Delaware Shakespeare

What Delaware Shakespeare does

Delaware Shakespeare is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit professional Shakespeare theatre company founded in 2003 and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. It is positioned as "Delaware's only professional Shakespeare company" and operates primarily in the Delaware and greater Philadelphia region, serving 4,000 to 6,000 people annually including over 700 children. The organization's core offerings are the annual Summer Festival at Rockwood Park (free outdoor Shakespeare productions reaching 3,000+ attendees) and the Community Tour, which brings full professional Shakespeare productions to non-traditional venues such as prisons, homeless shelters, libraries, and community centers across Delaware. Supporting programs include the QVK Educational Tour (school-based performances and workshops), Adult Education workshops, DIY Shakespeare in the Classroom, High School Internships, the Nancy B. Lynch College Apprentice Program, and special events such as ShakesBeer at Fort DuPont and Embers of Freedom.

The organization is built on a small operational base of 1-10 employees (led by Producing Artistic Director Mariah Ghant, Business Manager Bob Stineman, and Marketing and Communications Manager Zoë Gilmore), supported by a Board of Directors and a formalized Artistic Squad (Leo Mock and Lex Thammavong) that participates in season planning, casting, and artistic oversight. The underlying technology is limited to Salesforce for ticketing and donations, a WordPress website, and standard social media channels (Facebook, YouTube). No AI, proprietary software, or significant digital infrastructure is disclosed.

Delaware Shakespeare's revenue is generated through a diversified mix of ticket sales (many community performances free), individual donations (tiers from $100 to $5,000+), tiered corporate sponsorships (Headliner $5,000, Benefactor $2,500, Sponsor $1,000), and government and private foundation grants (Delaware Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Longwood Foundation, Laffey-McHugh Foundation, Delaware Community Foundation, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation). Free outdoor performances and the Community Tour to underserved communities are central to the mission, which emphasizes diversity, antiracism, and accessibility. No revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Delaware Shakespeare

Legal name

Delaware Shakespeare

Website

https://www.delshakes.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Delaware Shakespeare is a non-profit professional Shakespeare theatre company in Wilmington, Delaware, operating the annual Summer Festival at Rockwood Park and a Community Tour to underserved venues, serving 4,000-6,000 people annually across Delaware and the greater Philadelphia region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB), Community Theatre & Storytelling Festivals (MPAGAEAI)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Shakespeare performances
• Performing arts education
• Community theatre programs
• Outdoor festival productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from ticketed performances at Summer Festival and select Community Tour venues
2. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals at various levels ($100-$5,000+) with corresponding benefits
3. Corporate Sponsorship: Sponsorship packages at Headliner ($5,000), Benefactor ($2,500), and Sponsor ($1,000) levels for productions and programs
4. Government Grants: Support from Delaware Division of the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and other government/cultural agencies
5. Box Office/Contact Inquiries: Phone and online contact for ticket purchases and general inquiries

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Delaware Shakespeare is a professional non-profit theatre company that produces and presents full Shakespeare productions through its annual outdoor Summer Festival at Rockwood Park in Wilmington, Delaware, and takes free or low-cost productions on the road through its statewide Community Tour to underserved venues such as prisons, shelters, libraries, and community centers. The organization also delivers educational programming including the QVK Educational Tour for K-12 schools, adult workshops, classroom seminars, and internship/apprentice programs.

Product overview

Delaware Shakespeare is a professional theatre company offering a portfolio of Shakespearean productions and educational programs. The core offerings include the annual Summer Festival (full productions at Rockwood Park), the Community Tour (bringing free performances to underserved populations in non-traditional venues), and the QVK Educational Tour (school-based performances and workshops). Supporting programs include Adult Education Workshops, High School Internships, the College Apprentice Program, DIY Classroom programs, special events like ShakesBeer, and special presentations like Embers of Freedom. The organization serves 4,000 to 6,000 people annually including over 700 children.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Festival Annual outdoor Shakespeare festival held at Rockwood Park in Wilmington, Delaware, featuring full professional productions of Shakespeare's plays typically running three weeks during the summer and serving 3,000+ attendees.
• Community Tour Statewide touring program delivering professional Shakespeare performances to non-traditional venues such as homeless shelters, prisons, community centers, and libraries for Delawareans with limited access to the arts.
• QVK Educational Tour School touring program featuring a 45-minute Shakespeare-inspired performance paired with a one-hour interactive workshop teaching public speaking, rhetoric, and persuasion through the Bard's speeches, serving K-12 students across Delaware and the greater Philadelphia region.
• Adult Education Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 4,000 to 6,000 people annually, including over 700 children

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• New Castle CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRockwood Park is the summer home of Delaware Shakespeare. County Executive Matthew S. Meyer. Partnership providing venue for annual Summer Festival.
• Janssen's MarketsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerPicnic Sponsor providing support for Summer Festival picnicking experience.
• SwiggsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerWine Shop Sponsor supporting the Summer Festival.
• HighmarksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerChildren's Activity Tent Sponsor for family programming at Summer Festival.
• WSFS BanksupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Tour Sponsor supporting accessibility of Shakespeare to underserved communities.
• Shakespeare Theatre AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional membership organization for Shakespeare theatre companies worldwide. Delaware Shakespeare is a proud member.
• Delaware Historical SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Embers of Freedom performative reading of the Declaration of Independence.
• Lewes LibrarysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Embers of Freedom and Community Tour performances.
• Urban Artist ExchangesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Embers of Freedom performance.
• Bellefonte Brewing CompanysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeverage partner for ShakesBeer at Fort DuPont events featuring craft beers and hard seltzers during outdoor Shakespeare performances.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival: Professional regional Shakespeare company operating a summer festival in Pennsylvania. Closely comparable mission, regional geography, festival-plus-education programming mix, and reliance on donations/sponsorships/earned ticket revenue.
• Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival: Professional outdoor summer Shakespeare festival in the Northeast US. Directly comparable operating model — professional Shakespeare repertory, outdoor venue, education programming, and donor/sponsor/grant-driven revenue mix.
• American Players Theatre: Professional classical repertory theatre producing Shakespeare outdoors in the Midwest. Comparable outdoor summer repertory model, classical repertoire focus, and education/outreach programming.
• Nashville Shakespeare Festival: Regional professional Shakespeare company combining a summer festival with school outreach and community engagement. Directly comparable festival-plus-education structure and nonprofit funding model.
• Atlanta Shakespeare Company: Professional Shakespeare repertory company with year-round productions and an education tour. Closely comparable mix of repertory performance, school programming, and donor-supported nonprofit operations.
• Commonwealth Shakespeare Company: Boston-based nonprofit producing free professional Shakespeare performances plus education and community programs. Similar mission around access, professional repertory, and community-tour programming.
• North Carolina Shakespeare Festival: Regional professional Shakespeare festival with summer repertory and education/outreach programming. Closely comparable seasonal repertory model and nonprofit arts organization structure.
• Orlando Shakespeare Theater: Professional regional Shakespeare company producing repertory seasons alongside an education tour reaching schools. Comparable blend of professional production, school-based programming, and donor-funded nonprofit operations.

Broad incumbents

• Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, DC): Larger, established professional Shakespeare company in the mid-Atlantic with a multi-stage, year-round repertory model. Comparable artistic mission but operates at significantly greater scale and capacity than Delaware Shakespeare.

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• Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Major professional Shakespeare theater with year-round programming and extensive education programs. Comparable core offering and education focus, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader scope than Delaware Shakespeare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/delshakes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/delaware-shakespeare-festival-inc

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 Delaware Shakespeare