Redhouse Arts Center

What Redhouse Arts Center does

Redhouse Arts Center is a non-profit performing arts organization headquartered in Syracuse, New York. Originally founded in 1978 as the Contemporary Theatre of Syracuse and rebranded as Redhouse Arts Center in 2004, the organization operates a 40,000 sq ft purpose-built facility at City Center (400 S. Salina St) housing three theatre spaces: the 275-seat Austin Allyn, the 100-seat Bill & Penny Allyn, and the 65-seat CNY Community Foundation Studio. It produces a mainstage subscription season, the Babelfest new play festival, education programming (RedEd, Summer Littles Camps, R.O.C.K. Academy), and community events, reaching over 40,000 people annually.

The organization monetizes through a diversified mix: subscription and single-ticket sales (tickets cover ~65% of production costs; subscription packages priced at $160-$180; individual tickets $50 for plays and $60 for musicals), corporate sponsorship, individual donations, naming/recognition gifts, venue rentals (live events plus QPF-certified film/TV production rentals eligible for NY State Film Production Tax Credits), and education program fees ($375/week summer camps, $650 R.O.C.K. Academy). Ticketing runs on OvationTix; lighting/AV on ETC platforms. Governance is board-led, with Franklin G. Fry as Executive Director and Temar Underwood as Artistic Director. Headcount sits in the 51-100 range.

Redhouse serves the Central New York community across multiple customer segments: adult theatre subscribers and single-ticket buyers, K-12 students and families, school-district partners (LEAPS, 21st CCLC), university and healthcare partners, corporate sponsors and donors, and visiting film/TV productions. Its core competitive position rests on a scarce downtown 40,000 sq ft venue footprint, deep multi-stakeholder community partnerships, a 45-year brand, and the regulatory QPF certification that opens film/TV rental economics. Strategic emphasis appears to be on programming breadth (new work via Babelfest, education expansion, accessibility/ASLI programming) and venue-utilization diversification (film/TV rentals, Light the Town Red community events, Bonfire merchandise channel).

Name

Redhouse Arts Center

Legal name

Redhouse Arts Center

Website

https://theredhouse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Redhouse Arts Center is a Syracuse, NY non-profit performing arts organization that produces a subscription theatre season, education programming (RedEd, summer camps, R.O.C.K. Academy), and rents its 40,000 sq ft City Center facility to live and film/TV productions for a Central New York audience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• Arts education programs
• Theater venue rentals
• Youth theater programs
• Community performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Syracuse

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from single tickets and season subscriptions for theatrical productions. Single tickets for Main Stage plays start at $50, musicals at $60. Season subscriptions available in 3-show ($160) and 4-show ($180) packages.
2. Corporate Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors help cover the gap between ticket sales (65% of costs) and full production costs. Sponsorship opportunities available at various levels for the season.
3. Individual Donations: Not-for-profit arts center dependent on individual donor generosity through annual fund contributions, stock donations, retirement IRA donations, and estate planning gifts.
4. Venue Rentals: State-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot venue with multiple theatre spaces rented to film productions (QPF Qualified Film Production Facility), corporate events, and community organizations.
5. Education Programs: Revenue from camps, academies, and educational programming including summer camps ($375 per week), R.O.C.K. Academy ($650), and other educational offerings.
6. Naming and Recognition: Marquee messaging ($200/day), tile buying program (starting at $1,000), and other naming opportunities for donors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Redhouse Arts Center is a non-profit professional theater that produces and presents a mainstage season of plays and musicals, runs year-round youth and community arts-education programs under its RedEd umbrella (including summer camps and teen academies), and rents out three distinct theater spaces—the Austin Allyn Theatre, Bill & Penny Allyn Theatre, and CNY Community Foundation Studio—to outside clients for film production, corporate events, and community gatherings.

Product overview

Redhouse Arts Center is a nonprofit, multicultural theater organization offering a unified portfolio of live theater productions and educational programming. The core offering consists of Mainstage Productions featuring professional theater with acclaimed plays and musicals, complemented by RedEd Education Programs including Summer Littles Camps for ages 6-10 and Teen Programs (Theatre Experience Series and R.O.C.K. Academy). The organization operates Babelfest, a new play festival showcasing developing works. Additionally, Redhouse offers Venue Rentals including three configurable theater spaces (Austin Allyn Theatre with ~275 capacity, Bill & Penny Allyn Theatre with ~100 capacity, and CNY Community Foundation Studio with ~65 capacity) for film production, corporate events, and community gatherings. Playwright Development Programs provide commissions and staged readings for emerging writers. The venue is a state-of-the-art 40,000-square-foot facility located at City Center in downtown Syracuse.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RedEd: Educational programming division of Redhouse Arts Center offering youth experiences, school partnerships, and community outreach.
• Babelfest

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions A season of professionally produced plays and musicals presented across the company's three theater venues for general audiences in Syracuse and Central New York.
• RedEd Education Programs Year-round youth arts education programming under the RedEd umbrella, delivered on-site and through partner schools for school-age children, teens, and community groups.
• Summer Littles Camps Summer theater camp programs for younger children within the RedEd education division.
• Teen Theatre Experience Series Teen-focused academies and theater training programs within the RedEd division.
• Babelfest Community outreach theater programming serving underserved Central New York youth as part of the RedEd division.
• Austin Allyn Theatre Rentals Rental of the Austin Allyn Theatre space for film production, corporate events, and community gatherings.
• Bill & Penny Allyn Theatre Rentals Rental of the Bill & Penny Allyn Theatre space for film production, corporate events, and community gatherings.
• CNY Community Foundation Studio Rentals Rental of the CNY Community Foundation Studio space for film production, corporate events, and community gatherings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches more than 40,000 people annually through professional theatre productions and educational programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arc of OnondagacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual collaborative theatre productions bringing together artists from Arc of Onondaga, high school students, college students, teaching artists and actors to promote inclusiveness. Find more information about show dates for this project under Theatre Experience.
• Girl Scouts of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to provide programming support that builds courage, confidence, and character in young people.
• Hillside Family of AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Hillside engage in theatre process and playwriting alongside professional teaching artists to develop and showcase a devised piece of theatre each fall.
• Positivity ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that empowers America's youth to build strong relationships and understand, appreciate and exemplify character strengths. All Redhouse educational programming aligns with these initiatives.
• Syracuse City School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership provides unique and artistic educational experiences that stimulate imagination, encourage critical thinking and promote inclusivity. Reinforces NY State Next Generation Learning Standards and promotes social-emotional learning.
• Syracuse UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Syracuse University Writing and Rhetoric Course work with Redhouse Education Department on community-based projects as part of their Project-Based Learning requirement.
• Upstate Golisano Children's HospitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRedhouse Teaching Artists facilitate workshops in storytelling and visual arts that promote and support holistic healing at the hospital.
• CNY ASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent services partnership providing additional instructional support for students with 504 or IEP plans.
• Visit Syracuse Film OfficeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn conjunction with Visit Syracuse Film Office, Redhouse Arts Center makes itself available for filming as a Qualified Film Production Facility (QPF).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CNY Playhouse: CNY Playhouse is a community theater located in the Syracuse area producing plays and musicals, competing with Redhouse for regional audiences and donor/sponsor support within the same metro.
• Hangar Theatre: Hangar Theatre is a regional professional theater in Ithaca, NY with a summer season, educational programming, and venue rentals—overlapping Redhouse's combination of productions, RedEd-style outreach, and facility-based revenue.
• TheaterWorks Hartford: TheaterWorks Hartford is a regional professional theater producing a season subscription model with education/community programs, comparable to Redhouse in scale and operational model in a similarly sized regional market.
• Geva Theatre Center: Geva is a regional professional theater in Rochester, NY operating a multi-space venue with a season subscription model and education programming, making it closely comparable to Redhouse in scale, mission, and revenue mix.
• Penobscot Theatre Company: Penobscot Theatre Company is a regional professional theater in Bangor, ME operating multiple spaces with productions and education programming, similar in size and nonprofit structure to Redhouse.
• Kitchen Theatre Company: Kitchen Theatre Company is a smaller professional regional theater in Ithaca producing contemporary work plus education programs; comparable to Redhouse in programming philosophy and central/upstate NY geographic focus.
• Cortland Repertory Theatre: Cortland Rep is a regional summer-stock theater in Central New York with professional productions and education programming, comparable to Redhouse's regional upstate footprint and seasonal production model.
• Merry-Go-Round Playhouse: Merry-Go-Round is a regional professional theater in Auburn, NY (Finger Lakes) producing musicals and plays with education outreach, operating at similar scale to Redhouse within the upstate/CNY ecosystem.
• Barrington Stage Company: Barrington Stage Company is a regional professional theater in the Berkshires producing a Mainstage season, developing new work, and running education programs—closely comparable to Redhouse in operational scope and mission.
• Syracuse Stage: Syracuse Stage is a LORT professional theater operating in the same city as Redhouse, also producing a mainstage season and education programs, and competing directly for the same audiences, sponsors, and donors in Central New York.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/redhousearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/redhouse-arts-center
• Facebookfacebook.com/theredhouseartscenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Redhouse Arts Center