Chicago Street Theatre

What Chicago Street Theatre does

Chicago Street Theatre is a non-profit community theatre organization founded in 1955 in Valparaiso, Indiana, and currently operating from a single venue at 154 W Chicago Street. The theatre produces approximately 25 mainstage productions annually spanning dramas, comedies, family shows, Shakespeare, new works, and cult musicals, alongside the One Night Jam concert series featuring Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning artists. It serves local and regional audiences through individual ticket sales, Flex Pass subscriptions, and on-site box office operations managed via the Ludus e-commerce platform.

The theatre operates a year-round youth education program (formalized in 2008) for ages 5-18, structured across progressive levels (Find Your Place through Find Your Legacy) and culminating in the Teen Company program for grades 9-12. Education revenue comes from semester-long classes at $190, Teen Company workshops at $285, and 6-week Saturday workshops at $150, with the Jack Hagman Scholarship Fund providing financial assistance. The organization supplements ticket and tuition income with donations solicited through its support page.

Business operations are run by approximately 11 employees and rely heavily on a volunteer base spanning acting, directing, costumes, sound, lighting, set construction, and box office roles. Technology is limited to standard theatrical production equipment and a third-party ticketing platform; the theatre has no disclosed AI, data, or proprietary software capabilities. Revenue is diversified across small-dollar consumer transactions and donations, with no enterprise customers or institutional anchors.

Name

Chicago Street Theatre

Legal name

Chicago Street Theatre

Website

https://chicagostreet.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Street Theatre is a non-profit community theatre in Valparaiso, Indiana, producing roughly 25 mainstage productions and a concert series annually while running a progressive youth education program for ages 5-18, serving local audiences, students, and volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH)

Keywords

• Community theatre productions
• Live theatrical performances
• Youth theatre education
• Performing arts education
• Concert series events

Headquarters

HQ city

Valparaiso

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: Revenue from individual ticket purchases for mainstage productions, concerts, and special events sold through their Ludus ticketing platform.
2. Flex Passes: Subscription-style ticket package offering multiple admissions at discounted rates compared to individual ticket purchases.
3. Education Tuition: Tuition fees for youth classes, Teen Company workshops, and weekend workshops. Semester-long classes are $190, Teen Company workshops are $285, and 6-week weekend workshops are $150.
4. Donations and Support: The theatre accepts donations through their support page and has established the Jack Hagman Scholarship Fund for financial tuition assistance. Historical fundraising efforts raised $15,000 for new seating in 1967.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chicago Street Theatre is a non-profit community theatre that produces and presents approximately 25 mainstage theatrical productions annually (dramas, comedies, family shows, Shakespeare, cult musicals) at its Valparaiso, Indiana venue. It also operates the One Night Jam concert series featuring regional and Grammy-recognized musicians, and progressive youth theatre education programs (Youth Classes & Workshops for ages 5-18, Teen Company for grades 9-12, and Summer Camps) with structured curriculum from beginner to advanced levels.

Product overview

Chicago Street Theatre operates as a performing arts organization offering a unified portfolio of theatrical and educational services. The core offering consists of main stage theatrical productions (approximately 25 annually) and the One Night Jam concert series. Supporting these are structured education programs: Youth Classes & Workshops (Beginner through Advanced levels for ages 5-18), Chicago Street Teen Company (grades 9-12 with specialized Saturday workshops), and Summer Camps. The education programs are designed as progressive pathways leading toward Teen Company participation, while productions serve as the primary entertainment offering for the community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Theatrical Productions Main stage theatrical performances featuring cutting-edge dramas, comedies, family shows, Shakespeare productions, and cult musicals. The company produces approximately 25 productions annually at their Valparaiso venue for general community audiences and concert-goers seeking live entertainment.
• One Night Jam Concert Series Live music concert series featuring diverse musical talent including Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning artists in country, Americana, folk, blues, and rock genres for general audiences and concert-goers.
• Youth Classes & Workshops Year-round theatrical education programs for ages 5-18 covering foundational acting skills, character development, scene study, improvisation, and performance preparation. Structured in Fall and Spring semesters with Beginner and Advanced levels at $190 per semester.
• Chicago Street Teen Company Advanced theater program for grades 9-12 focusing on professional skill development including script analysis, stage presence, scene work, and portfolio development. Full-semester workshop priced at $285 with rotating Saturday sessions.
• Summer Camps Seasonal intensive theater education programs offered during summer months for youth participants interested in developing theatre skills in a condensed format.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Civic Theatre of Indianapolis: Community-focused theatre in Indianapolis producing mainstage productions and youth education programs. Directly comparable as a non-profit community theatre with volunteer base, education pipeline, and subscription ticketing model.
• Indiana Repertory Theatre: Indianapolis-based professional regional theatre producing a mainstage season and education programs. Directly comparable as a Midwest theatre company producing live theatrical productions with educational and community outreach components.
• Marriott Theatre: Lincolnshire, Illinois theatre-in-the-round producing Broadway musicals, children's theatre, and concert series. Closely comparable as a regional theatre offering a mix of productions, education, and concerts with subscription ticketing.
• Theatre at the Center: Munster, Indiana-based professional theatre producing mainstage productions and educational programming in the same Northwest Indiana / Chicagoland market corridor as Chicago Street Theatre.
• Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre: Indianapolis-area dinner theatre combining live theatrical productions with meal service. Comparable as a regional Indiana live theatre operator filling a similar entertainment niche through scheduled productions and ticketed experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Goodman Theatre: Major Chicago-based theatre producing a mainstage season, education programs, and outreach. Comparable in product category but operates at significantly larger scale and broader regional pull than Chicago Street Theatre.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based nationally recognized theatre producing productions and youth/community engagement programs. Comparable in production and education programming but at a substantially larger institutional scale.
• Paramount Theatre (Aurora, IL): Restored regional theatre producing Broadway touring productions, concerts, and community education series. Comparable as a Midwest live performance venue with subscription, education, and concert offerings.

Regional players

• Memorial Opera House: Valparaiso's historic venue and Chicago Street Theatre's original performance home before the 1995-1997 displacement. Comparable as a regional Indiana live entertainment and event venue with overlapping audiences and programming categories.

Emerging players

• Valparaiso University Department of Theatre: Local Valparaiso academic theatre producing student and community productions. Adjacent competitor for the same local audience and youth participation pool, with overlapping educational programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-street-theatre

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 Chicago Street Theatre