The Children's Theater Company

What The Children's Theater Company does

The Children's Theater Company (CTC) is a New York–based 501(c)-style non-profit educational theater organization founded in 1999 by Mehr Mansuri. It uses theater as a vehicle for moral reasoning and ethical education, operating a flagship 141-seat venue at the Baha'i Unity Center's John Birks Gillespie Auditorium in Greenwich Village plus a national network of nine or more resident and emerging chapters (including Flint MI, Pensacola FL, Brooklyn/PS10, and Jackson TN). CTC serves more than 4,000 children annually through on-site performances, school residencies, after-school programs, summer and online camps, and choral/music education, with programming aligned to Common Core, NYC Blueprint for Teaching, and STEM/STEAM standards.

CTC's core offering is a catalog of 15+ original musicals spanning four age tiers, including Broadway-bound Henry Box Brown: A Musical Journey, Rescue Me: A Musical History of Women, Providence, Glimmerings of Hope, and adaptations of Dr. Seuss and Hans Christian Andersen works. These are delivered via a hybrid distribution model: direct school sales for residencies and matinees, on-site ticketed performances at the Dizzy Gillespie Theater, touring productions, an Adult Ensemble, and a Musical Licensing Program that lets external theater companies license CTC's IP. The pedagogical platform is the proprietary 'Seven C's Learning Framework' (character, collaboration, creativity, community service, current affairs, critical thinking, citizenship) embedded in a values-based musical curriculum referencing United Nations Days.

Revenue is generated across multiple streams: donations (Diamond $5,000 down to Bronze $250 tier), school residency and professional development fees, ticket sales (with heavily subsidized pricing for qualifying schools), licensing royalties, and grants from funders such as the National Endowment for the Arts. Operational support comes from space-grant arrangements (Baha'i Unity Center), academic sponsorships (NYU), and partnerships with Broadway producers and NYC casting agencies. The organization employs 13 staff at HQ, supplemented by teaching artists, chapter operators, and touring teams.

Name

The Children's Theater Company

Legal name

Children's Theater Company

Website

https://childrenstheatercompany.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Theater Company is a New York–based non-profit founded in 1999 that produces original musicals and school theater residencies for K-12 youth, serving over 4,000 children annually across a national chapter network while licensing its content to other theater companies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Performing Arts Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG), Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)

Keywords

• Youth theater programs
• Educational theater residencies
• Musical theater licensing
• School arts education
• Children's theater performances

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The organization is a non-profit that relies heavily on donations at various levels (Diamond $5,000, Platinum $2,500, Gold $1,000, Silver $500, Bronze $250)
2. School Residencies and Programs: Fees charged to schools for in-school and after-school musical theater residencies, professional development workshops, and school group matinees
3. Musical Licensing: Licensing fees for other organizations to produce CTC's original musicals including Henry Box Brown, Rescue Me, Providence, and others
4. Ticket Sales: Reduced price tickets for school group performances with heavily subsidized tickets available for qualifying schools
5. Grants: Funding from organizations such as National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and other grant programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Children's Theater Company produces original, values-based musical theater for youth and licenses these productions to schools, theater companies, and community organizations. Its core products are a catalog of 15+ original musicals (e.g., Henry Box Brown, Rescue Me, Providence) integrated with the Seven C's Learning Framework and a UN Days-inspired ethical education curriculum, delivered through on-site performances, school residencies, camps, and a choral music program.

Product overview

The Children's Theater Company (CTC) is a non-profit educational theater organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services centered on using theater as a tool for moral reasoning and ethical development. The core offerings include an award-winning catalog of 15+ original musical productions (spanning adaptations of classic literature like Dr. Seuss and Hans Christian Andersen, as well as CTC-original works like Henry Box Brown and Glimmerings of Hope) designed for four age groups. These are complemented by educational programs including School Residencies, Choral Music (One World Global Youth Choir), Camps (Online, Summer, Fall/Spring), and Adult Ensemble. CTC also provides services including Musical Licensing for other organizations to produce their shows, School Group Matinees, Teachers' Tool Kit resources, and Professional Development workshops for educators. The company operates chapters in multiple U.S. cities and reaches over 4,000 children annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Henry Box Brown: A Musical Journey
• RESCUE ME: A Musical History of Women
• PROVIDENCE: The Story of Roger Williams
• King Kunka Bunka & His Rotten Royal Rascals
• The Wayward Knight
• The Ugly Duckling
• Stone Soup
• Bread & Butter Wars
• The Lorax & Moneybags
• Horton the Elephant
• Yertle & Myrtle the Tyrant Turtles
• Farmer Rabbit's Fiesta
• Sneetches on Beaches
• Miss Spider's Tea Party
• Last Flower
• Glimmerings of Hope
• Online Camps
• Summer Camp
• Fall & Spring Semester Programs
• School Residencies
• School Group Matinees
• Musical Licensing Program
• One World Global Youth Choir / Choral Music Program
• Adult Ensemble
• Professional Development Workshops
• Teachers' Tool Kit

Quantifiable outcome

• CTC students outperformed peers on 87% of 23 literacy skills tested in NYU study
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Broadway Producers of A Wonderful WorldflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Four-time Tony-winning Broadway producers selected CTC as their 'Charity Partner' and donated an entire Broadway performance of A Wonderful World to celebrate CTC's 25th anniversary. These producers also developed Henry Box Brown: A Musical Journey which is Broadway-bound
• New York University (NYU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2016NYU Department of Governance and Community Affairs officially adopted CTC as a sponsor, inviting the NYU community to see shows and engage with the organization
• Dr. Joy DeGruycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Joy DeGruy served as Consultante/Dramaturge for Henry Box Brown and partnered with CTC for the 2017-2018 tour presenting the musical
• Binder CastingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted auditions for Broadway and National Tour of Lion King in association with Binder Casting
• Bernard Telsey CastingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop NYC casting director worked closely with CTC, casting for various Broadway shows
• Tara Rubin CastingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTop NYC casting director providing casting opportunities for CTC cast members
• Kathleen Chopin CastingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasting director for Annie movie musical who worked with CTC
• Baha'i Unity CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided space grant for John Birks Gillespie Auditorium, a 141-seat theater in Greenwich Village that houses CTC performances
• Henry Box Brown Broadway ProducersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProducers behind Henry Box Brown: A Musical Journey which was developed and incubated at CTC and is now Broadway-bound

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Victory Theater: NYC-based nonprofit theater specifically devoted to performing arts for kids and families, with school matinees, residencies, and a public-season model. Most directly comparable to CTC on location, mission, and education-first positioning.
• Walden Theatre: Louisville-based nonprofit theater company that blends conservatory-style youth training with mainstage productions. Comparable to CTC's blend of in-depth theater education with public performances, particularly the Adult/Youth Ensemble model.
• Adventure Theatre MTC: Maryland-based professional children's theater producing original and adapted musicals plus theater education classes and residencies. Comparable to CTC as a nonprofit children's theater with both performance and educational-programming revenue lines.
• Imagination Stage: Washington, D.C.-area professional children's theater with original productions, school residency/field-trip programming, and arts-in-education services. Closely analogous to CTC in combining original musicals, school-based delivery, and education programming.
• First Stage: Milwaukee children's theater operating an intimate performance venue, theatrical academy, and in-school programming reaching tens of thousands of students. Direct analog to CTC's combination of ticketed performances, original works, and in-school residencies.
• Seattle Children's Theatre: Long-established Pacific Northwest children's theater producing mainstage seasons, education programs, and school outreach. Comparable to CTC as a professional children's theater with substantive school-based delivery arms.

Regional players

• Nashville Children's Theatre: Tennessee-based professional children's theater that aligns geographically with CTC's Jackson, TN chapter. Comparable as a regional children's theater producing original/mainstage work plus education programs in the Southeast.

Broad incumbents

• Paper Mill Playhouse: Established New Jersey regional theater with a large Broadway-adjacent catalog, school and education programming, and Playhouse Jr. children's series. Comparable to CTC on the children-theater and education-programming axes, but operates at substantially larger scale as a regional Tony-winning theater.
• Music Theatre International: Largest U.S. theatrical licensing company representing Broadway and catalog titles to schools and community theaters. Comparable to CTC's licensing program as the dominant incumbent in musical licensing that CTC's original works would either partner with or compete against.

Others

• TYA/USA (Theatre for Young Audiences) member theaters: Industry association representing the U.S. TYA sector, the broader category of professional children's theater producers (including CTC indirectly). Relevant as the trade body representing comparable children's theater organizations and shaping the licensing/school-market landscape CTC operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-children's-theater-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries4 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 The Children's Theater Company