NEW HAMPSHIRE THEATRE PROJECT

What NEW HAMPSHIRE THEATRE PROJECT does

New Hampshire Theatre Project (NHTP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit applied theatre company founded in 1984 and incorporated in 1988, headquartered in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The organization operates from a 50-seat blackbox theatre at 959 Islington Street and runs a portfolio of programs including MainStage Productions, the trademarked Elephant-in-the-Room Series® (EITR), Theatre for Life professional development, youth and adult education programs, private coaching, and K-12 Artist in Residence programs delivered throughout New Hampshire and New England. NHTP serves three primary audiences: youth ages 10-18 seeking arts education and life-skills development, adults pursuing acting and communication training, and community organizations seeking facilitation on difficult societal topics including mental health, addiction, suicide, eldercare, and identity.

The company's core methodology is applied theatre—using live performance, play readings, and facilitated audience dialogue to address real-world issues. The Elephant-in-the-Room Series®, created in 2017, is the flagship franchise and recipient of the 2021 Governor's Arts Award for Arts in Health. NHTP co-develops EITR programming with partners such as Seacoast Mental Health Center, Network4Health, and the NH Department of Health and Human Services, and offers a Commission a Play program for custom community productions.

NHTP's revenue model is a hybrid of earned income (ticket sales, tuition for classes and camps, private coaching at $80-$200/hour sliding scale) and contributed income (donations, grants, sponsorships, and a capital campaign). Management has stated that earned revenues cover only 60% of operating costs, with donations and grants bridging the remaining 40%. The organization employs approximately 8 part-time staff, supplemented by a 12-member Board of Directors, a Community Advisory Board, and a roster of professional Company Artists. Leadership comprises Sean Robinson (Executive Artistic Director), CJ Lewis (Managing Director of Applied Programs), and founder Genevieve Aichele (Community Engagement Director and NH State Artist Laureate).

Name

NEW HAMPSHIRE THEATRE PROJECT

Legal name

New Hampshire Theatre Project

Website

https://nhtheatreproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

New Hampshire Theatre Project is a Portsmouth, NH-based 501(c)(3) applied theatre nonprofit operating a 50-seat blackbox theatre, MainStage productions, the trademarked Elephant-in-the-Room Series®, youth and adult education programs, and K-12 Artist in Residence programs serving communities throughout New Hampshire and New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Community Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

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

Keywords

• Applied theatre programs
• Community theatre productions
• Youth theatre education
• Arts based professional development
• Community dialogue programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from MainStage productions and other live performances at the 50-seat blackbox theatre
2. Educational Programs: Fees from youth theatre classes, summer camps, adult education programs, and private coaching sessions
3. Donations and Grants: 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying on charitable contributions. Earned revenues support only 60% of costs; donations bridge the gap
4. Sponsorships: Partnership and Season Sponsorships from individuals, businesses, and foundations supporting programming
5. Capital Campaign: New Stages Campaign raising funds to support organizational transition and expansion (target $150,000 by August 2026)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

New Hampshire Theatre Project is an applied theatre nonprofit that produces MainStage theatrical productions at its 50-seat West End Studio Theatre in Portsmouth, NH, and runs the trademarked Elephant-in-the-Room Series® of play readings and facilitated community conversations on difficult societal topics. The company also delivers youth and adult theatre education programs, private coaching, Theatre for Life professional development for businesses and community members, and K-12 Artist in Residence programs throughout New England.

Product overview

New Hampshire Theatre Project is an applied theatre company offering a portfolio of programs centered around MainStage Productions (contemporary theatrical performances at its 50-seat black box venue), the award-winning Elephant-in-the-Room Series® (EITR) for community dialogue on difficult topics, Theatre for Life professional development training, and comprehensive youth and adult education programs including private coaching and artist residencies. The company also offers a Commission a Play Program for custom community productions and hosts play readings through the Intelligent Theatre Festival. The portfolio is unified by NHTP's mission to use theatre arts to spark conversation, connect individuals, and strengthen communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elephant-in-the-Room Series®: An award-winning outreach program that presents play readings and community conversations about isolating issues, bringing difficult topics out into the open through healthy dialogue. Topics include Youth Mental Health, Navigating Eldercare, PTS and First Responders, Addiction, Suicide and Self-Harm, and Identity/Belonging.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2021 Governor's Arts Award for Arts in Health
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major funder, corporate sponsor, funder and historic.

• Seacoast Mental Health CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with NHTP's Elephant-in-the-Room Series® to provide mental health expertise and resources. Supports normalization of conversations about mental health and behavioral health experiences through theatre.
• Network4HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on EITR presentation of A Wider Circle addressing opioid crisis impact on families and communities in Derry, NH area.
• NH State Council on the Artsmajor funderOthersState arts agency providing Arts in Health grant funding and recognition for NHTP programming including the Elephant-in-the-Room Series®.
• NH Charitable Foundationmajor funderOthersMajor nonprofit foundation providing funding and the Cherylanne Williams Scholarship Fund endowment supporting youth scholarships.
• Primexcorporate sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting NHTP's programming and risk management services.
• Strafford County Regional Public Health ConsortiumfunderStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides funding support for suicide and self-harm resources and behavioral health programming.
• Portsmouth Naval ShipyardhistoricOthersIn 2001, agreement signed to become resident theatre company at shipyard's auditorium; agreement became null after 9/11 events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Imago Theatre: Small community/applied theatre company in Portland, OR that integrates theatre with social issues and education. Comparable as a small mission-driven applied-theatre organization with a similar community/education profile to NHTP, though operating on the opposite coast.
• The Growing Stage - The Children's Theatre of New Jersey: Professional theatre-for-youth company producing programming for young audiences with strong educational components. Comparable in youth-theatre specialization and education-focused programming to NHTP's youth offerings, though outside New England.

Direct peers

• Portland Stage: LSTA-affiliated regional theatre in Portland, ME producing a MainStage season plus education and community programs. Closely comparable mission, regional theatre scale, and New England geography to NHTP.
• Seacoast Repertory Theatre: Community-based regional theatre in Portsmouth, NH that produces a mix of plays, musicals, and educational programs for the same Seacoast audience as NHTP. Directly comparable in geography, mission, programming mix, and venue-based production model.
• Players' Ring Theatre: Small community theatre also based in Portsmouth, NH, sharing the same local market, audience base, and small-stage economics as NHTP. Highly comparable as a same-city regional/community theatre peer.
• Capital Repertory Theatre: Regional LORT theatre in Albany, NY producing a season of plays with strong education and community-outreach components. Comparable in repertory theatre model and education/outreach programming mix to NHTP.
• Merrimack Repertory Theatre: Professional regional theatre in Lowell, MA producing a season of contemporary plays alongside education and community engagement programming. Comparable in scale, repertory model, and New England community-theatre positioning.

Broad incumbents

• American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.): Major Harvard-affiliated regional theatre in Cambridge, MA with significant education, community, and social-justice programming. A larger incumbent operating in adjacent New England territory with overlapping community-engagement philosophy.
• Trinity Rep: LORT theatre and arts-education leader in Providence, RI with a deep education, community, and new-work development program. A larger incumbent in the same New England regional-theatre space with overlapping applied-theatre and education missions.

Regional players

• Penobscot Theatre Company: Regional professional theatre in Bangor, ME producing MainStage works and youth/educational programming in northern New England. Comparable in repertory model and youth-education emphasis, but operating further north in the region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nhtheatre
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7L5jxM323ZYOLL_6yXBUbg
• Facebookfacebook.com/nhtheatreproject
• Instagraminstagram.com/nhtheatreproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/new-hampshire-theatre-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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