Williams Street Repertory

What Williams Street Repertory does

Williams Street Repertory (WSRep) is the professional in-house theatre company of Raue Center for the Arts, a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization based in Crystal Lake, Illinois, approximately 50 minutes north of Chicago. The company produces live theatrical performances including plays, musicals, and special productions such as Sweeney Todd, Avenue Q, Hands on a Hardbody, An Act of God, and A Cripple Creek Christmas Carol, employing working industry professionals on stage and behind the scenes. Its educational arm, the Raue Center School for the Arts (RCSA), offers classes and pre-professional training for youth, while the Mission Imagination program has served more than 20,000 children annually since 2001.

WSRep's core product is live theatrical performance delivered at the Raue Center venue at 26 N. Williams Street in Crystal Lake, with additional programming housed at the RCSA Studios at 210 McHenry Avenue. The underlying operational model combines a traditional repertory company structure with licensed productions from major theatrical licensors including Music Theatre International and Concord Theatricals, alongside touring partner TheatreWorksUSA. Distribution runs through Raue Center's in-person box office and the Etix online ticketing platform, with marketing executed via social media, email newsletters, and local community partnerships.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: ticket sales priced at $29-$75 per seat, the RaueNOW membership subscription program (30% off tickets, 25% off RCSA classes, billed annually), and fundraising events including the 6x6 Project art auction, Stargazers Ball, Bob Blazier Run for the Arts, and Night Owl Bike Ride. The organization also relies on donations and community sponsorships as a non-profit. Customers span general public audiences seeking live entertainment, youth performers and students aged 7-19 in pre-professional training, and local businesses engaging through sponsorships and venue rentals.

Name

Williams Street Repertory

Legal name

Williams Street Repertory

Website

https://rauecenter.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Williams Street Repertory is a professional in-house theatre company operating under Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois, producing live theatrical productions and youth arts education programs for community audiences and students across McHenry County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Live theatrical performances
• Professional theater company
• Nonprofit performing arts
• Community stage productions
• Live entertainment venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Crystal Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from sale of tickets to theatrical productions and performances. Tickets range from $29-$75 depending on the production. Members receive 30% discount on tickets.
2. Donations and Memberships: RaueNOW membership program provides 30% off tickets and 25% off RCSA classes. Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit relying on donations and membership revenue.
3. Fundraising Events: Various fundraiser events including 6x6 Project art auction, Stargazers Ball, Bob Blazier Run for the Arts, and Night Owl Bike Ride generate additional revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Williams Street Repertory is a professional theater company that produces and presents live theatrical performances. It operates as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois, staging stage productions for local audiences.

Product overview

Williams Street Repertory is the professional theatre company component of Raue Center for the Arts, offering live theatrical productions and performances. It operates as part of a broader arts organization that includes the Raue Center School For The Arts (RCSA), Mission Imagination school programs, and various community arts events. The company produces plays, musicals, and special performances at the Raue Center facility in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Theatrical Performances

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TheatreWorksUSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheatreWorksUSA produces professional touring theatre for young audiences. Raue Center hosts TheatreWorksUSA productions including Clifford the Big Red Dog The Musical and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!
• Music Theatre International (MTI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMTI licenses theatrical productions including Disney's The Little Mermaid JR. and other titles for educational and community theatre productions.
• Concord TheatricalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcord Theatricals provides licensing for Hadestown: Teen Edition, presented by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals Corp.
• 6x6 Project PartnersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business partners including Abalabix Books, Creative Arts, Reprographics Imaging and Art Supplies, Mainstreet Art Center, Piano Trends Music Co., and Material Things Artisan Market support the annual 6x6 Project art auction fundraiser.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Others

• Music Theatre International (MTI): Licensor of WSRep's mainstage titles (Disney's The Little Mermaid JR., etc.). Not a competitor but a key upstream supplier enabling WSRep's programming.
• Concord Theatricals: Licensor of WSRep titles like Hadestown: Teen Edition. Ecosystem enabler rather than competitor; upstream supplier in the producing supply chain.

Direct peers

• Music Theater Works: Evanston, IL-based professional musical theatre company producing classic and contemporary musicals. Comparable IL-based nonprofit musical-theatre producing model.
• Marriott Theatre: Long-running professional suburban Chicago theatre (Lincolnshire, IL) producing mainstage musicals and family shows. Comparable scale, suburban Chicago location, professional live-theatre model targeting families and community audiences.
• Circa '21 Dinner Theatre: Illinois-based professional musical theatre presenting Broadway revivals with live dinner service. Comparable scale and Midwest suburban-market focus.
• Drury Lane Theatre: Suburban Chicago (Oak Brook, IL) dinner theatre producing professional plays and musicals. Directly comparable suburban professional-theatre-plus-dining model within the same Chicago metro market.
• Paramount Theatre: Aurora, IL-based regional theatre presenting Broadway-caliber productions and concerts. Comparable Illinois-based professional presenting organization serving similar suburban audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based Tony Award-winning professional theatre producing plays and new work at significantly larger scale and budget. Overlapping space (Chicagoland professional theatre) but operates at a much broader, prestige-tier level.
• Goodman Theatre: Major Chicago Loop-based nonprofit producing plays and musicals at scale; offers Chicago-area theatre competition as the largest regional house in the same metro.
• Broadway In Chicago: Chicago's principal Broadway touring presenter (James Earl Jones, Cadillac Palace, CIBC theatres). Competes for the same metro leisure-spend dollar with nationally branded productions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/rauecenter
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RaueCenterArts?reload=9
• Facebookfacebook.com/RaueCenter
• Instagraminstagram.com/rauecenterforthearts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Williams Street Repertory