Long Beach Shakespeare Company

What Long Beach Shakespeare Company does

Long Beach Shakespeare Company (LBSC) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) theatre arts organization founded in 1990 and based at the 45-seat Helen Borgers Theatre in the Bixby Knolls neighborhood of Long Beach, California. It self-describes as the only full-time classical theatre company in Long Beach, producing five fully staged dramatic productions per year (Shakespeare, Wilde, Rostand), five old-time radio shows via its KBRD Radio sub-brand, an expanded New Works Festival, and an annual Poetry Series. The company holds first-ever stage adaptation rights to Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, which it licenses to community and school theatre groups nationally.

LBSC generates revenue through ticket sales (via SeatEngine), a tiered patron/donor program (six levels from $50-$1,500+), foundation grants (notably RuMBa Foundation), theatre rental, and fee-based education programs ($50-$75 per class for non-LBUSD schools; free to Long Beach Unified School District). Its community and educational reach is anchored by long-standing partnerships with the Aquarium of the Pacific (since 2004), The Planetary Society (since 2010), LBUSD, and CSULB Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The organization operates with a skeleton staff of 7 employees, augmented by volunteers, and is governed by an independent board of directors under Artistic Director Holly Leveque (appointed Fall 2022).

Name

Long Beach Shakespeare Company

Legal name

The Long Beach Shakespeare Company

Website

https://lbshakespeare.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Long Beach Shakespeare Company is a non-profit 501(c)(3) classical theatre in Long Beach, California, operating the 45-seat Helen Borgers Theatre. It produces staged dramas, old-time radio shows, and educational programming for the community, schools, and donors.

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 (71119)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Allied To Motion Picture Production (7819)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Touring Theatre Productions (MPAGABAC), Theater, Musicals & Performing Arts (THAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Classical theatre productions
• Old-time radio shows
• Live theatrical performances
• Arts education programs
• Community theatre venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Long Beach

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from fully staged theatrical productions, radio shows, and special events at the Helen Borgers Theatre (45-seat venue). Season subscriptions and individual show tickets.
2. Donations and Patron Support: Tax-deductible donations at multiple tiers (The Sonnets $50-99, Romeo & Juliet $100-249, Macbeth $250-499, Othello $500-999, Hamlet $1000-1499, King Lear $1500+). Includes program recognition and complimentary tickets.
3. Grants and Foundation Support: Funding from organizations such as RuMBa Foundation supporting educational programming and production costs.
4. Theatre Rental: The 45-seat theatre is available for rental for productions and events.
5. Education Programs: Fee-based educational programs for schools including streaming versions of productions, study guides, lectures, and workshops. Free to LBUSD schools; $50-75 per class for non-LBUSD schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Long Beach Shakespeare Company produces and performs classical theatrical works at its 45-seat Helen Borgers Theatre in Long Beach, California. Its core programming includes five fully staged dramatic productions per year (Shakespeare, Wilde, Rostand, and others), five old-time radio-style shows with live actors and sound effects, an annual New Works Festival, and an annual Poetry Series. The company also delivers school-based arts education programs and rents out its theatre to outside groups.

Product overview

The Long Beach Shakespeare Company operates the Helen Borgers Theatre in Long Beach, California as the only full-time classical theatre company in the area. The company offers a portfolio of theatrical experiences including Fully Staged Dramatic Productions of classic plays (Shakespeare, Wilde, Rostand), KBRD Radio Old Time Radio Shows with live webcasts, an annual New Works Festival for emerging playwrights, a Poetry Series, and Virtual Learning Resources for educational institutions. The 45-seat theatre is also available for rental. The company was founded in 1990, produces both live and streaming content, and maintains an archive of radio theatre productions dating back to 2017.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KBRD Radio - Old Time Radio: Live webcasts of radio plays from the Golden Age of Radio featuring live music and sound effects performed by the cast before a live audience
• ASL Literature Slam
• New Works Festival

Products and services

• Fully Staged Dramatic Productions Traditional theatrical performances of classic plays including Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Edmond Rostand, and other classical dramatists, performed with full sets, period costumes, live music, and sound effects at the Helen Borgers Theatre. Five fully staged productions are offered annually for general audiences and theatre enthusiasts.
• KBRD Radio Old-Time Radio Shows Live webcasts of radio plays from the Golden Age of Radio featuring live actors, original music, and sound effects performed before a live audience and webcast worldwide. Five radio productions are offered annually, including the long-running War of the Worlds show.
• New Works Festival Annual festival showcasing original plays with classical themes by local playwrights, held one weekend each in May, June, and September. Includes original works by local playwrights aiming to give birth to future legends of the theatre.
• Poetry Series Annual series held the first weekend in October celebrating poetry, the Bard, and the works of poetry-loving founder Helen Borgers. Offers first-look opportunities and a variety of literary activities.
• Helen Borgers Theatre Rental The 45-seat Black Box Theatre venue at 4250 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, available for rental for outside productions, performances, and events. Rates available upon inquiry through the Artistic Director.
• Virtual Learning Resources (Education Programs) Educational programs for K-12 students and teachers including streaming versions of staged productions, study guides with writing prompts, lectures, and workshops. Free to Long Beach Unified School District schools; $50 per class (up to 40 students) for non-LBUSD standard programs and $75 per class for Shakespeare productions, including lecture by Artistic Director.
• Listen Live / Live Webcasts Live streaming service of KBRD Radio productions via YouTube, allowing global audiences to tune in to Old-Time Radio performances in real-time. Archive of past radio theatre productions also available for listening.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Young Actors Theatre WorkshopminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Featured in 2012 14th Annual Long Beach Shakespeare Festival with pre-show presentations under artistic direction of Marie Contreras Romero, Suzette Picazo, and Patricia Gagna.
• The Planetary SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership began in 2010 for annual War of the Worlds productions. Mat Kaplan, host of Planetary Radio, provides half-hour introduction to the radio play with updates on Mars exploration. Partnership renewed annually with updated information direct from Mars.
• Hammett Literary EstatecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 1 January 2008First-ever rights granted to adapt Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon for the stage. Adaptation licensed for performances by community and school theatre groups around the country.
• American Ballet TheatreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2007Partnership in 2007 for promotions, performances, and fundraising alongside Bixby Knolls First Fridays, Barnes & Noble, and Gladstone's Long Beach.
• Aquarium of the PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Since 2004, moved summer Shakespeare festival to front lawn of Aquarium of the Pacific in downtown Long Beach. Expanded schedule to eight weekends. Partnership continued for multiple years.
• Cerritos Center for the Performing ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2000Two-year partnership (2000) creating and touring Shakespeare workshops for Cerritos and surrounding school districts. Also developed instructional workshops for Cerritos Arts Center.
• Long Beach Unified School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-year association with Passport to the Arts program. Free educational programs for LBUSD schools including streaming productions, study guides, and workshops. Still active as of 2025.
• CSULB Center for Medieval and Renaissance StudiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered in 2014 for Free Speaker Series with lectures from Lloyd Kermode, Co-director of the center.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Old Globe: San Diego-based Tony Award-winning regional theatre producing Shakespeare and classical works in a similarly southern California footprint. Significantly larger but overlaps LBSC on repertoire and audience demographics.
• Boston Court Pasadena: Pasadena-based small-to-mid non-profit theatre producing new works and classical repertoire. Comparable in non-profit structure and Southern California regional positioning, though with a more contemporary focus.
• A Noise Within: Pasadena-based classical repertory theatre producing Shakespeare and other classics year-round. Larger and more established than LBSC, but operates in the same Southern California classical-theatre niche and competes for the same audience and donor pool.
• South Coast Repertory: Costa Mesa-based Tony Award-recognized regional theatre with a strong classical and new-works repertoire. A larger Southland theatre that competes with LBSC for the same Southern California classical theatre patron market.

Direct peers

• Antaeus Theatre Company: Glendale-based classical theatre company that produces classic plays with repertory ensembles and runs education programs. Similar non-profit, classical repertoire, and small-venue operating model to LBSC.
• MainStreet Theatre Company: Small Southern California community theatre producing classic plays in an intimate venue. Comparable to LBSC in size, classical repertoire emphasis, and non-profit community-engagement operating model.
• Pacific Resident Theatre: Venice-based small non-profit theatre producing classic and original works in an intimate 80-seat venue. Closely comparable to LBSC in scale, repertoire, and community-driven operating model.
• Independent Shakespeare Co. Los Angeles-based independent theatre company producing free classical Shakespeare and other classic works in a small-venue, community-focused model very similar to LBSC's mix of ticket-supported productions and education outreach.
• Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum: Topanga-based outdoor classical theatre company producing Shakespeare and other classics in an intimate, community-driven format. Directly comparable to LBSC in scale, classical repertoire focus, and educational programming.

Regional players

• Shakespeare Santa Monica: Free outdoor Shakespeare producer in nearby Santa Monica. Comparable to LBSC's earlier free summer park productions and the legacy of the Aquarium of the Pacific summer festival, but in a different sub-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lbshakespeare
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/LBShakespeareCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/lbshakespeare
• Instagraminstagram.com/lbshakespeare
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/long-beach-shakespeare-company

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 Long Beach Shakespeare Company