Noor Theatre

What Noor Theatre does

Noor Theatre is a New York City-based nonprofit theater company founded in 2010 and dedicated exclusively to producing, developing, and supporting the work of artists of Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and North African (MENA/SWANA) descent. Its programming portfolio comprises the annual Highlight Reading Series (in its 11th year in 2025), the Commissioning Initiative for new plays, the 48 Hour Forum rapid-response play festival, the Artists Advancing Cultural Change cross-medium cohort (film, TV, VR), the SWANA Writers' Co-op, full productions, and co-presentations with peer institutions including The Lark, Playwrights Horizons, and New York Theatre Workshop. Primary venue for readings is TheaterLab at 357 W 36th St, New York.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Nilou Safinya and operates with a part-time staff of approximately five: Executive Director Ariana Sarfarazi, Director of New Work Development Sivan Battat, Artistic Producer Kate Moore Heaney, Director of Development and Communication Salma Zohdi, and Director of Communications & Community May Treuhaft-Ali. Co-founders Lameece Issaq, Maha Chehlaoui, and Nancy Vitale founded the company; Issaq stepped down as Artistic Director in 2023 after 13 years.

Noor Theatre has no proprietary technology platform — its core offering is live theatrical programming and artist development services. All reading series events are free with RSVP; donations are welcomed. Revenue derives from individual donations (including a recurring "Keepers of the Light" monthly giving program), major donor support (e.g., Salman and Vienn Al-Rashid), and foundation grants including Pop Culture Collaborative's Becoming America Fund and the Mosaic Network and Fund in The New York Community Trust. Since 2010, Noor has served over 550 artists and reached audiences exceeding 10,000, with multiple commissioned plays having advanced to productions at Humana Festival, Portland Center Stage, Playwrights Horizons, The Public, and Here. A 2027 off-Broadway production of Fouad of Nazareth is in planning.

Name

Noor Theatre

Legal name

Noor Theatre

Website

https://noortheatre.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Noor Theatre is a New York City nonprofit theater company founded in 2010 that produces, develops, and supports new theatrical work by MENA/SWANA descent artists through readings, commissions, workshops, and community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts and Theater

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Performing Arts Companies (7111), Other Performing Arts Companies (711190)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional & Repertory Theatre Companies (MPAGABAB), Performing Arts Centers & Presenters (Programming/Booking) (MPAGABAM)

Keywords

• New play development
• MENA SWANA theater
• Playwright commissions
• Reading series productions
• Arts nonprofit community

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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. Individual Donations and Annual Fund: Noor Theatre relies heavily on individual donations to sustain operations. The annual fund supports commissions, readings, workshops, community gatherings, and productions. Monthly giving program 'Keepers of the Light' provides recurring revenue.
2. Grant Funding: Support from foundations and organizations including Pop Culture Collaborative's Becoming America Fund and the Mosaic Network and Fund in The New York Community Trust for specific programs like Artists Advancing Cultural Change.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Noor Theatre produces, develops, and supports new theatrical work by MENA/SWANA (Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and North African) artists through an annual Highlight Reading Series, a Commissioning Initiative that funds playwrights, the 48 Hour Forum rapid-response play festival, and the Artists Advancing Cultural Change cohort. Programming is offered free to the public, with funding derived from individual donations and foundation grants. The company has served over 550 artists and reached audiences exceeding 10,000 people since its founding in 2010.

Product overview

Noor Theatre is a New York-based theater company dedicated to producing, developing, and supporting the work of artists of Middle Eastern, Southwest Asian, and North African (MENA/SWANA) descent. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including the Highlight Reading Series (annual festival of new-play readings), the Commissioning Initiative (funding for new play development), the 48 Hour Forum (rapid-response play festival), and the Artists Advancing Cultural Change Cohort (cross-medium commissions for film/TV/VR). Additional offerings include co-presentation partnerships, the SWANA Writers' Co-op, productions, and the Arab Voices Project. The company serves as an artistic home for MENA/SWANA theater artists and has served over 550 artists since its founding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highlight Reading Series Annual reading series showcasing work by playwrights of MENA/SWANA descent through staged readings, workshops, and developmental presentations of new plays. Free admission with RSVP. Targets MENA/SWANA playwrights and theater audiences.
• Commissioning Initiative Program providing funding and development support for MENA/SWANA playwrights to write and develop new plays over multi-month periods. Recipients receive financial support and work closely with Noor Theatre artistic staff.
• 48 Hour Forum Annual 48-hour rapid-response play festival where artists create short plays inspired by Middle Eastern-themed news events, presented as theatrical op-eds and public performances.
• Artists Advancing Cultural Change Cohort Cross-medium commissions awarded annually to MENA/SWANA writers developing scripts in film, television, and VR designed to reach mass audiences and pursue social change goals.
• Productions Full theatrical productions developed and presented by Noor Theatre, including mainstage productions and co-productions with partner institutions such as New York Theatre Workshop.
• SWANA Writers' Co-op Dialogue-based writers group for SWANA writers that meets with support from Playwrights Horizons to share pages, receive feedback, and offer peer mentorship among MENA/SWANA playwrights.
• Co-Presentation Partnerships Program Program partnering with universities and institutions to co-present theatrical work and readings to wider audiences through shared venues and joint programming.
• The Magic Bullet: A Work-in-Progress Sharing Transdisciplinary theatrical work exploring colonialism, indigeneity, and magic, created by LubDub Theatre Co and co-commissioned by Noor Theatre with Pangea World Theatre and Arab American National Museum.
• Arab Voices Project Festival bringing Arab and Arab-American theater artists together to develop new plays, produced in collaboration with the Foundation for Arab Dramatic Arts at the Dar el Nimer Center in Beirut, Lebanon.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Foundation for Arab Dramatic ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Collaborated in September 2024 to produce the Arab Voices Project, bringing Arab and Arab-American theater artists together to develop new plays at Dar el Nimer Center in Beirut, Lebanon. Project was cut short due to attacks on Beirut but fostered meaningful cross-cultural connections.
• The LarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'Queer Stories from New York, Beirut, Berlin, and Beyond' storytelling event in Spring 2019, bringing together queer writers from the Middle East.
• Martin E. Segal Theatre Center at CUNYminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented readings including Ibn Daniyal's 'The Shadow Spirit' trilogy in 2013 and 2014.
• New York Center for ArchitectureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'Building A New' reading with Noor Theatre and The NY Center for Architecture in Spring 2012.
• Persian Arts FestivalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced presentation of 'Our Sweet Life By the Atlantic Ocean' by Houshang Touzie in Spring 2011.
• The BE CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'BEginnings @ Happy Endings' stand-up and short stories event in Spring 2011.
• Playwrights HorizonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides ongoing support for the SWANA Writers' Co-op, a group for SWANA dialogue-based writers that gathers to share pages, receive feedback, and offer peer-mentorship. The group was originally created by Kareem Fahmy and May Treuhaft-Ali.
• TheaterLabcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrimary venue partner for the Highlight Reading Series, hosting readings at 357 W 36th St, 3rd and 4th floors, New York, NY 10018.
• National Queer TheaterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsored the Cultural Resistance March for Palestine in January 2024, partnering on advocacy initiatives.
• LubDub Theatre CominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presented 'The Magic Bullet' work-in-progress sharing in November 2024. LubDub is an NYC-based company creating stories of science, magic, and myth.
• Pangea World TheatreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned 'The Magic Bullet' in partnership with Arab American National Museum.
• Arab American National MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned 'The Magic Bullet' alongside Pangea World Theatre and National Performance Network.
• National Performance NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-commissioned 'The Magic Bullet' alongside Pangea World Theatre and Arab American National Museum.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ma-Yi Theater Company: NYC-based theater company focused on Asian-American artists and new work development. Closest cultural-specific analog to Noor's MENA/SWANA-focused mission and community-led artist development model.
• National Queer Theater: NYC theater company producing work by LGBTQ+ artists, partnered with Noor on advocacy initiatives including the Cultural Resistance March for Palestine. Peer-level cultural-mission theater with overlapping community.
• Labyrinth Theater Company: NYC theater focused on developing new work with diverse communities of artists. Closely comparable in mission around supporting underrepresented voices in American playwriting.
• Pan Asian Repertory Theatre: NYC-based theater company developing work by Asian-American artists. Cultural-specific theater peer serving as a comparable community-led play development model in a different minority community.
• The Lark: NYC-based nonprofit dedicated to developing new plays and supporting playwrights, with similar reading-series and development programming. The Lark is a co-presentation partner and a direct cultural peer in the play development space.
• Pangea World Theatre: Minneapolis-based Asian-American theater company that co-commissioned The Magic Bullet with Noor. Cultural-specific theater with similar mission and direct co-production history.

Broad incumbents

• New York Theatre Workshop: Off-Broadway NYC theater that has co-produced Noor's work (Food and Fadwa, 2012) and serves as a major institutional partner. Direct overlap in mission to develop new work by diverse voices.
• Playwrights Horizons: NYC theater company focused on new American play development, supporting the SWANA Writers' Co-op. Mission adjacency to Noor as a large NYC play development institution and explicit partner.
• Atlantic Theater Company: Established NYC theater producing new work alongside revivals, with comparable off-Broadway staging scale and similar artist development programs.
• Vineyard Theatre: NYC off-Broadway theater with strong new play development programming, including commissioning and workshop programs. Comparable scale and development focus to Noor's reading series model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/noortheatre
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVSprg9Nz83kHwUcUeXqktg
• Facebookfacebook.com/noortheatre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/noor-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 Noor Theatre