CINCINNATI BLACK THEATRE COMPANY

What CINCINNATI BLACK THEATRE COMPANY does

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company (CBTC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at 2237 Losantiville Ave, Cincinnati, Ohio, operating with approximately 10 employees. It functions as the premier Black theatre organization in Greater Cincinnati and the Tri-State region, producing main stage plays and musical theatre by and about African Americans, the biennial Midwest Regional Black Theatre Festival, annual traditions such as Black Nativity (now in its 23rd year), the RLH Pageants Unlimited program (Miss Black Cincinnati and Miss Black Teen Cincinnati), and supporting events such as the Fashion Show Fundraiser.

CBTC operates an integrated education portfolio branded "Imagine That!" which delivers literacy-based arts education through Saturday classes, a Summer Performing Arts Camp, and an After School Program delivered in 28 Cincinnati schools in partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools, YMCA, and the CincyAfterSchool Arts Program. Across its lifetime the organization has served over 40,000 children and young adults through Imagine That!, reached 1,000,000+ people in the Tri-State region, and presented 80+ productions with 500+ performances to 75,000+ audience members. A photography program ("Shoot with a Camera") for ages 10-16 launched for April 2026 extends the portfolio into visual arts.

The business model is a diversified nonprofit revenue mix comprising theatrical ticket sales ($20-$30 per ticket), a six-tier membership program ($15-$1,000), tax-deductible donations and fundraising (including Kroger Community Rewards), playbill advertising ($25-$300), Saturday class fees ($175 per 10-week session or $500 for all three classes), and tiered corporate sponsorships ($500-$15,000). Go-to-market is community-led, relying on local partnerships with schools, faith-based organizations, and a network of regional foundations and corporate sponsors including Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Artswave, P&G Fund, JPMorgan Chase, Toyota/TEMA, US Bancorp, PNC, City of Cincinnati, and Interact for Health. CBTC is currently raising capital to acquire and renovate a permanent headquarters after 8 years in a former location.

Name

CINCINNATI BLACK THEATRE COMPANY

Legal name

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company

Website

https://cincinnatiblacktheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company is a Cincinnati-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces African American theatre, an annual Black Nativity, pageants, and the Imagine That! arts-education program serving 28 Cincinnati schools and 40,000+ youth, funded through tickets, memberships, donations, and corporate/foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Musical Theatre (Non-Broadway/Fringe) (MPAGABAG), Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Theatrical productions
• Performing arts
• Arts education
• Community theater
• Cultural programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Theatrical Ticket Sales: Revenue from selling tickets to main stage plays and musical theatre productions. Tickets are sold directly through their website and box office for productions including Black Nativity, Styles & Sounds, and the annual pageant.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership program offering Individual ($20), Family ($50), Student ($15), Senior ($15), Sustaining 5-year ($250), and Lifetime ($1,000) tiers with benefits including performance discounts and event invitations.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Tax-deductible donations to support building fund, children's programming, theatrical performances, and community outreach. Includes fashion show fundraiser, general donations, and Kroger Community Rewards program participation.
4. Advertising Revenue: Playbill advertisement sales for theatrical productions ranging from Business Card ($25-$50) to Inside/Back Cover ($300) placements. Design fees of $35 per ad additional.
5. Educational Program Fees: Registration and class fees for Saturday Programs, Summer Performing Arts Camp, and After School Programs. Saturday classes: $175 per 10-week session or $500 for all 3 classes.
6. Corporate Sponsorships: Tiered sponsorship levels from Stage Crew ($500) to Executive Producer ($15,000) offering name/logo recognition, VIP tickets, ad placements, and media recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company (CBTC) is a nonprofit performing arts organization that produces theatrical works centered on African American stories and culture. It delivers live stage productions, educational programming, and community outreach initiatives to audiences in the Greater Cincinnati region.

Product overview

Cincinnati Black Theatre Company (CBTC) operates as a unified portfolio of performing arts programs centered on African American theatre and education. The core offerings include the Theatrical Performance Series (main stage productions) and the biennial Midwest Regional Black Theatre Festival. The Imagine That! program suite provides youth arts education through After School Programs (28 schools), Summer Performing Arts Camp, and Saturday Classes in drama, dance, and vocal instruction. Additional programs include RLH Pageants Unlimited (Miss Black Cincinnati pageants), annual productions like Black Nativity and Styles & Sounds, photography programs, and fashion show fundraisers. The organization offers membership tiers and relies on donations, sponsorships, and venue partnerships to deliver its mission of keeping alive the spirit of Black Theatre.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Live Theatrical Productions Stage performances of plays and musicals focused on African American experiences, presented to general audiences in Cincinnati.
• Arts Education Programs Educational programs introducing students and community members to African American theatre, drama, and performance arts.
• Community Outreach Initiatives Community-based programs that engage local residents through cultural events, workshops, and theatrical experiences focused on Black heritage.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000 children and young adults served through Imagine That! program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of PhoenixminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting CBTC's children's arts and education programming.
• Cincinnati Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner for CBTC's Imagine That! After School Program. CBTC delivers literacy-based arts education programming to 28 schools in partnership with the Public Schools.
• YMCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner for after school programming. CBTC operates in conjunction with YMCA's CincyAfterSchool Arts Program and through the YMCA's ArtWheels program, serving multiple schools.
• CincyAfterSchool Arts ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCitywide after school arts initiative partnering with CBTC to deliver arts education programming to Cincinnati schools.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National Black Theatre: NYC-based Black theatre institution producing original works and community programming with an arts-education mission. Comparable to CBTC in its culturally rooted Black theatre identity and education/outreach mandate, though operating at much larger scale.
• Penumbra Theatre Company: St. Paul, Minnesota-based regional theatre producing works centered on African American experience with robust education and community programs. Comparable mission, scale, and nonprofit structure to CBTC.
• The Coterie Theatre: Kansas City-based professional theatre producing family and youth programming with strong education components. Comparable youth-theatre orientation and nonprofit regional model to CBTC's Imagine That! offerings.
• ETA Creative Arts Foundation: Chicago-based nonprofit producing African American theatrical works and year-round youth arts education programs. Highly comparable to CBTC in programming mix (productions plus Saturday/after-school classes) and target audience.
• The M Ensemble: Miami-based Black theatre company producing works by and about African Americans with community programming. Directly comparable niche focus to CBTC.
• Karamu House: Cleveland-based 501(c)(3) African American performing arts center combining theatre, education, and community programs. Closely comparable to CBTC given shared mission, regional Midwest footprint, theater productions, and youth arts education focus.

Emerging players

• Sankofa Theatre: Smaller Black-focused community theatre organizations (multiple local examples) that share CBTC's mission of preserving African American theatre and serving underserved youth audiences through regional programming.

Regional players

• Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park: Cincinnati's largest professional regional theatre, sharing the same metropolitan audience and donor pool as CBTC. Comparable as a Greater Cincinnati theatrical peer and co-recognition recipient (Cincinnati Enquirer Acclaim Award).

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Chicago-based Tony Award-winning regional theatre with strong education and community engagement programs. Comparable as a regional theatre with integrated youth/community programming, though operating at national scale.
• Alliance Theatre: Atlanta-based regional theatre with extensive education programming and broad repertoire. Comparable to CBTC as a regional theatre operator with major community/education programming, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cincinnati-black-theatre-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 →

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