Definition Theatre

What Definition Theatre does

Definition Theatre is a privately held, nonprofit theatre company founded in 2016 by Tyrone Phillips and headquartered at 1160 E 55th St. in Chicago's historic Hyde Park neighborhood. The organization operates an ensemble-driven model focused on producing and amplifying theatrical works featuring stories by and about people of color. Its portfolio spans live productions (including the 2026 Season slate featuring the Chicago premiere of Black Cypress Bayou, keerah, How We Got On, and Alaiyo), the Amplify New Play Festival (annual commissioning program that has progressed through six seasons from 2020-2026 with filmed scenes, audience voting, and a two-year development process for winners), Definition Studios (digital content arm producing shorts and streaming past Amplify scenes), the By Design Apprenticeship (pre-professional paid program for high school and college students with a $2,000 stipend), and Definition Innovator (three-month accelerator for BIPOC West and Southside entrepreneurs). The venue, Definition @ 55th, also functions as a rental space for rehearsals, performances, and events.

The company generates revenue through a mix of streams: ticket sales for live productions (via box office and Eventbrite), $15 streaming rentals of Amplify content (global reach), the Definition+ membership program offering discounts and engagement opportunities, and donations including an active building campaign for a planned new facility in the Woodlawn neighborhood. Distribution is multi-modal: the physical Hyde Park storefront for live audiences, Eventbrite-powered global digital streaming, and a Squarespace-hosted website for marketing and ticket sales. The leadership team includes Founding Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips (adjunct faculty at DePaul and UIC, League of Chicago Theaters board member), Executive Director Neel McNeill (former Steppenwolf Marketing & Memberships Manager, currently pursuing MA at University of Chicago), and Associate Artistic Director Jared Bellot (ensemble member since 2016). Governance is via an ensemble model with a board chaired by Tiffany Trent. The organization operates with a small staff of roughly 12 named individuals and has no disclosed institutional investors, external parent, or venture/PE funding.

Definition Theatre is not a technology company; its core capability is artistic production and community-based programming for the BIPOC arts ecosystem on Chicago's South Side. Its strategic positioning emphasizes mission-driven differentiation, deep community roots, and a growing suite of programs that extend beyond traditional theatre into education, entrepreneurship, and digital content. The Woodlawn building project represents the most significant forward-looking capital commitment.

Name

Definition Theatre

Legal name

Definition Theatre

Website

https://definitiontheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Definition Theatre is a Chicago-based nonprofit theatre company founded in 2016 that produces live productions and the Amplify New Play Festival featuring stories by and about people of color, serving audiences, BIPOC playwrights, students, and South Side community members through its Hyde Park storefront venue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (71119)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB), Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Media Arts & Performance (Film, Stagecraft, Lighting, Sound) (EDAMAAAJ)

Keywords

• Live theater productions
• New play development
• Performing arts education
• Venue rental services
• Community arts programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live theater performances, with tickets sold through box office and Eventbrite for productions including 2026 season shows like Black Cypress Bayou, keerah, How We Got On, and various Amplify productions
2. Definition+ Membership: Recurring membership program offering ticket discounts, promotions, updates on Southside home, and opportunities to participate in modern art activism
3. Streaming Content: Revenue from streaming Amplify Series content, such as AS6 Virtual Encore available for $15 streaming
4. Donations and Fundraising: Support through donations including building campaign for new facility in Woodlawn neighborhood

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Definition Theatre is a Chicago-based nonprofit theatre company that produces and presents live theater productions, new play commissions, and digital streamed content centering stories by and about people of color from an intimate storefront venue in Hyde Park. Its portfolio includes the Amplify New Play Festival (annual commissioning program with six completed seasons), the By Design pre-professional apprenticeship for students, the Definition Innovator BIPOC entrepreneur accelerator, Definition Studios digital content, the Definition+ membership program, and venue/event rentals at Definition @ 55th.

Product overview

Definition Theatre is a Chicago-based theater company operating as a single unified offering centered on celebrating and amplifying underrepresented voices. The core portfolio consists of the Amplify New Play Festival (annual commissioning program with Amplify Series One through Six), Definition Innovator (BIPOC entrepreneur accelerator), By Design Apprenticeship (pre-professional student program), Definition Studios (digital content division), Definition+ Membership, and venue/event rental services (Definition @ 55th). Productions include world premieres like Alaiyo and Black Cypress Bayou. The company blends onstage and digital experiences through streaming and filmed content.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Amplify New Play Festival: Annual new play commissioning program that selects eight finalists to have their work professionally filmed and screened, with winners receiving a two-year development process.
• Amplify
• By Design Apprenticeship
• Definition Innovator
• Definition Studios

Products and services

• Amplify New Play Festival Annual new play commissioning program that selects eight finalists to have their work professionally filmed, screened, and audience-voted, with winners receiving a two-year development process. Targeted at underrepresented BIPOC playwrights.
• By Design Apprenticeship Pre-professional program offering high school and college students (particularly those with limited arts access) hands-on behind-the-scenes theater training, mentorship, and a $2,000 work stipend upon completion; apprentices typically work on two productions per season plus the annual Amplify festival.
• Definition Innovator A three-month program supporting BIPOC West and Southside Chicago entrepreneurs in scaling up their small businesses through mentorship, resources, and networks.
• Definition Studios Digital content division producing shorts and streaming past Amplify New Play scenes, blending onstage and on-screen theatrical worlds for online audiences.
• Definition+ Membership Recurring membership program offering subscribers ticket discounts, promotions, updates on the planned Southside Woodlawn home, and opportunities to participate in modern art activism.
• Definition @ 55th Venue Rentals Rental of the Definition @ 55th storefront theatre for rehearsals, performances, special events, or gatherings, hosting everything from intimate workshops to larger celebrations.
• Alaiyo (World Premiere Production) World premiere choreopoem production exploring identity, love, and a 400-year-old wound through a journey toward selfhood.
• Black Cypress Bayou (Chicago Premiere) Chicago premiere production about a Black Texas family called home during a pandemic when the richest man in East Texas turns up dead on their property.
• Amplify Series Six Virtual Encore (Streaming) Feature-length film of eight filmed Amplify Series Six finalist scenes compiled with filmmaker interviews, available for $15 streaming until Friday, July 31; audiences vote for their top four favorites to become Amplify Series Six winners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Eight finalists selected annually for Amplify program with professional filming and screening
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Court Theatre: Chicago South Side theater affiliated with the University of Chicago producing a mix of classics and new works. Comparable as a Hyde Park/South Side Chicago theater with overlapping neighborhood footprint; Civic Engagement Director Willow James teaches there.
• Chicago Shakespeare Theater: Large Chicago theater producing Shakespeare, new works, and family programming. Comparable as a Chicago peer theater with classical and contemporary productions; Board Secretary Greta Honold has worked at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
• Northlight Theatre: Chicago-area regional theater producing contemporary plays and musicals. Comparable as a peer Chicago theater producing contemporary and new works for regional audiences.

Direct peers

• Timeline Theatre Company: Chicago-based mid-size theater producing new plays and contemporary works. Comparable to Definition as a Chicago peer theater with new play focus; Associate Artistic Director Jared Bellot was an Associate Artist at Timeline.
• Raven Theatre: Chicago-based storefront theater producing new plays and contemporary works on the North Side. Comparable to Definition as a smaller Chicago theater company producing new and contemporary works; Jared Bellot has worked at Raven Theatre.
• Victory Gardens Theater: Chicago theater company historically dedicated to producing new plays and developing diverse voices. Closely comparable to Definition as a fellow Chicago-based theater focused on new play development and underrepresented stories; Jared Bellot has worked at Victory Gardens.
• Artemisia Theatre: Chicago-based theater focused on works by women and nonbinary theater makers. Comparable to Definition as a small Chicago theater with a dedicated mission around underrepresented voices; Civic Engagement Director Willow James is the Resident Sound Designer at Artemisia.

Broad incumbents

• Goodman Theatre: Large Chicago-based regional theater producing a mix of classics, new works, and diverse programming. Comparable as a peer Chicago theater producing new plays with diverse voices; Associate Artistic Director Jared Bellot has worked at Goodman.
• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: One of Chicago's most prominent Tony-winning ensemble theater companies, operating multiple stages. Directly comparable to Definition as a Chicago-based ensemble-driven theater; Definition's Executive Director Neel McNeill previously worked at Steppenwolf, and several ensemble members have held roles there.

Emerging players

• About Face Theatre: Chicago theater company focused on LGBTQ+ stories and queer voices. Comparable to Definition as a Chicago identity-focused theater producing new works for underrepresented communities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/definitiontheatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Definition Theatre