Handsome Alice Theatre

What Handsome Alice Theatre does

Handsome Alice Theatre is a Calgary-based registered charity (registration number 862298445 RR0001) and non-profit theatre company that has produced 24 live theatrical productions since its founding in 2005 as Urban Curvz Theatre. The company is devoted exclusively to amplifying women, trans, and non-binary voices through inclusive, curious, and rebellious work, drawing on a portfolio that mixes classic and contemporary canonical pieces with premieres of new Canadian plays. Productions are staged at third-party venues in Calgary via co-presentation partnerships with Vertigo Theatre, Theatre Calgary, Pumphouse Theatre, West Village Theatre, the University of Calgary's Matthews Theatre, and others; in April 2016 the company was rebranded from Urban Curvz Theatre under Kate Newby's artistic leadership and relaunched its debut production "Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)" with The Shakespeare Company and Hit & Myth Productions. Subsequent creative milestones include the 2017 collective creation "inVISIBLE" (20 diverse female voices), the 2018 University of Lethbridge co-production "inVISIBLE (Too)", and ongoing mainstage productions such as "Two Moons: A Folk Lullaby" and "Lazy Susan". In 2018 Meg Farhall succeeded Kate Newby as Artistic Director.

The company's operating technology stack is minimal: there is no proprietary software, no app, and no API. The "platform" consists of artistic direction, casting, and production coordination, supported by a Squarespace-hosted website (handsomealice.com), social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), an email newsletter including a dedicated Antiracism Newsletter, and third-party ticketing via Showpass and Universe. The team is exceptionally lean — five personnel including Artistic Director/Producer Meg Farhall (Mount Royal Theatre Arts Diploma, University of Lethbridge BFA and B.Ed.) and Artistic Associate Katelyn Morishita (current Southern Alberta Equity Councilor), supplemented by a volunteer board with Chair Carrie McManus, Treasurer Sasha Linga, and directors Krista Hudson, Nolan E. Hill, and Jocelyn Haub, plus project-based collaborators. Industry recognition includes two Betty Mitchell Awards among 18 nominations, five Critics' Choice nominations, two FFWD Weekly Readers' Choice nominations, and a Sterling Award, along with consistent local press coverage in Calgary Herald, Avenue Magazine, CBC, and Global News.

Handsome Alice funds operations primarily through three streams: (1) ticket revenue from individual performances at modest price points (sample pricing of $10 for workshops/auditions and roughly $30 for mainstage such as Goodnight Desdemona); (2) recurring community donations to a registered charity, with the company explicitly soliciting support with a stated direct impact for artists, partners and audiences; and (3) shared-cost co-productions with peer theatre companies. Go-to-market is community-led: open artist submissions are accepted via email for actors, designers, and playwrights, and marketing runs through the website, organic social, email, and earned media. Service extensions beyond mainstage productions include masterclasses with visiting theatre professionals (Peter Balkwill, Colleen Murphy, Karen Hines, Micheline Chevrier), Artist Salons for community exchange, the women's-voices-focused Virago Project, and applied research such as the 2024 Trans in the Arts Cohort Report produced with Chromatic Theatre and the Rozsa Foundation.

Name

Handsome Alice Theatre

Legal name

Handsome Alice Theatre Ltd.

Website

https://handsomealice.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Handsome Alice Theatre is a Calgary-based non-profit theatre company that produces live performances amplifying women, trans, and non-binary voices. Founded 2005, it operates as a registered charity funded primarily through ticket sales, donations, and co-production partnerships with other arts organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Theatre / Performing Arts

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• Live theatre productions
• Community theatre performances
• Inclusive performing arts
• Artist development programming
• Theatrical event ticketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from live theatre performances sold to audiences at various venues in Calgary
2. Donations and Support: Non-profit theatre company accepting public support with direct impact for artists, partners and audiences in Calgary community. Registered charity (RR0001).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Handsome Alice Theatre is a Calgary-based registered charitable non-profit that produces and presents live theatre works devoted to amplifying women, trans and non-binary voices. Its output spans mainstage productions (e.g., Lazy Susan, Two Moons: A Folk Lullaby, Goodnight Desdemona), community programming (Artist Salons, masterclasses), and special projects (The Virago Project, inVISIBLE), delivered through partner venues in Calgary and sold via online ticketing platforms.

Product overview

Handsome Alice Theatre is a Calgary-based theatre company that operates as a single unified offering focused on producing and presenting theatre works. The company amplifies women, trans and non-binary voices through productions that are inclusive, curious, and rebellious. Their portfolio includes mainstage productions (Lazy Susan, Two Moons: A Folk Lullaby), community programming (Artist Salons, Masterclasses), and special projects (The Virago Project, inVISIBLE). Since 2005, the company has produced 24 productions from classic and contemporary canons to premieres of new Canadian works, with artists associated with their productions garnering Betty Mitchell Awards and numerous award nominations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lazy Susan Immersive live theatre production in which audiences sit side by side with characters as the story unfolds around a giant spinning table, exploring love, loss, loyalty, and coming-of-age; currently ticketed through Showpass.
• Two Moons: A Folk Lullaby Live folk lullaby theatre production presented at West Village Theatre; associated artists have won Betty Mitchell Awards. Tickets sold via Universe.
• The Virago Project Theatrical project produced by Handsome Alice Theatre focused on women's voices and stories.
• Artist Salons Community events bringing together artists for networking, discussion, and creative exchange; some priced at $10.00 per person.
• Masterclasses & Workshops Educational programming featuring masterclasses with notable theatre professionals such as Peter Balkwill, Colleen Murphy, Karen Hines, and Micheline Chevrier.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two Betty Mitchell Awards and eighteen Betty Mitchell Award nominations demonstrating industry recognition
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Chromatic TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Trans in the Arts Cohort Report collaboration, facilitated by Chromatic Theatre and The Rozsa Foundation
• Ghost River TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Co-hosted A Colloquy for Caregivers in the Arts with Ghost River Theatre and Meg Farhall
• The GRANDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership for Fat People in Photos project, produced by Handsome Alice in partnership with The GRAND
• Alberta Theatre ProjectscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2019Presented The F Word show by Keshia Cheesman and Bianca Miranda
• University of LethbridgecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collective creation partnership for inVISIBLE (Too) production
• The Shakespeare CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2016Co-presented Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) by Ann-Marie MacDonald in 2016, the debut production of Handsome Alice Theatre after rebranding from Urban Curvz
• Hit & Myth ProductionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2016Co-presented Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) as part of the debut production after rebranding

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nightwood Theatre: Canadian feminist theatre company with a near-identical mandate of amplifying women's voices; comparable size, non-profit structure, and focus on developing new Canadian work.
• One Yellow Rabbit: Calgary-based performing arts company of comparable scale producing original and contemporary work, sharing the same local audience and venue ecosystem as Handsome Alice.
• Native Earth Performing Arts: Toronto-based Indigenous performing arts company with a comparable identity-focused mandate, non-profit structure, and artist-development programming.
• Pumphouse Theatre: Calgary venue operator that hosts Handsome Alice productions; runs its own theatre programming targeting similar community audiences.
• Buddies in Bad Times Theatre: Toronto-based LGBTQ+ theatre company with a similar identity-driven mandate, comparable scale, and overlapping artist/donor networks across Canada.
• Lunchbox Theatre: Calgary-based small theatre company producing intimate stage productions for similar local audiences; directly comparable in scale, mandate, and Western Canada footprint.
• Ghost River Theatre: Calgary-based independent theatre company that has partnered with Handsome Alice (A Colloquy for Caregivers in the Arts); produces experimental work at comparable scale.

Broad incumbents

• Theatre Calgary: Calgary's largest regional theatre; a broad incumbent serving overlapping audiences with larger-scale productions and a longer season.
• Alberta Theatre Projects: Major Calgary theatre that has co-presented work with Handsome Alice (The F Word); broader programming slate but overlapping market and donor base.
• Vertigo Theatre: Calgary theatre that both partners with and overlaps Handsome Alice in programming; larger, venue-based, and more established but operates in the same city and audience pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/@HandsomeAliceTheatre
• Facebookfacebook.com/HandsomeAliceTheatre
• Instagraminstagram.com/handsomealicetheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/handsome-alice-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Handsome Alice Theatre