What Schauspielhaus Wien does

Schauspielhaus Wien GmbH is an Austrian private limited liability company (Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung) operating a contemporary drama theater headquartered at Porzellangasse 19 in Vienna's 9th district (legal entity: Schauspielhaus Wien GmbH, FN 211 601d, registered in Vienna). Founded as a venue for contemporary and experimental German-language theater, the company runs a permanent artistic ensemble of approximately ten actors under a collective artistic leadership (Künstlerische Leitungsgruppe) established for the 2023/24 season, comprising Marie Bues, Martina Grohmann, Tobias Herzberg, and Mazlum Nergiz, with Matthias Riesenhuber serving as commercial director (Kaufmännische Leitung). Performance operations extend beyond the main Porzellangasse venue to secondary locations at the Kabelwerk (12th district) and TheaterArche, supporting a curated season program with premieres scheduled through the 2026/27 season.

The core offering is the Hauptspielplan (main repertoire) — a season of theatrical productions such as Die Quelle, Das Ende ist nah, Double, Luftmenschen oder: Next Year in Siberia, Becoming Data, and Juices — augmented by a portfolio of modular products including the Hans-Gratzer-Stipendium playwright fellowship, the USUS Theaterbar, the Hausfreund:in annual subscription, the Text in Arbeit workshop-reading series, the Spielclub (Ensemble Plus) participatory program, the Symposium discursive event series, and the Offenes^Haus outreach initiative for schools and vocational institutions. The underlying technology stack is minimal: a JART-rendered public website with outbound deep links to the third-party Culturall ticketing platform for ticket purchase, Google Analytics for traffic measurement, MailChimp for newsletter distribution, and no native e-commerce, developer API, or AI/ML integration. The proprietary feature is the permanent artistic ensemble itself, providing artistic continuity uncommon among comparable repertory theaters. The company self-attests GDPR compliance via its published Datenschutzerklärung.

The business model rests on three revenue streams: (1) transaction-based ticket sales through the on-site Tageskassa box office and the Culturall online ticketing platform; (2) recurring public subsidies (Fördergeber) from the City of Vienna (Stadt Wien) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport (BMWKMS), which anchor the operating budget; and (3) ancillary transaction revenue from program books and merchandise priced at €5–€23. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer and event-driven: walk-in and pre-booking audiences in the Vienna metropolitan area, amplified through owned social channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), a MailChimp newsletter, and earned media partnerships with Falter, Augustin, Ö1 (ORF), and Der Standard. Customer segments include primary local theater audiences and a secondary educational segment served through the Offenes^Haus outreach program. Co-production and talent development partnerships with Theater am Werk and the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK) extend the company's ecosystem.

Name

Schauspielhaus Wien

Legal name

Schauspielhaus Wien GmbH

Website

https://schauspielhaus.at

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schauspielhaus Wien GmbH is a publicly funded Austrian theater in Vienna presenting contemporary German-language drama through a permanent ~10-member ensemble. It monetizes via ticket sales (Culturall platform), public subsidies from Stadt Wien and BMWKMS, and ancillary venue revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theater

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Live theatrical performances
• Contemporary German-language drama
• Stage productions repertoire
• Ensemble repertory theater
• Performing arts venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Wiener Neustadt

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket sales: Transaction-based revenue from live performance admissions sold via the on-site box office and online ticket platform (Culturall). Recurring across the theatrical season with peaks during premieres.
2. Public funding / subsidies: Recurring public-sector funding from Stadt Wien and the Austrian Federal Ministry (BMWKMS) supporting the company's operations and programming.
3. Merchandise / publication sales: One-time transactional revenue from on-site retail of program books and related items (e.g., prices from €5 to €23 listed).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Schauspielhaus Wien operates a curated season of contemporary German-language stage productions at its Porzellangasse 19 venue in Vienna, performed by a permanent artistic ensemble of approximately ten actors. The repertoire (Hauptspielplan) runs across multiple seasons with premieres, revivals, and co-productions; tickets are sold via the on-site box office and the Culturall online ticketing platform. Supporting modules include an annual subscription (Hausfreund:in), a playwright fellowship (Hans-Gratzer-Stipendium), workshop readings (Text in Arbeit), a participatory program (Ensemble Plus / Spielclub), the USUS Theaterbar, and a Symposium event series.

Product overview

Schauspielhaus Wien operates as a single unified theatrical offering centered on a curated season of stage productions (the Hauptspielplan / Main Repertoire), augmented by a portfolio of supporting modules: the Hans-Gratzer-Stipendium fellowship, the USUS Theaterbar, the Hausfreund:in subscription, the Text in Arbeit workshop-reading series, the Spielclub (Ensemble Plus) participation program, and the Symposium event series. There is no multi-product software platform; rather, the season and its modules share a single venue and ticket-sales channel routed through the third-party Culturall ticketing platform, which all product modules rely on for monetization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• USUS Theaterbar: Theater bar located within the Schauspielhaus Wien building.
• Offenes^Haus
• Hausfreund:in

Products and services

• Hauptspielplan (Main Repertoire / Season Program) Curated season of contemporary German-language stage productions performed by a permanent ensemble of approximately ten actors at the Schauspielhaus Wien venue in Vienna, encompassing premieres and revivals.
• Hausfreund:in (Annual Subscription) Annual subscription / season-pass scheme providing regular access to the Schauspielhaus Wien program for individual theatergoers.
• USUS Theaterbar On-site theater bar at the Schauspielhaus Wien venue, providing food and beverage service as part of the audience experience.
• Offenes^Haus (Audience, School, and Vocational Outreach Program) Community, participation, and outreach program covering Mitmachen und Vermittlung (participation and education) and dedicated programming for schools, vocational schools, and training institutions.
• Spielclub (Ensemble Plus) Ensemble-Plus participatory program expanding engagement beyond the core season at Schauspielhaus Wien, led by Felix Rotkehl.
• Text in Arbeit (Workshop Reading Series) Workshop-reading series presenting works-in-progress from playwrights as part of the Schauspielhaus Wien program, supporting new-text development.
• Hans-Gratzer-Stipendium (Playwright Fellowship) Fellowship program supporting playwrights and theater-makers in development work associated with Schauspielhaus Wien.
• Symposium (Discursive Event Series) Discursive event series running alongside the theatrical season, supporting talks, panels, and contextual programming at Schauspielhaus Wien.
• Räume / Vermietung (Venue Rental) Rental of Schauspielhaus Wien's stage, rehearsal, and venue spaces to external organizers for events and productions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Permanent ensemble of approximately 10 members sustaining a continuous repertoire.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Wien Energie ÖkostromminorOthersEnergy partner supplying Ökostram (green electricity) to the theater's operations, supporting its sustainability profile.
• FaltercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVienna's leading cultural weekly, providing press coverage, listings, and editorial amplification of Schauspielhaus Wien productions.
• AugustincoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAustrian street paper and cultural publication partner extending promotional reach to broader urban audiences.
• Ö1 (ORF)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAustrian public radio cultural channel providing broadcast coverage, interviews, and editorial features tied to productions.
• Der StandardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerNational daily newspaper providing cultural coverage, reviews, and listings supporting audience development.
• MUK (Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation with the music and performing arts university for talent development, casting, and educational programming at the venue.
• Theater am WerkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeer Viennese theater with which Schauspielhaus Wien engages in cooperative programming or co-production activity.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Schaubühne Berlin: Major Berlin repertory theater known for contemporary directing and ensemble-based programming. Comparable as a publicly funded German-language theater with a permanent ensemble and auteur-driven repertoire, though at materially larger scale.
• Volkstheater Wien: One of Vienna's larger publicly subsidized repertory theaters with a broader (less experimental) programming mandate. Comparable as a municipally funded Vienna venue competing for the same audience and Fördergeber pool, but at a materially larger scale.
• Burgtheater Wien: Austria's flagship German-language national theater. Comparable as a Viennese publicly funded theater drawing on the same Stadt Wien and federal funding pool, but operating at far greater scale with a classical repertoire focus.
• Residenztheater München: Bavaria's flagship publicly funded drama theater in Munich. Comparable as a municipally subsidized German-language theater with a permanent ensemble and contemporary repertoire, but operating with greater resources and a classical-modern mixed mandate.
• Thalia Theater Hamburg: One of Germany's leading publicly funded repertory theaters with a strong contemporary repertoire and guest-director model. Comparable as a German-language theater drawing on public subsidies with auteur-driven programming, though at substantially larger scale.
• Theater Basel: Swiss-German publicly funded theater where multiple Schauspielhaus Wien directors previously worked. Comparable as a publicly subsidized repertory house with a permanent ensemble and a contemporary program, though materially larger.

Direct peers

• Theater Rampe Stuttgart: Stuttgart's contemporary theater where Schauspielhaus Wien's current co-artistic directors Marie Bues and Martina Grohmann previously led programming (2013–2021). Directly comparable as a publicly funded mid-sized contemporary ensemble theater in a German-speaking market.
• Maxim Gorki Theater Berlin: Berlin's leading mid-sized house for contemporary, politically engaged, multilingual German-language theater under a collective leadership model. Comparable as a publicly subsidized contemporary theater that also prizes experimental ensemble work — Tobias Herzberg previously founded Studio Я there.
• Theater am Werk: A peer Viennese contemporary theater with which Schauspielhaus Wien has an active co-production relationship (Die Quelle). Both occupy the same niche of contemporary, experimental German-language programming in Vienna and share overlapping audiences and funding sources.

Regional players

• steirischer herbst: Graz-based annual contemporary performing-arts festival where Martina Grohmann previously served as Produktionsleiterin. Comparable as a publicly funded Austrian platform for experimental German-language theater, though operating as a festival rather than a year-round venue.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SchauspielhausWien
• Instagraminstagram.com/schauspielhaus.wien
• TikToktiktok.com/@schauspielhaus.wien
• Xx.com/schauspielhwien

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Schauspielhaus Wien