre for Young Audiences), and High School Theatre. Its core offerings include two flagship festivals — the Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF), held annually, and the Come Together Community Theatre Festival, held bi-annually — along with the annual ITA Awards of Excellence celebration, educational adjudication sessions, and a virtual annual member meeting. The organization also maintains a member directory, job board, auditions listing, and performance calendar as member resources. Technology infrastructure is limited to Wild Apricot membership management software, Constant Contact for email distribution, and Zoom for virtual events; there is no proprietary technology platform or AI capability.

ITA's revenue model is diversified across four streams: annual membership dues (tiered for individuals and theatres), event registration fees (with member discounts), tax-deductible donations (for general operations, IHSTF, and All-State Production), and corporate sponsorships/advertising. Pricing for individuals ranges from $20-$40 per event ticket, and theatre registration ranges from $100-$300 depending on timing and membership status. The organization receives partial funding from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and has a strategic partnership with the American Association of Community Theatre (AACT) that creates a national competitive pathway for Illinois community theatres to AACTFest. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, with marketing executed through the website, email newsletters (Friday Finds, eFollowspot), and seven division-specific Facebook groups. ITA is privately held as a nonprofit with 11-50 employees and serves the entire state of Illinois.

Name

Illinois Theatre Association

Legal name

Illinois Theatre Association

Website

https://illinoistheatre.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Illinois Theatre Association is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that advocates for and supports theatre across Illinois through five divisions (community, high school, college, professional, and youth), operating flagship festivals, awards, and educational events statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Arts Association Services

NAICS

Performing Arts Companies (7111), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Theatre association
• Nonprofit membership organization
• Drama festival programming
• Arts education advocacy
• Community theatre services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for individuals and theatre organizations at various tiers, with discounted rates for ITA members on event tickets and registrations.
2. Event Registration Fees: Fees charged for festival participation, educational sessions, and the Annual Member Celebration. Ticket pricing varies by membership status and event type.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted for ITA general operations, Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF), and All-State Production.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities and advertising available through annual sponsorship packages targeting theatre industry vendors and suppliers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Illinois Theatre Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that serves as the statewide voice for theatre in Illinois. It runs two flagship festivals (the Illinois High School Theatre Festival and the Come Together Community Theatre Festival), an annual Awards of Excellence program, and division-based programming across College/University, Community, Professional, Youth, and High School theatre, supported by advocacy, professional development, and member resources.

Product overview

Illinois Theatre Association operates as a nonprofit membership organization offering a portfolio of theatre-focused programs and events rather than a technology product. The portfolio includes two flagship festivals: the Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF) serving high school students, and the Come Together Community Theatre Festival serving community theatres with bi-annual play competitions. Supporting programming includes the ITA Awards of Excellence Celebration for member recognition, virtual Annual Member Meetings for organizational updates, and educational adjudication Q&A sessions. The association also maintains five theatre divisions (College/University, Community, Professional, High School, Youth) and provides member resources including a directory, job board, auditions listing, and performance calendar. The organization utilizes Wild Apricot membership management software to power its member portal and event registration capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF): Annual high school theatre festival organized by the Illinois Theatre Association
• ITA Awards of Excellence
• Come Together Community Theatre Festival

Products and services

• Illinois High School Theatre Festival (IHSTF) Illinois' premier high school theatre festival bringing together student performers, educators, and theatre programs from across the state for competitions, workshops, and performances. Target audience is high school theatre programs and students.
• Come Together Community Theatre Festival Illinois' bi-annual community theatre festival celebrating collaborative community theatre art. Includes a play competition whose winners represent the state at AACTFest, the national community theatre festival. Target audience is community theatre organizations and practitioners statewide.
• ITA Awards of Excellence Celebration Annual member celebration event recognizing artistic achievement and excellence in Illinois theatre, with awards and networking opportunities. Target audience is ITA members and invited guests.
• ITA Annual Member Meeting (Virtual) Virtual annual meeting providing updates on ITA programs, partnerships, and opportunities, with open invitation extended to members and non-members.
• Let's Talk Adjudication! Q&A Session Educational virtual session exploring festival adjudication processes, evaluation criteria, and how constructive adjudication supports theatre growth. Target audience is theatre practitioners interested in festival adjudication.
• ITA Membership (Individual and Theatre Organization Tiers) Annual membership program with tiered pricing for individual members and theatre organizations, providing access to member directory, job board, auditions listing, event discounts, and division resources. Target audience is Illinois theatre practitioners and organizations.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Association of Community Theatre (AACT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITA partners with AACT to provide Illinois community theatres a pathway to AACTFest, the national community theatre festival held annually. The Come Together festival winner represents Illinois at AACTFest 2027.
• Illinois Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIllinois Arts Council Agency provides partial funding support to ITA programs, as acknowledged in the organization's communications.
• Aurora UniversityminorOthersCorporate member of ITA, representing the College/University Theatre division.
• Bradley UniversityminorOthersCorporate member of ITA, representing the College/University Theatre division.
• Broadway CostumesminorOthersCorporate sponsor providing costume-related services or support.
• Northern Illinois UniversityminorOthersCorporate member of ITA, representing the College/University Theatre division.
• Morton College Jedlicka Performing Arts CenterminorOthersHost venue for the 2026 Come Together Community Theatre Festival.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights12 records

Broad incumbents

• League of Resident Theatres (LORT): National association of professional resident theatres. Overlaps with ITA's Professional Theatre division membership but operates at the institutional level for large professional theatres.
• Theatre Communications Group (TCG): National nonprofit service organization for the professional not-for-profit theatre field. Comparable in mission (advocacy, resources, programming) but operates nationally and focuses on professional theatres rather than community/education tiers.
• National Theatre Conference: National convening body for leading collegiate and community theatre programs. Comparable in providing professional-development programming and recognition to member institutions, overlapping with ITA's College/University and Professional divisions.

Others

• Illinois Arts Council Agency: State arts funder and ITA's primary public-sector partner. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that channels grants to ITA and other Illinois arts organizations.

Direct peers

• Educational Theatre Association (EdTA): National nonprofit supporting school theatre programs, including the International Thespian Society. Closely comparable to ITA's High School Theatre division and IHSTF programming model.
• Network of Ensemble Theatres (NET): Membership-based network supporting ensemble theatre companies. Comparable to ITA as a peer-driven organization providing advocacy, resources, and convenings to member theatres.
• American Association of Community Theatre (AACT): National umbrella for community theatre in the U.S. and ITA's explicit partner for the AACTFest pathway. Most directly comparable as a membership-driven theatre association organizing festivals and adjudication at scale.
• Ohio Theatre Alliance: State-level theatre membership organization with a similar multi-division structure (community, education, professional). Direct functional peer to ITA at the state level.
• ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People): Global organization supporting theatre for young audiences. Directly comparable to ITA's Youth Theatre / Theatre for Young Audiences division programming.

Regional players

• California Theatre Association / California Educational Theatre Association (CETA): Statewide association serving California theatre educators and programs. Comparable structure to ITA's high school and college divisions but operates in a different, larger geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/illinoistheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisTheatreAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-theatre-association

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 Illinois Theatre Association