HYDE PARK THEATRE

What HYDE PARK THEATRE does

Hyde Park Theatre (HPT) is an independent, nonprofit alternative theater company founded in 1982 and based at 511 West 43rd Street in Austin, Texas. The organization produces a curated season of contemporary plays, including Southwest and world premieres by writers such as Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Baker, alongside its signature annual FronteraFest, a five-week fringe festival now in its 31st season that attracts over 800 local and national artists and includes Short Fringe, BYOV, and site-specific Mi Casa Es Su Teatro programming. HPT maintains a Core Company of 50+ local artists and is led by Producing Artistic Director Ken Webster (46 years in local theater, Austin Arts Hall of Fame inductee), supported by a board of directors and a small full-time staff of approximately five employees. The business is funded through ticket sales (typical prices $23-$30, with Thursday Pay-What-You-Can nights, discounts for seniors/military/ACA/ASF members, and $25-$100 fundraiser tiers), tax-deductible donations, and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (Art Works), Texas Commission on the Arts, Austin Arts/Culture/Music/Entertainment (Elevate grant), and the Bennett Raccah Charitable Fund. Distribution is multi-channel across TicketWeb, Universe, ATX Theatre ticketing platforms plus phone, email, and walk-up sales, with marketing primarily through the company website, email newsletter, social media, and earned coverage from local outlets including the Austin Chronicle and KUT. The company has no digital product surface, no proprietary technology, and no disclosed AI/ML components; its value is delivered entirely through in-person live performance and community programming.

Name

HYDE PARK THEATRE

Legal name

Hyde Park Theatre

Website

https://hydeparktheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hyde Park Theatre is an Austin, Texas nonprofit alternative theater (founded 1982, 5 employees) that produces a curated season of contemporary plays and the annual FronteraFest fringe festival, serving local arts audiences through ticketing, donations, and public grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts / Live Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Live theater production
• Alternative theatre
• Fringe festival
• Performing arts
• Community theater

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for season shows, FronteraFest performances, and special events. Ticket prices range from $23-$30 for most productions, with premium pricing for Saturday shows and discounts for seniors, military, and ACA/ASF members.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted through a dedicated donation portal. Donations support paying actors, designers, technicians, sets, costumes, and equipment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hyde Park Theatre is an Austin-based alternative theatre company that produces a curated annual season of live theatrical productions at its 511 W. 43rd Street venue, featuring contemporary and classic plays by emerging and established playwrights. It also produces the annual five-week FronteraFest fringe festival, including Short Fringe, juried Best of Week/Fest, BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue), and Mi Casa Es Su Teatro site-specific performances, operated in partnership with ScriptWorks.

Product overview

Hyde Park Theatre is an independent Austin theatre company producing a dual offering: main stage theatrical productions featuring contemporary and classic plays by established and emerging playwrights, and the annual FronteraFest fringe theatre festival. The main stage shows run as part of the theatre's curated season, while FronteraFest operates as a five-week city-wide festival featuring unjuried short works, juried Best of Week/Fest selections, and site-specific Mi Casa Es Su Teatro performances. Both offerings are produced at the theatre's physical venue at 511 West 43rd Street in Austin.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FronteraFest: A five-week annual fringe theatre festival featuring alternative, offbeat, new, and unconventional theatre productions. The festival includes Short Fringe, BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue), and Mi Casa Es Su Teatro components.

Products and services

• Main Stage Productions Full-scale theatrical productions presented at Hyde Park Theatre's venue at 511 W. 43rd Street in Austin, featuring works by established and emerging playwrights, including Pulitzer Prize winners such as Annie Baker. The 2025-26 season includes I Love HPT: The Return, Witch, Wakey Wakey, Dear Dickies, Infinite Life, Oversight, and And She Was Loved.
• FronteraFest Annual five-week fringe theatre festival featuring the Short Fringe (unjuried short plays), Best of Week (juried selections), Best of Fest, BYOV (Bring Your Own Venue) shows, and Mi Casa Es Su Teatro site-specific performances. The 31st season ran January 13 – February 14, 2026 and attracts over 800 local and national artists annually.
• Mi Casa Es Su Teatro A day of curated site-based theatrical work performed in local homes and unexpected locales, operated as a component of the annual FronteraFest festival. Day passes priced at $20 for the full day or $10 for a single time block ($7 at the door for individual blocks).

Quantifiable outcome

• Producing Southwest and world premieres of new alternative theatre
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 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 flagship, minor and core.

• StoryCorpsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024StoryCorps partnered with HPT to create an oral history of FronteraFest in 2024. StoryCorps is the renowned nonprofit that records conversations and memories, sending them to the Library of Congress.
• Latino Comedy ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Latino Comedy Project partnered with HPT to present Adrian Villegas' solo comedy 'Barrio Daze' in November 2023.
• ZM3ProductionsLiveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Presented 'Chronicles of an Indigenous Offspring' with ZM3ProductionsLive (Zell Miller III's production company). Also collaborated on 'Daughter and Dada' during FronteraFest.
• ScriptWorkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScriptWorks is a group dedicated to supporting emerging playwrights and developing new dramatic works. HPT produces FronteraFest in conjunction with ScriptWorks, and many shows receive ScriptWorks commissions.
• Zahir TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerZahir Theater is producing 'Oversight' at HPT from July 30 - August 22, 2026.
• Black Rose Theater ATXminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Rose Theater ATX is producing 'And She Was Loved' at HPT from September 3-12, 2026.
• Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and EntertainmentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHPT receives support through an Elevate grant from Austin Arts, Culture, Music, and Entertainment.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Different Stages: Austin-based nonprofit theater producing classic and contemporary plays. Comparable to HPT as a small Austin community theater with a curated season model.
• Rude Mechs: Austin-based collaborative theater company producing original, experimental works with a resident ensemble model. Comparable to HPT's alternative-theater identity and ensemble-driven Core Company structure.
• Ground Floor Theatre: Austin-based small nonprofit theater producing new and contemporary works, including Texas and world premieres. Closely comparable to HPT in scale, mission, and emphasis on new-play development.
• Salvage Vanguard Theater: Austin-based experimental theater producing new and devised works. Comparable to HPT as a small, mission-driven alternative theater competing for the same niche Austin audience and grant dollars.
• Penfold Theatre Company: Austin-area small nonprofit theater producing contemporary and new works with a professional company. Comparable to HPT in scale, regional nonprofit structure, and seasonal programming approach.
• Zach Theatre: Austin-based professional nonprofit theater producing a year-round season of plays and musicals across multiple venues. Most directly comparable to HPT as a local Austin theater competitor for audience, donors, and grant funding, though at significantly larger scale.
• Austin Playhouse: Austin-based nonprofit theater producing a season of comedies, dramas, and musicals. Comparable to HPT as a small-staff Austin community theater competing for overlapping audiences and ticketed revenue.
• The Vortex Repertory Company: Austin-based alternative and experimental theater known for devised, genre-bending productions. Closely comparable to HPT's alternative-theater mission and Austin fringe-style programming, with a similar small-team operating model.

Others

• ScriptWorks: Austin-based nonprofit supporting emerging playwrights and new dramatic works. Directly relevant as HPT's core production partner for FronteraFest and a source of new scripts, but not a competing venue.

Regional players

• Scottish Rite Theater: Austin-based historic theater producing family-oriented and theatrical programming. Comparable to HPT as a small Austin venue-based organization, though more focused on youth and family audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hyde-park-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 HYDE PARK THEATRE