Detroit Public Theatre

What Detroit Public Theatre does

Detroit Public Theatre is a Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit performing arts organization that produces professional mainstage theatre and operates educational, prison, reentry, and community programs. Its portfolio includes mainstage productions, Shakespeare in Prison, Shakespeare Reclaimed, Detroit Public Schools Community District education programming, Detroit Dialogues, the Third Avenue Garage Residency Program, private venue rentals, and In The Process. It serves general theatre audiences, Detroit students, incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, local artists, and private-event clients.

Detroit Public Theatre combines earned and contributed revenue. Earned income includes ticket sales, direct purchases through its website and box office, group sales, and private event-rental fees; its pick-your-price tickets range from $5 to above the $52 regular price, with lower-priced Thursday, student, and community offerings. Contributions include annual-fund donations and support from corporate, foundation, and government arts funders, including the Michigan Arts & Culture Council and National Endowment for the Arts.

The organization uses conventional theatre-production infrastructure rather than a disclosed software platform, including lighting, sound, projection, costume and prop design, rigging, and stage systems. No proprietary technology, application, API, SDK, integration, or patent portfolio is disclosed, and delivery remains centered on performances, facility use, and community programs.

Name

Detroit Public Theatre

Legal name

Detroit Public Theatre

Website

https://detroitpublictheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Detroit Public Theatre is a Detroit nonprofit producing professional mainstage theatre, education programs, and Shakespeare-based prison and reentry services for audiences, students, incarcerated people, artists, and private-event clients across the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Classical & Contemporary Theatre (Plays/Drama) (MPAGABAH), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Community arts programs
• Prison arts education
• Theatrical performance venue
• Nonprofit performing arts

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit, Michigan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: DPT sells tickets to theatrical performances with a pick-your-price model ranging from $5 to $52, heavily discounted student tickets, $30 Thursday evening tickets, and heavily discounted tickets for community members impacted by the carceral system.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Annual Fund donations and support for the Shakespeare in Prison program through tax-deductible gifts.
3. Event Rentals: Private event space rentals in the historic Third Avenue Garage, with rental rates ranging from $1,300-$5,400 depending on space (lobby or lobby + black box) and duration (4-hour or all day, weekday or weekend).
4. Corporate/Foundation/Government Funding: Supported by Michigan Arts & Culture Council and National Endowment for the Arts, plus corporate, foundation, and government funders for programs like Shakespeare in Prison.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Detroit Public Theatre produces and presents professional mainstage theatrical productions in Midtown Detroit, currently running its Season 12 lineup. Beyond the mainstage, DPT operates signature community programs including Shakespeare in Prison (ensemble theatre at Michigan correctional facilities), Shakespeare Reclaimed (post-release support), Education Programming with Detroit Public Schools (serving ~2,000 students annually), Detroit Dialogues (facilitated post-show discussions), and the TAG Residency Program providing subsidized performance space. The organization also rents its Third Avenue Garage venue for private events.

Product overview

Detroit Public Theatre is a performing arts organization offering a unified portfolio of live theatre productions and community programs. The core offering is mainstage theatre productions (Season 12), complemented by the signature Shakespeare in Prison (SIP) community program and its post-release extension Shakespeare Reclaimed. Additional offerings include Education Programming partnering with Detroit Public Schools, Detroit Dialogues post-show discussions, the Third Avenue Garage (TAG) Residency Program for Detroit artists, and event rental services including their lobby bar. The theatre also offers accessibility initiatives including pick-your-price tickets ranging from $5 to $52.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shakespeare in Prison (SIP): Signature community program using theatre and Shakespeare to empower incarcerated and formerly incarcerated individuals
• Shakespeare Reclaimed
• Detroit Dialogues
• TAG Residency Program
• In The Process
• Education Programming

Products and services

• Mainstage Productions (Season 12)
• Shakespeare in Prison (SIP)
• Shakespeare Reclaimed
• Education Programming (DPSCD Partnership)
• Detroit Dialogues
• Third Avenue Garage (TAG) Residency Program
• Event Rentals
• Lobby Bar
• In The Process

Quantifiable outcome

• SIP alumni recidivism rate of 11% overall, 6.9% for multi-season participants, vs 23.6% MDOC average
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Michigan Department of CorrectionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 February 2012Government agency enabling DPT's Shakespeare in Prison programming at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility and Parnall Correctional Facility since February 2012.
• Michigan Arts & Culture CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState arts agency providing funding and support for DPT's programming and operations.
• National Endowment for the ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal arts agency providing funding support for DPT's national-caliber theatrical productions and community programs.
• Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual partnership engaging approximately 2,000 students from five DPSCD schools with three productions annually. Students work with DPT teaching artists on pre-show lessons in the classroom, then attend dedicated student matinees and post-show dialogues.
• Wayne State University - Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on In & On Our Own Terms documentary and artistic programming connecting prison arts programs.
• Women’s Huron Valley Correctional FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation of DPT's primary Shakespeare in Prison women's ensemble since founding in February 2012, now celebrating 14 years of programming.
• Third Avenue Garage (TAG) Residency Program PartnersstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious Detroit arts organizations and artists utilizing free and subsidized performance space including Sofa Stories, BRED Hip-Hop Theatre Festival, Joel Fluent Greene, Dropped Keys Theatre Company, Teen HYPE, Detroit Writing Room, Motor City Sings, and Arab American National Museum.
• Shakespeare Behind BarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerModel prison arts program providing inspiration and consultation for DPT's Shakespeare in Prison program.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tipping Point Theatre: Northville, Michigan-based nonprofit regional theatre (previously in Windsor/Detroit corridor) producing mainstage productions for Southeast Michigan audiences — direct geographic peer competing for similar Detroit-metro theatregoers and donors.
• Pig Iron Theatre Company: Philadelphia-based ensemble-driven experimental theatre company where Sarah Clare Corporandy previously served as Managing Director; comparable small nonprofit ensemble theatre producing devised and contemporary work with educational outreach.
• Epic Theatre Ensemble: Off-Broadway award-winning ensemble theatre company where Sarah Winkler previously served as producing artist; comparable small-to-mid nonprofit producing socially engaged theatrical work with education programming in underserved communities.
• Shakespeare Behind Bars: Kentucky-based nonprofit running Shakespeare theatre programming inside correctional facilities since 1996; explicitly cited as the model/inspiration for DPT's Shakespeare in Prison program and the most direct functional peer.
• Chautauqua Theatre Company: Summer regional repertory theatre company where Sarah Clare Corporandy previously served as Managing Director; comparable model producing a curated season of plays with professional company and education programming.
• Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit: Detroit-based youth performing arts organization co-founded by Courtney Burkett's predecessor; serves overlapping K-12 Detroit audiences with theatre programming and education, and shares the Midtown Detroit arts ecosystem with DPT.

Broad incumbents

• Steppenwolf Theatre Company: Major Chicago-based regional repertory theatre producing Tony Award-winning work and known for ensemble-based, socially engaged productions — a larger benchmark for DPT's regional repertory theatre model and brand-building trajectory.
• The Public Theater: New York-based nonprofit producing Off-Broadway and free Shakespeare in the Park; DPT leadership (Morisseau, Garlia Cornelia Jones) has direct ties to The Public, and its programming ethos of accessible, socially engaged theatre aligns closely with DPT's mission.
• Goodman Theatre: Chicago-based nonprofit regional theatre with nationally recognized productions, education programming, and community engagement — a comparable large-scale model for DPT's mainstage + community programming structure.

Regional players

• Hilberry Theatre (Wayne State University): Detroit-based repertory theatre company at Wayne State University where multiple DPT founders (Burkett, Corporandy) trained; operates in the same Midtown Detroit market with overlapping classical/contemporary repertory programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/shakesinprison
• Facebookfacebook.com/shakespeareinprison
• Instagraminstagram.com/shakesinprison
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/detroit-public-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Detroit Public Theatre