Lexington Children's Theatre

What Lexington Children's Theatre does

Lexington Children's Theatre (LCT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional theatre founded in 1938 and designated by the Kentucky Legislature in 1986 as the State Children's Theatre of Kentucky. Operating from its headquarters at 418 West Short Street in Lexington, the organization maintains a 141-seat Main Stage and a secondary Learning Stage, and employs 40-60 professional artists, teaching staff, designers, technicians, and administrators annually. LCT serves an estimated 60,000 to 130,000 children and community members per year across 42-50+ Kentucky counties through five primary programs: Main Stage and touring productions, field trip matinees for PK-12 schools, a four-quarter Theatre School with summer intensives, a satellite program called Shooting Stars Youtheatre in Eastern Kentucky, and classroom arts residencies.

The organization's core technology consists of professional theatrical production infrastructure (lighting, sound, scenic, and costume capabilities) plus lightweight commercial systems for ticketing (online box office and phone), school booking (JotForm), and class registration (Ludus). LCT also maintains a catalogue of original scripts authored by its artistic leadership, which is licensed commercially through Dramatic Publishing.

LCT's revenue is diversified across earned and contributed streams: single-ticket and membership sales ($22-$50 per seat; three membership tiers), Theatre School tuition ($290-$440 per student), venue and equipment rentals ($40-$1,200 per day depending on space and rate class), script licensing royalties, corporate sponsorships (LexArts, Shubert Foundation, Kentucky American Water, PNC Foundation, Keeneland, Blanton's Bourbon), and donations including annual fund and a Building Dreams Capital Campaign. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer ticketing, a dedicated outreach sales function targeting schools, statewide touring productions, and community-based engagement through events like the Celebrity Curtain Call gala and Discover More Series. Pricing is deliberately accessible, with Pay What You Will performances, financial aid up to 50% of tuition, and the Kentucky Arts Council Arts Miles Grant subsidizing school travel.

Name

Lexington Children's Theatre

Legal name

Lexington Children's Theatre

Website

https://lctonstage.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lexington Children's Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1938 and designated by the Kentucky Legislature as the State Children's Theatre of Kentucky. It produces professional theatre and arts education programs serving 60,000-130,000 children and families annually across Kentucky through Main Stage productions, touring shows, a Theatre School, and a satellite program in Eastern Kentucky.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Theatre & Youth Arts Education

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Fine Arts Schools (61161)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN), Performing Arts Programs (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Theater) (EDAJAJAE), Theater & Performing Arts Venue Operations (Playhouses, Opera Houses) (MPAGALAB)

Keywords

• Children's theatre productions
• Youth arts education
• School field trip matinees
• Theatre school classes
• Venue rental licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Lexington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Single tickets and membership passes for Main Stage productions, Learning Stage performances, and special performances at Lexington Opera House. Membership tiers provide 10 tickets per season plus discounts.
2. Theatre School Tuition: Tuition-based classes and programs including Summer Theatre School, Theatre School classes (Fall/Winter/Spring), and specialty workshops. Pricing ranges from $290-$440 per student depending on program.
3. Venue Rentals: Rental of theatre spaces including Studios, Board Room, Learning Stage, and Main Stage. Both regular and non-profit rates available. Production services including technical coordination at $18/hr.
4. Script Licensing: LCT's catalogue of original works can be licensed through Dramatic Publishing. Titles include favorites like Aesop's Fables: On Stage, Why Mosquitoes Buzz, Old Dry Frye, The Tallest Tale Ever Told, and The Snow Queen.
5. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship and program advertising opportunities. Major contributors include LexArts, Kentucky American Water, The Shubert Foundation.
6. Donations and Annual Fund: Annual Campaign donations supporting programming, scholarships, and accessible ticket pricing. Corporate sponsorships, building dreams capital campaign, and payroll deduction programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lexington Children's Theatre produces professional live theatrical performances for young audiences and their families, alongside year-round theatre arts education classes for ages 4-18. The organization stages productions on its own Main Stage and Learning Stage venues in Lexington, sends touring productions to schools and community venues across Kentucky, and operates the Shooting Stars Youtheatre satellite program in Eastern Kentucky, reaching approximately 60,000-130,000 people annually.

Product overview

Lexington Children's Theatre (LCT) is the State Children's Theatre of Kentucky, operating as a multi-faceted performing arts organization offering a unified portfolio of live theatre productions and arts education services. The core offering consists of Main Stage Productions featuring professional actors performing for young audiences, supplemented by Touring Productions that travel to schools statewide. LCT's Theatre School provides year-round classes and workshops for ages 4-18 through four quarters plus Summer Theatre School, while Shooting Stars Youtheatre serves eastern Kentucky through satellite programming. Educational offerings include School Field Trip Matinees, Arts Education in the Classroom residencies, and Teen Companies. Additional programs include Discover More Series events, Celebrity Curtain Call galas, and Rentals & Licensing for venue access and original work licensing. The organization serves approximately 60,000-130,000 people annually across Kentucky.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Shooting Stars Youtheatre: A satellite program serving Elliott and Rowan counties through classes, workshops, and performance opportunities for young people in Appalachian Kentucky.
• LCT

Products and services

• Main Stage Productions
• Discovery Series
• Touring Productions
• School Field Trip Matinees
• Theatre School
• Summer Theatre School
• Shooting Stars Youtheatre
• Teen Companies
• Arts Education in the Classroom
• Discover More Series
• Celebrity Curtain Call
• Membership Program
• Venue Rentals
• Script Licensing

Quantifiable outcome

• 130,000 children served annually across Kentucky
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• LexArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor contributor and arts council partner supporting LCT's programming and community engagement initiatives. LexArts is the Area Arts Council for Lexington and Central Kentucky.
• KeenelandsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Short Street Legends Discover More event featuring the Headless Horseman appearance. Provides crafts and activities in the board room before select performances.
• Lexington Fraternal Order of FirefighterssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Holiday Heroes event before the Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Pay What You Will performance. Co-hosts holiday celebration with toy donations and fire truck exploration.
• Kentucky Black Writers CollaborativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Mics and Myths Discover More event tied to The Princess Who Lost Her Hair production. Co-hosts open mic celebration with Black & Lit Book Club and Burn the Mic series.
• Living Arts & Science CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner for Pink's Prints Discover More event following Pinkalicious performance. Provides printmaking workshop activities using fruits and vegetables.
• GattitownminorOthersRecommended lunch partner for field trip groups, located 15 minutes from LCT with food and play options for visiting school groups.
• Morehead State University (Music, Theatre and Dance Department)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership through The Little Company, which prepares college students to perform touring productions and teach drama workshops across Kentucky. The Little Company performed internationally at the Intranational Fringe Festival in Scotland (2023). Shooting Stars Youtheatre operates from Morehead State University campus.
• Dramatic PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLicensing partner for LCT's catalogue of original works. Publishes and distributes rights for productions including Aesop's Fables: On Stage, Why Mosquitoes Buzz, Old Dry Frye, The Tallest Tale Ever Told, and The Snow Queen.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lctonstage
• Instagraminstagram.com/lexchildrenstheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lexington-children's-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Lexington Children's Theatre