NAATCO

What NAATCO does

NAATCO (The National Asian American Theatre Company, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit founded in 1989 and headquartered at 520 8th Avenue, Suite 309, New York. The organization's stated mission is to assert the presence and significance of Asian American theatre in the United States and demonstrate its vital contributions to American culture. NAATCO produces American and European classic plays — including works by Shakespeare, Chekhov, Strindberg, and contemporary playwrights — exclusively with all-Asian American casts, challenging conventional casting policies in the industry. The company maintains an archive of 50+ productions spanning 1990 to the present and is led by Artistic Director Mia Katigbak.

The company's core products are live theatrical productions and the NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP), a 2020-launched initiative that formalizes four-action commitments with regional theatres for inclusion of Asian American artists, technicians, and administrators. Revenue is generated through three streams: ticket sales (per-ticket pricing of roughly $30–$89 depending on venue and production), tax-deductible individual donations supported by employer matching gift programs, and institutional grants from foundations including the Shubert Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Lucille Lortel Foundation, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Tiger Baron Foundation, Hudson Graphite, and the Virginia Taft Fund. Production distribution occurs via co-productions and presentations at anchor partner venues (notably The Public Theater for the 2025-2026 Henry VI production) and through NNPP placements at five current partners — Long Wharf Theatre, People's Light, Portland Center Stage, Soho Rep, and TheatreSquared — plus three satellite partners (Play on Shakespeare, tbd casting co., Transport Group).

NAATCO operates with a small core team (1–10 employees) and serves multiple stakeholder groups: the Asian American theatre community (artists, technicians, administrators), general theatre audiences seeking diverse programming, and partner theatres seeking guidance on inclusive casting and community outreach. Marketing is conducted through organic social channels (Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, X/Twitter), email newsletters, and the company's website. Geographic reach is domestic across the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and West Coast regions of the United States, with no international footprint.

Name

NAATCO

Legal name

The National Asian American Theatre Company, Inc.

Website

https://naatco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAATCO is a New York-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company, founded in 1989, that produces American and European classics with all-Asian American casts and operates the NNPP national partnership program to expand Asian American representation across U.S. regional theatres.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Asian American theatre
• Live stage productions
• Classical play repertory
• Nonprofit performing arts
• Theatre partnership touring

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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 ticket sales for NAATCO productions and co-productions at partner venues
2. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individual donors; the organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt not-for-profit; employer matching gift programs are mentioned
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations including Shubert Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, and other cultural funders

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NAATCO produces and presents theatrical productions performed entirely by Asian American actors, drawing on the American and European classical repertory alongside newly commissioned works. Through its home season in New York City and the NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP), the company also develops productions and readings staged at partner theatres across the United States.

Product overview

NAATCO is a single-program theater company that produces theatrical productions. The organization presents American and European classic plays and contemporary works with all-Asian American casts. The core product is theatrical productions, with the NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP) as a companion initiative that extends their mission through partnerships with theatres nationwide to promote inclusion of Asian American theatre artists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP): An initiative established in 2020 to form rigorous relationships with theatres around the country to ingrain strategies for the inclusion of Asian American theatre artists, technicians, and administrators in partners' practices.

Products and services

• NAATCO Mainstage Productions Productions of American and European classics as well as new works, performed by all-Asian American casts, presented to the general theatre public in New York City.
• NAATCO National Partnership Project (NNPP) A partnership and touring program that brings NAATCO productions and readings to theatres and presenting organizations nationwide, including free-admission community programming.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 productions documented since founding
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered current partner, co-producer, satellite partner and core.

• Long Wharf Theatrecurrent partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NNPP partner in New Haven, CT that has committed to collaborating on productions, planning pre/post-performance events with Asian American panelists, and implementing community outreach.
• People's Lightcurrent partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NNPP partner in Malvern, PA committed to the four NNPP actions for Asian American inclusion in their practices.
• Portland Center Stagecurrent partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NNPP partner in Portland, OR committed to the four NNPP actions including collaborative production selection and community outreach.
• Soho Repcurrent partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NNPP partner in New York, NY that hosted Public Obscenities, which subsequently transferred to Woolly Mammoth and Theater for a New Audience.
• TheatreSquaredcurrent partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020NNPP partner in Fayetteville, AR that hosted Twelfth Night in March 2025. Committed to collaborative production selection and Asian American community outreach.
• Ma-Yi Theater Companyco-producerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1998Co-production partner for You Can't Take It With You. Both founded in 1989 with compatible missions - Ma-Yi focuses on Filipino American playwrights while NAATCO produces American and European classics with all-Asian American casts.
• Play on Shakespearesatellite partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite partner within NNPP that supports NAATCO's mission and has integrated it into their processes and programming. Committed to commissioning modern verse translations of Shakespeare plays used in NNPP productions.
• The Public TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor institutional partner presenting NAATCO's production of Henry VI: A Trilogy in Two Parts in the 2025-2026 season. The production is presented by The Public Theater.
• tbd casting co.satellite partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite partner that has independently supported and augmented NAATCO's mission, integrating it into their processes and programming.
• Transport Groupsatellite partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerSatellite partner that has independently supported NAATCO's mission. Hosted The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (2019) and A Delicate Balance (2022) as NNPP productions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Public Theater: One of New York's largest off-Broadway institutions and NAATCO's institutional partner for Henry VI; broader portfolio but overlapping audience and mission of accessible, diverse programming.
• Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company: Washington, DC-based theater that also received the Public Obscenities transfer; comparable in producing bold, contemporary work with institutional scale that exceeds NAATCO's.
• Theatre for a New Audience: Brooklyn-based theater that received a transfer of NAATCO-affiliated Public Obscenities; comparable in producing classical and contemporary work at high production values.

Emerging players

• Play on Shakespeare: Nonprofit commissioning modern verse translations of Shakespeare and NNPP satellite partner; directly intersects with NAATCO's classical Shakespeare programming and audience development.
• Second Generation Productions: Asian American theater company focused on second-generation Asian American stories; comparable in demographic mission but smaller scale and newer than NAATCO.

Direct peers

• East West Players: Founded in 1965 as the nation's premier Asian American theater, EWP shares NAATCO's mission of Asian American theatrical representation and produces both classics and new works, though based in Los Angeles.
• Silk Road Rising: Chicago-based theater company producing works by and about Asian American and Middle Eastern American communities; comparable in mission-driven programming, though broader in its diversity scope.
• Long Wharf Theatre: Regional theater in New Haven, CT and current NNPP partner; comparable in producing classics and contemporary works, with overlapping commitment to community engagement.
• Ma-Yi Theater Company: NYC-based Asian American theater company also founded in 1989 with a focus on Asian American playwrights; named co-production partner of NAATCO and operates in the same funding and venue ecosystem.
• Pan Asian Repertory Theatre: New York-based Asian American theater company producing works that reflect the Asian American experience, directly comparable in mission, casting philosophy, and NYC nonprofit theater model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NAATCO
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@naatconationalasianamerica7056
• Facebookfacebook.com/NAATCO
• Instagraminstagram.com/naatco_nyc
• TikToktiktok.com/@naatco_nyc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-asian-american-theatre-company-inc-

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 NAATCO